In another major takeover of 2020, Reddit has announced it has bought the popular video-sharing platform Dubsmash — which rose to fame as TikTok's competitive app.

"We are excited to announce that Reddit has acquired short-form video social platform Dubsmash," Reddit announced in a statement posted on their website.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/second-us-judge-blocks-trumps-tiktok-ban-348297">Second US judge blocks Trump's TikTok ban</a>

Since the popular video-sharing app TikTok became famous, many other content producing platforms have started adding video options within their platforms. Reddit has used the perfect opportunity of the fall of the Chinese-owned app TikTok to expand their own services.

Talking about diversity, Reddit assured Dubsmash's aim will be to include and promote under-represented creators from all parts of the world. "Dubsmash’s mission is unique among social platforms, and is aligned with Reddit’s own mission of bringing community and belonging to everyone in the world," the statement read. "Dubsmash’s mission is unique among social platforms, and is aligned with Reddit’s own mission of bringing community and belonging to everyone in the world."

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-plans-to-not-extend-tiktok-divestiture-deadline-347609">US plans to not extend TikTok divestiture deadline</a>

Reddit will also be using this platform's services to elevate the voices of the already-existing users of the content-sharing app. "We will integrate Dubsmash’s innovative video creation tools into Reddit, which will empower Reddit’s own creators to express themselves in original and authentic ways that are endemic to our communities," the statement explained.

The San Francisco-based video-sharing platform is hoping to use this as an opportunity to expand their audience reach and bring in diversity to the user base. The app has nearly 25 per cent of Black users in the US and females represent 70 per cent of users.&nbsp;

This announcement has come at a time when TikTok has been facing downtime due to several countries such as India, the US and Pakistan banning the app over concerns of security and explicit content.

In another major takeover of 2020, Reddit has announced it has bought the popular video-sharing platform Dubsmash — which rose to fame as TikTok's competitive app.

In another major takeover of 2020, Reddit has announced it has bought the popular video-sharing platform Dubsmash — which rose to fame as TikTok's competitive app. "We are excited to announce that Reddit has acquired short-form video social platform Dubsmash," Reddit announced in a statement posted on their website. Also read| Second US judge blocks Trump's TikTok ban Since the popular video-sharing app TikTok became famous, many other content producing platforms have started adding video options within their platforms. Reddit has used the perfect opportunity of the fall of the Chinese-owned app TikTok to expand their own services. Talking about diversity, Reddit assured Dubsmash's aim will be to include and promote under-represented creators from all parts of the world. "Dubsmash’s mission is unique among social platforms, and is aligned with Reddit’s own mission of bringing community and belonging to everyone in the world," the statement read. "Dubsmash’s mission is unique among social platforms, and is aligned with Reddit’s own mission of bringing community and belonging to everyone in the world." Also read| US plans to not extend TikTok divestiture deadline Reddit will also be using this platform's services to elevate the voices of the already-existing users of the content-sharing app. "We will integrate Dubsmash’s innovative video creation tools into Reddit, which will empower Reddit’s own creators to express themselves in original and authentic ways that are endemic to our communities," the statement explained. The San Francisco-based video-sharing platform is hoping to use this as an opportunity to expand their audience reach and bring in diversity to the user base. The app has nearly 25 per cent of Black users in the US and females represent 70 per cent of users. This announcement has come at a time when TikTok has been facing downtime due to several countries such as India, the US and Pakistan banning the app over concerns of security and explicit content.

Reddit buys TikTok's competitor Dubsmash; promises diversity

China has removed 105 apps including that of US&nbsp;travel firm TripAdvisor Inc from app stores in the country, under a new campaign to cleanse stores of apps it deems spread content related to pornography, prostitution, gambling, and violence.

The Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement on its website on Tuesday that the apps violated one or more of three cyber laws, without providing details for each app.

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"The Cyberspace Administration of China will continue to ...&nbsp;strengthen the supervision and inspection of mobile apps' information services, promptly clean up and dispose of illegal mobile applications and application stores, and strive to create a clear cyberspace," the agency said in a statement.

The authority said it started the campaign on November&nbsp;5 in response to a strong reaction from the general public to content deemed offensive. It said it would continue to regulate apps and remove those in violation of the law in a timely manner.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-blasts-crazy-us-sanctions-over-hong-kong-vows-firm-countermeasures-348332" hreflang="en">China blasts 'crazy' US sanctions over Hong Kong; vows 'firm countermeasures'</a>

China heavily regulates its cyberspace and punishments for transgressions are not uncommon, irrespective of whether the app is operated by a domestic or foreign company.

