US Demands China’s ByteDance Sell TikTok or Face Ban

has operated under the distant threat of a nationwide ban or forced sale. Now, mounting security and privacy concerns are prompting lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to debate its future. Last week, the short-form video platform with made headlines amid a highly publicized congressional hearing that brought TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew face to face with some of his toughest critics. Five palpably tense hours of questioning illuminated very little about what, if anything, Chew can do to quell lawmakers' fears.

Suga of K-pop boyband BTS has announced his debut solo album under his alias Agust D.Big Hit confirmed in a tweet today that the album will be called ‘D-Day’ and is set to land on April 21 at 1pm Korean time and at midnight Eastern time.Solo music from Suga had been anticipated for some time following BTS’ hiatus. He had already announced back in February that he will be the first member of BTS to go on a solo world tour.

Disney’s former head of communications Zenia Mucha is advising TikTok as the beleagued company fights calls to shut it down in the U.S. on security concerns, Deadline has confirmed. It’s already banned across the Federal government with President Biden recently ramping up demands that the global app’s Chinese parent sell the U.S. business to a company Stateside, or see it vanish.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that Mucha, along with David Plouffe and Jim Messina, two prominent allies of former president Barack Obama, are working with the Chinese company in its efforts to fight a proposed ban of the video sharing app.TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew last week tried to convince members of the the House Energy and Commerce Committee that the addictive app he claims is now used by more than 150 million Americans has some separation from its China-based parent company, ByteDance.Lawmakers fear that the parent company, which includes Chinese government officials on its board, can access TikTok user data and might also use the platform’s algorithms to influence its content filtering. Congress, the White House and various regulators have suggested a ban or attempts to force ByteDance to sell the app.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Zenia Mucha, formerly Disney’s top spokesperson for almost two decades, was recruited to be part of the team that coached TikTok’s CEO for his congressional hearing earlier this month, according to a new report. In addition to Mucha, TikTok tapped former Obama advisers David Plouffe and Jim Messina to prep Shou Zi Chew, CEO of TikTok, for more than a month before Chew’s March 23 appearance before the House Energy and Commerce Committee — which observers said only reinforced anti-TikTok attitudes among both Republican and Democratic lawmakers concerned about the app’s Chinese ownership by parent company ByteDance. TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Mucha could not be reached for comment.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor About half of Americans are in favor of the U.S. government banning TikTok, the hugely popular video app owned by China-based internet giant ByteDance. Amid intensifying scrutiny of and antagonism toward TikTok, a newly released survey by Pew Research Center found that 50% of Americans support a U.S. government ban on the app, with 22% opposed and a sizable share (28%) unsure, according to a newly released survey conducted by Pew Research Center. Among those who actually use TikTok, just 19% support a ban. Given TikTok’s popularity among teens, it’s worth noting that Pew’s survey was fielded among U.S. adults (those 18 and older). Americans who are aware that TikTok is owned by the ByteDance are particularly likely to support banning it: About 60% of those surveyed who know TikTok’s parent company is based in China support the U.S. government banning the app, compared with 27% of those who are unaware of TikTok’s Chinese ties, according to the Pew survey.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “The Bad Kids,” a hit series from Chinese streamer iQiyi, is to be remade as a Japanese feature film “Gold Boy.” The 12-episode gritty crime thriller depicts the troubles that arise after three children accidentally film a murder. The series was previously licensed to Japanese pay-TV group Wowow.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor The odds of the U.S. banning TikTok are higher after the app’s CEO testified before a House committee, according to some analysts. During the hearing, American politicians expressed frustration over what they saw as evasive and unconvincing answers about China’s influence over TikTok — and the communist regime’s ability to track user data — as well as its efforts to curb misinformation and harmful content, particularly in relation to children who use the app. In his D.C. appearance Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said the popular app, used by more than 150 million American users monthly, as committed to ensuring privacy and security. He insisted, as TikTok has claimed before, that the company has never furnished U.S. user data to the Chinese Communist Party (nor has the CCP ever made such a request). Chew talked up TikTok’s “Project Texas,” intended to bring user data fully under the aegis of U.S.-based personnel and hosted on Oracle infrastructure.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor In front of a panel of skeptical and often hostile U.S. representatives, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew tried to make the case for why the popular app is not a security threat to the country — and why a government ban of the app would be the wrong course of action. A U.S. ban of the app would hurt the country’s economy, reduce competition and “silence the voices of over 150 million Americans,” Chew said in testimony submitted to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The hearing, titled “TikTok: How Congress Can Safeguard American Data Privacy and Protect Children from Online Harms,” was held Thursday morning in Washington, D.C. The Biden administration recently demanded that ByteDance divest its ownership stake in TikTok or potentially be banned in the U.S. over national-security concerns given TikTok’s Chinese ownership. Under pending congressional legislation, which has bipartisan support, President Biden would have the authority to ban TikTok under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

