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TikTok Lays Out Past Efforts to Address U.S. Concerns
The company said the disclosures support its argument that a law signed by President Biden in May is unconstitutional.
By Sapna Maheshwari
I write about TikTok, one of the most popular and politically controversial apps in the U.S. I also write about the media industry. My coverage includes the efforts to regulate or ban TikTok, the inner workings of the company and how young Americans are engaging with the platform. I also report on the creator economy and new media companies. In addition to these topics, I’m interested in the future of social media, how young people are using technology and consuming news and how money changes hands on TikTok and other platforms. I’m always interested in hearing what readers think I should be writing about, too.
I have been a business reporter for more than a decade and spent years writing about the retail industry and digital advertising. I have reported on the turmoil inside major retail corporations as well as venture-backed start-ups; the fallout in retail during the pandemic and labor issues that affect retail’s massive work force. I have also written about programmatic advertising, misinformation, surreptitious data collection and inappropriate content on YouTube Kids.
Before joining The Times in 2016, I reported for BuzzFeed News and Bloomberg News. My reporting has won a Front Page Award from the Newswomen’s Club of New York and a Best in Business award from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers. I have a bachelor’s in journalism and political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I was born and raised in southeastern Connecticut and am Indian American.
The Times has high ethical standards that I follow and that include specific guidelines for business reporters. I do not actively trade investments of any kind and I keep my retirement savings in broad funds. I cannot accept gifts, money or favors from anyone who might figure into my reporting. I do not participate in politics nor do I make political donations. It is crucial for me to protect my sources, who often take risks to speak with me. I work to be fair and accurate in my reporting.
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The company said the disclosures support its argument that a law signed by President Biden in May is unconstitutional.
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Dr. Vivek Murthy said he would urge Congress to require a warning that social media use can harm teenagers’ mental health.
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Hundreds of marketers and ad agency types flocked to TikTok’s annual sales presentation after a new law put its future in question.
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U.S. lawmakers have long worried that the Chinese government could use the app to spread propaganda.
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A new measure attempts to force the Senate’s hand on passing legislation to ban TikTok or mandate the app’s sale.
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Instagram is testing a program that offers its top influencers the ability to interact with their followers over direct messages using a chatbot.
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The video app is spending millions on ads as Congress considers a bill that could lead to a U.S. ban.
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The video app has been criticized for how it has handled posts users see about the war. Some of the same tensions have also played out inside the company.
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Legislation to force TikTok’s Chinese owner to sell the app or have it banned in the United States sailed through the House, but the Senate has no plans to move hastily.
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Dozens of popular figures on the app have traveled to Washington to urge lawmakers to oppose a bill that could result in the platform being blocked in the United States.
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Two of New Jersey’s three statewide offices could be held by people living in the same mansion.
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The legislation received wide bipartisan support, with both Republicans and Democrats showing an eagerness to appear tough on China.
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The bill, which would force TikTok’s Chinese parent to sell the popular social media app, faces a difficult path in the Senate.
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With both parties eager to demonstrate a willingness to be tough on China, bipartisan legislation to force the Chinese owners of the platform to divest or face a ban was moving forward.
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At a party for social media influencers at the White House this week, President Biden’s political concerns collided with his national security concerns.
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Many Capitol Hill offices were inundated with phone calls after TikTok urged users to tell their representatives they opposed a new bill aimed at the company.
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In this year’s presidential election, more people are turning to Instagram for news, even as the platform tries de-emphasizing “political content.”
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The president announced his arrival on the platform by poking fun at the notion that he had rigged the Super Bowl.
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Realistic-looking shampoo bottles and seltzer cans are popping up on videos from digital creators on TikTok and YouTube in a new form of old advertising.
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Senators criticized the chief executives of Meta, TikTok, Snap, X and Discord for not doing enough to prevent child sexual abuse online, amid rising fears over how the platforms affect youths.
By Cecilia Kang and David McCabe
Senators aggressively questioned executives from major tech companies, especially Meta and TikTok, while Mark Zuckerberg spoke directly to victims’ families.
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This was featured in live coverage.
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People and groups had harnessed the tool to scrutinize content on the site related to the Israel-Hamas war and other topics.
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The report, from the Network Contagion Research Institute at Rutgers University, could raise new concerns about whether Beijing influences the content on the popular video app.
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Some lawyers say the changes could make it more difficult to bring legal action against the company.
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The Texas law was challenged by First Amendment lawyers who filed a suit on behalf of college professors who said that their work had been compromised when they lost access to the app.
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The company in recent weeks organized several in-person meetings between its top executive and Jewish groups and business leaders.
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TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, has been locked in a legal battle with Montana since the state passed the ban in April.
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People who study social media say the conflict between Israel and Hamas has underscored the need for better data transparency from platforms.
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The videos discuss a letter the former Al Qaeda leader wrote in 2002 in which he defended the Sept. 11 attacks and said Americans had become “servants” to Jews.
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TikTok faces escalating accusations that it promotes pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel content. “Shame on you,” Sacha Baron Cohen said on the call.
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The criticism has put the popular video app on its heels at a precarious time.
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Silence is viewed by many as its own statement. Posting, though, can come with costs, including angry outpourings and even personal attacks.
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Business and entertainment leaders of South Asian descent celebrated the holiday at the Pierre on Saturday night.
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A start-up that offers fans a way to buy personalized videos from celebrities was supercharged by pandemic boredom and venture capital. All it had to do was grow forever.
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Montana is at the forefront of a wave of new tech laws passed by Republican-led states. Some give parents control over their children’s social media accounts.
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TikTok accounts are spreading falsehoods with help from A.I.-generated voices.
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How one of Montana’s top elected officials made banning the app a top priority, putting the state at the center of a geopolitical storm.
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A lawsuit filed on Thursday says Gov. Greg Abbott’s ban is compromising research and teaching at public universities.
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The fast-fashion company’s attempt to rebut allegations of forced labor and poor working conditions was met with incredulity online.
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The app’s chief operating officer is stepping down, and the company is bringing in a new executive to run its communications department.
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On the short-form video app, long-established facts about the 1912 disaster at sea are being newly litigated as musty rumors merge with fresh misinformation and manipulated content.
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Two senators sent a letter to TikTok’s C.E.O. with questions about how user data may be stored and seen in China after new reports in May.
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Employees of the Chinese-owned video app have regularly posted user information on a messaging and collaboration tool called Lark, according to internal documents.
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The Chinese-owned video app filed the lawsuit days after Montana’s governor signed the ban, which takes effect on Jan. 1, into law.
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A spokeswoman for the state attorney general said that his office had “expected a legal challenge” and was “fully prepared to defend the law.”
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The legislation is the most extreme prohibition of the app in the nation and will almost certainly face legal challenges.
By Sapna Maheshwari