China has increased scrutiny of its technology sector in recent weeks, last month drafting anti-monopoly rules for tech firms.

It has also expressed concerns about data protection and consumer rights, while authorities have on a number of occasions ordered apps to be suspended for mishandling user information.

The United States and China have increasingly clashed over technology from both sides. Recently, for example, the Trump administration has&nbsp;threatened to ban&nbsp;short-form&nbsp;video app TikTok if it is not sold by its Chinese parent company&nbsp;ByteDance.

China has removed 105 apps including that of US travel firm TripAdvisor Inc from app stores in the country, under a new campaign to cleanse stores of apps it deems spread content related to pornography, prostitution, gambling, and violence.

China has removed 105 apps including that of US travel firm TripAdvisor Inc from app stores in the country, under a new campaign to cleanse stores of apps it deems spread content related to pornography, prostitution, gambling, and violence. The Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement on its website on Tuesday that the apps violated one or more of three cyber laws, without providing details for each app. "The Cyberspace Administration of China will continue to ... strengthen the supervision and inspection of mobile apps' information services, promptly clean up and dispose of illegal mobile applications and application stores, and strive to create a clear cyberspace," the agency said in a statement. The authority said it started the campaign on November 5 in response to a strong reaction from the general public to content deemed offensive. It said it would continue to regulate apps and remove those in violation of the law in a timely manner. Also read: China blasts 'crazy' US sanctions over Hong Kong; vows 'firm countermeasures' China heavily regulates its cyberspace and punishments for transgressions are not uncommon, irrespective of whether the app is operated by a domestic or foreign company. China has increased scrutiny of its technology sector in recent weeks, last month drafting anti-monopoly rules for tech firms. It has also expressed concerns about data protection and consumer rights, while authorities have on a number of occasions ordered apps to be suspended for mishandling user information. The United States and China have increasingly clashed over technology from both sides. Recently, for example, the Trump administration has threatened to ban short-form video app TikTok if it is not sold by its Chinese parent company ByteDance.

TripAdvisor and over 104 other apps blocked in China for 'violating' cyber law

A second US federal judge has suspended a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Trump</a> administration executive order threatening to ban TikTok in the United States.

The preliminary injunction granted late Monday by judge Carl Nichols in a district court in Washington DC comes more than a month after a similar decision in Pennsylvania.

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-plans-to-not-extend-tiktok-divestiture-deadline-347609">US plans to not extend TikTok divestiture deadline</a>

Nichols said TikTok's lawyers had demonstrated that the Commerce Department likely overstepped its authority by seeking to ban the popular social media app and "acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner by failing to consider obvious alternatives."

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/the-white-house">White House</a> claims TikTok is a national security risk because of potential links to the Beijing government through its Chinese owner ByteDance.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on August 6 giving Americans 45 days to stop doing business with ByteDance -- effectively setting a deadline for a sale of the app to a US company.

Also read|<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/how-pakistani-imam-used-tiktok-in-france-to-propagate-terror-345945">&nbsp;How Pakistani imam used TikTok in France to propagate terror</a>

Trump's order said the action was necessary to "protect our national security" and claimed the personal data of TikTok users could be used by Beijing.

TikTok has repeatedly defended itself against allegations of data transfers to the Chinese government, saying it stores user information on servers in the United States and Singapore.

The latest order follows an October 30 ruling by a federal court in Pennsylvania which issued a temporary injunction blocking Trump's ban.

Also read|<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-grants-tiktok-owner-bytedance-new-extension-of-sale-order-345426">&nbsp;US grants Tiktok owner ByteDance new extension of sale order</a>

After a complaint from three TikTok content creators, Judge Wendy Beetlestone ordered the US administration not to prevent other companies from providing essential services to the platform, such as online hosting.

Beetlestone had considered that the August 6 presidential decree should be suspended.&nbsp;

At the end of September, judge Nichols had also issued a temporary injunction stopping the US from banning downloads of the app, which he said would cause "irreparable harm" to TikTok, but he refused to rule on its total ban in the United States.

TikTok has a further fight on its hands over an August 14 executive order from Trump to force ByteDance to sell its US operations to an American buyer.

