Byte Dance Archives

Families sue TikTok in France over teen suicides they say are linked to harmful content

CASSIS, France (AP) — Seven families are suing TikTok in France, accusing the platform of failing to moderate harmful content and exposing children to life-threatening material. Two of the families experienced the loss of a child, including Stephanie Mistre, whose 15-year-old daughter, Marie, died by suicide three years ago. The lawsuit alleges that TikTok’s algorithm is designed to trap vulnerable users in cycles of despair for profit and seeks reparations for the families. TikTok says its guidelines forbid any promotion of suicide and that it employs 40,000 trust and safety professionals worldwide to remove dangerous posts. The company also says it refers users who search for suicide-related videos to mental health services.… Continue Reading

On “Farmtok,” agriculture gets its moment in the spotlight. What would it mean if that disappeared?

BUCYRUS, Ohio (AP) — As the future of social media platforms such as TikTok remains unknown, a younger generation of farmers is relying on social media to connect with audiences outside agriculture. For some farm influencers, revenue from social media platforms can augment income from farming and can help them connect with audiences that want to better understand where their food comes from.… Continue Reading

Supreme Court upholds law banning TikTok if it’s not sold by its Chinese parent company

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump says he talked with Chinese leader Xi Jinping about TikTok shortly before the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the federal law banning the app beginning Sunday unless it’s sold by its China-based parent company. The court held Friday the risk to national security posed by TikTok’s ties to China overcomes concerns about limiting speech by the app or its 170 million users in the U.S. A sale does not appear imminent. The court’s decision means new users won’t be able to download the app and updates won’t be available, but it won’t disappear from users’ phones. Trump had called on the court to keep the ban on hold until after he takes office Monday.… Continue Reading