The chairwoman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee opened a hearing featuring the CEO of TikTok by telling him that “your platform should be banned.”

Sofia Coppola’s 16-year-old daughter has shared a video revealing that she was grounded for trying to charter a helicopter. The teenager said in her now-viral video that she wanted to travel from New York to Maryland to have dinner with her camp friend.

Gemma Collins has announced she's switched to a vegetarian diet and now feels "at peace" with her soul. The former The Only Way Is Essex star, 42, took to Instagram to reveal she's now adopted a meat-free diet as she "can't stand" animal cruelty and is "such an activist" for animals. Gemma, who recently revealed she ditched filler after her mum made a heartbreaking comment, shared a make-up free selfie and posed with a bowl of watermelon as she announced her latest lifestyle change.

in a video posted on the platform Tuesday ahead of his scheduled appearance before Congress.Standing on what appears to be a rooftop in Washington, D.C. with the U.S. Capitol dome behind him, Chew noted that the figure represents “almost half of the U.S.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor TikTok, trying to fend off potential U.S. government ban over security fears related to the app’s Chinese ownership, is touting new figures reflecting how pervasive and popular it is in America. TikTok announced that as of February 2023, the short-form video app has more than 150 million monthly active users in the U.S. In addition, it said, it has almost 7,000 employees in the United States. And it also claims that TikTok “has evolved into the preferred platform” for nearly 5 million American businesses, most of which are small and midsize companies. “We’re honored to be a home for our immensely diverse community in the United States, made up of nearly half the country’s population, including book lovers, foodies, families, emerging artists and so much more,” the company said in the announcement.

The BBC is reviewing whether to ban TikTok and has told staff to delete the Chinese social media app from work phones unless they are using it for editorial or marketing reasons.

reported Friday.The inquiry began late last year after TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, admitted that employees had wrongly captured information of American users of the social app, including data from two journalists and some of their associates, the Times reported.The U.S. government as been concerned for years about the growing popularity of TikTok and the influence the authoritarian Chinese government has over the company and how the app is used.Both the Trump and Biden administrations have investigated TikTok amid these concerns, and now FBI and the U.S.

How could a trip to the motherland go so hilariously, disastrously wrong? The quartet at the heart of Adele Lim’s “Joy Ride” – Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu – have no idea what they’re in for at the top of the trailer, which Lionsgate released Friday ahead of the film’s premiere at SXSW.The trailer begins with the origin story of Audrey (Park) and Lolo’s (Cola) friendship, when they meet at a park as young kids. Lolo punches a white boy in the throat after he calls Audrey a racist slur, sealing the deal on their lifelong friendship.

demanded on Wednesday that the Chinese company that owns TikTok sell the app, amid ongoing domestic security concerns, or face a potential ban in the U.S. But, in the grand scheme of things, Jimmy Fallon doesn’t think a ban will amount to much.Currently, TikTok is owned by ByteDance, and generates an estimated $10 billion per year.

James Cameron’s Titanic is getting another release in China, this one timed to the 25th anniversary of the original film. An April 3 launch date has been set. The version going out on that day will be a remastered 3D 4K HDR update, as was the version that was released elsewhere in February, and will include a premium large format component. (Check out the new poster below.)

The Biden Administration appears to be playing hardball, insisting TikTok’s Chinese parent company ByteDance divest the hugely popular video-sharing app in the U.S. According to the WSJ, it’s threatening a ban if that doesn’t happpen.