The US Treasury has repeatedly extended the deadline for the Chinese group to divest, and indicated on Friday it would continue negotiations to resolve the dispute.&nbsp;

TikTok has 100 million users in the United States and 700 million worldwide.

Washington is in a tense trade battle with Beijing, and Trump's administration has stepped up warnings about China's growing economic and military power.

A second US federal judge has suspended a Trump administration executive order threatening to ban TikTok in the United States. The preliminary injunction granted late Monday by judge Carl Nichols in a district court in Washington DC comes more than a month after a similar decision in Pennsylvania.

A second US federal judge has suspended a Trump administration executive order threatening to ban TikTok in the United States. The preliminary injunction granted late Monday by judge Carl Nichols in a district court in Washington DC comes more than a month after a similar decision in Pennsylvania. Also read| US plans to not extend TikTok divestiture deadline Nichols said TikTok's lawyers had demonstrated that the Commerce Department likely overstepped its authority by seeking to ban the popular social media app and "acted in an arbitrary and capricious manner by failing to consider obvious alternatives." The White House claims TikTok is a national security risk because of potential links to the Beijing government through its Chinese owner ByteDance. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on August 6 giving Americans 45 days to stop doing business with ByteDance -- effectively setting a deadline for a sale of the app to a US company. Also read| How Pakistani imam used TikTok in France to propagate terror Trump's order said the action was necessary to "protect our national security" and claimed the personal data of TikTok users could be used by Beijing. TikTok has repeatedly defended itself against allegations of data transfers to the Chinese government, saying it stores user information on servers in the United States and Singapore. The latest order follows an October 30 ruling by a federal court in Pennsylvania which issued a temporary injunction blocking Trump's ban. Also read| US grants Tiktok owner ByteDance new extension of sale order After a complaint from three TikTok content creators, Judge Wendy Beetlestone ordered the US administration not to prevent other companies from providing essential services to the platform, such as online hosting. Beetlestone had considered that the August 6 presidential decree should be suspended. At the end of September, judge Nichols had also issued a temporary injunction stopping the US from banning downloads of the app, which he said would cause "irreparable harm" to TikTok, but he refused to rule on its total ban in the United States. TikTok has a further fight on its hands over an August 14 executive order from Trump to force ByteDance to sell its US operations to an American buyer. The US Treasury has repeatedly extended the deadline for the Chinese group to divest, and indicated on Friday it would continue negotiations to resolve the dispute. TikTok has 100 million users in the United States and 700 million worldwide. Washington is in a tense trade battle with Beijing, and Trump's administration has stepped up warnings about China's growing economic and military power.

Second US judge blocks Trump's TikTok ban

The Trump administration has granted ByteDance a new seven-day extension of a divestiture order that had directed the Chinese company to sell its TikTok short video-sharing app.

The administration had earlier granted ByteDance a 15-day extension of the order issued in August, which was set to expire Friday. The new deadline is December 4.

Under pressure from the American government, ByteDance has been in talks for months to finalise a deal with Walmart Inc and Oracle Corp to shift TikTok's US assets into a new entity.

ByteDance has made a new proposal aimed at addressing the US government’s concerns, said a person briefed on the matter who declined to detail that proposal.

The Tiktok owner made the proposal after disclosing on November 10 that it had submitted four prior proposals including one in November that sought to address US concerns by "creating a new entity, wholly owned by Oracle, Walmart and existing US investors in ByteDance, that would be responsible for handling TikTok’s US user data and content moderation."

The Trump administration has granted ByteDance a new seven-day extension of a divestiture order that had directed the Chinese company to sell its TikTok short video-sharing app.

The Trump administration has granted ByteDance a new seven-day extension of a divestiture order that had directed the Chinese company to sell its TikTok short video-sharing app. The administration had earlier granted ByteDance a 15-day extension of the order issued in August, which was set to expire Friday. The new deadline is December 4. Under pressure from the American government, ByteDance has been in talks for months to finalise a deal with Walmart Inc and Oracle Corp to shift TikTok's US assets into a new entity. ByteDance has made a new proposal aimed at addressing the US government’s concerns, said a person briefed on the matter who declined to detail that proposal. The Tiktok owner made the proposal after disclosing on November 10 that it had submitted four prior proposals including one in November that sought to address US concerns by "creating a new entity, wholly owned by Oracle, Walmart and existing US investors in ByteDance, that would be responsible for handling TikTok’s US user data and content moderation."

