Five years after TikTok ban, Indians also join Chinese ‘refuge’ Xiaohongshu

Five years after TikTok ban, Indians also join Chinese ‘refuge’ Xiaohongshu

The logos for TikTok and RedNote, known in China as Xiaohongshu. File | Photo Credit: Reuters Even as the fate of social media platform TikTok hangs in the balance in the U.S. — with a ban being postponed for a few weeks by President Donald Trump — Xiaohongshu, a Chinese platform resembling TikTok, has welcomed … Read more

TikTok madness: Users in US willing to pay up to $5 million for smartphones with pre-installed app

TikTok madness: Users in US willing to pay up to  million for smartphones with pre-installed app

Days after TikTok was temporarily banned in the US and reinstated by newly inaugurated President Donald Trump, users who had uninstalled the app are now willing to pay steep prices for smartphones with TikTok pre-installed. Despite the ban being lifted, the app remains unavailable for download on the Google Play Store and Apple Store, leaving … Read more

‘Something needs to change’: Musk opposes TikTok ban, wants X services in China

‘Something needs to change’: Musk opposes TikTok ban, wants X services in China

Billionaire Elon Musk has expressed his disapproval of the ban on TikTok in the United States, citing it as a move that contradicts the principles of free speech. However, Musk also criticised the lack of reciprocity, pointing out that while TikTok operated freely in the US, platforms like X remain banned in China. “I have … Read more

Trump asks U.S. Supreme Court to pause law threatening TikTok ban

Trump asks U.S. Supreme Court to pause law threatening TikTok ban

President-elect Donald Trump Trump fiercely opposed to TikTok during his 2017-21 first term, and tried in vain to ban the video app on national security grounds. File | Photo Credit: AFP U.S. President-elect Donald Trump filed a brief Friday urging the Supreme Court to pause a law that would ban TikTok the day before his … Read more

Trump says it could be worth keeping TikTok in U.S. for a little while

Trump says it could be worth keeping TikTok in U.S. for a little while

President-elect Donald Trump speaks at AmericaFest, on December 22, 2024, in Phoenix. | Photo Credit: AP President-elect Donald Trump indicated on Sunday (December 22, 2024) that he favored allowing TikTok to keep operating in the United States for at least a little while, saying he had received billions of views on the social media platform … Read more

U.S. House passes bill that would lead to a TikTok ban if Chinese owner doesn’t sell

U.S. House passes bill that would lead to a TikTok ban if Chinese owner doesn’t sell

The U.S. House of Representatives on March 13 passed a bill that would lead to a nationwide ban of the popular video app TikTok if its China-based owner doesn’t sell, as lawmakers acted on concerns that the company’s current ownership structure is a national security threat. The bill, passed by a vote of 352-65, now … Read more

In Nepal’s TikTok ban there’s is more than meets the eye

In Nepal’s TikTok ban there’s is more than meets the eye

During the festival of Tihar, Kathmandu, the national capital of Nepal, usually remains quiet. Offices, courts, schools and institutions remain closed. In the evenings and nights, the quietness gets punctuated by sounds of firecrackers, which are officially banned in Nepal. This year too, on November 13, there was a usual quietness due to Tihar. And … Read more

New Zealand lawmakers banned from TikTok amid data use fears

New Zealand lawmakers banned from TikTok amid data use fears

The icon for the video sharing TikTok app is seen on a smartphone, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023, in Marple Township, Pa. New Zealand lawmakers and other workers inside the nation’s Parliament will be banned from having the TikTok app on their government phones, officials said Friday, March 17 2023. | Photo Credit: AP New Zealand … Read more

U.K. bans TikTok on government devices over security concerns

U.K. bans TikTok on government devices over security concerns

The TikTok logo. File | Photo Credit: REUTERS TikTok will be banned from U.K. government phones amid security concerns around the Chinese-owned social media video app, Cabinet Office minister Oliver Dowden announced in Parliament on Thursday. The ban brings the U.K. in line with the U.S., Canada and the European Union (EU) and also India … Read more

Snack Video: Another China-developed app taking TikTok’s place in India

Snack Video: Another China-developed app taking TikTok’s place in India

Sensor Tower counted 34 million downloads for Snack in August and 18 million for first 15 days of September. Synopsis Snack Video escaped the wide-ranging government ban on Chinese apps, and in August it was the most downloaded video app on App Store and Google Play. Following Snack is MX Player’s TakaTak, data shared by … Read more