US grants Tiktok owner ByteDance new extension of sale order

The United States govt will have to now delay the ban on Chinese app TikTok. The step is not compliant with the court order in favor of the Chinese social media giant.

US govt to delay ban on Chinese app TikTok, court ordered against ban

The U.S. Justice Department said it had appealed a Pennsylvania judge's Oct. 30 order that blocked the government from imposing restrictions on Chinese-owned short video sharing app TikTok that were set to take effect on Thursday.

US government appeals order blocking TikTok ban from taking effect

ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of video-sharing app TikTok, filed a petition late Tuesday with a US Appeals Court challenging Donald Trump's order to divest the app within 90 days.

China's ByteDance challenges Trump's TikTok order

TikTok asked a Washington court Tuesday to stop an order from US President Donald Trump's administration from taking effect this week as the White House seeks to ban the Chinese-owned app in the United States.

Chinese company ByteDance is facing a Thursday deadline to restructure ownership of the app in the United States to meet US security concerns.

In its court petition, TikTok asked for more time, saying it has not received enough feedback on its proposed solution.

The company said in a statement that it had asked the government for a 30-day extension because it was "facing continual new requests and no clarity on whether our proposed solutions would be accepted" but it had not been granted.

It was turning to the court for that reason, it said.

US President Donald Trump signed a set of orders against the video platform this summer.

One required ByteDance to sell its US TikTok operations within 90 days, citing national security concerns.

The company also faced an order that would effectively ban the app from the country by the same date.

But on October 30, a Pennsylvania judge issued an injunction temporarily blocking the order aimed at banning it.

The order would have knocked the Chinese-owned video-sharing app offline by cutting it off from US businesses providing website hosting, data storage, and other fundamentals needed to operate.

Trump has accused the popular video-sharing app of handing over American user data to Beijing -- which the company flatly denies.

After negotiations with several US firms, ByteDance and TikTok proposed creating a new company with IT company Oracle as a technology partner and retail giant Walmart as a business partner.

The plan seemed to convince the administration, but the platform is still awaiting a green light.

TikTok said that with Thursday's "deadline imminent and without an extension in hand, we have no choice but to file a petition in court to defend our rights and those of our more than 1,500 employees in the US."

TikTok has 100 million users in the United States.

TikTok asked a Washington court Tuesday to stop an order from US President Donald Trump's administration from taking effect this week as the White House seeks to ban the Chinese-owned app in the United States.

TikTok asked a Washington court Tuesday to stop an order from US President Donald Trump's administration from taking effect this week as the White House seeks to ban the Chinese-owned app in the United States. Chinese company ByteDance is facing a Thursday deadline to restructure ownership of the app in the United States to meet US security concerns. In its court petition, TikTok asked for more time, saying it has not received enough feedback on its proposed solution. The company said in a statement that it had asked the government for a 30-day extension because it was "facing continual new requests and no clarity on whether our proposed solutions would be accepted" but it had not been granted. It was turning to the court for that reason, it said. US President Donald Trump signed a set of orders against the video platform this summer. One required ByteDance to sell its US TikTok operations within 90 days, citing national security concerns. The company also faced an order that would effectively ban the app from the country by the same date. But on October 30, a Pennsylvania judge issued an injunction temporarily blocking the order aimed at banning it. The order would have knocked the Chinese-owned video-sharing app offline by cutting it off from US businesses providing website hosting, data storage, and other fundamentals needed to operate. Trump has accused the popular video-sharing app of handing over American user data to Beijing -- which the company flatly denies. After negotiations with several US firms, ByteDance and TikTok proposed creating a new company with IT company Oracle as a technology partner and retail giant Walmart as a business partner. The plan seemed to convince the administration, but the platform is still awaiting a green light. TikTok said that with Thursday's "deadline imminent and without an extension in hand, we have no choice but to file a petition in court to defend our rights and those of our more than 1,500 employees in the US." TikTok has 100 million users in the United States.

TikTok files last-minute petition against Trump order

A US federal judge has issued an injunction temporarily blocking an executive order by President Donald Trump aimed at banning TikTok, throwing up a legal roadblock ahead of a November 12 deadline.

TikTok said in a statement it was "deeply moved by the outpouring of support" form its users "who have worked to protect their rights to expression."

US District Court Judge Wendy Beetlestone enjoined the Commerce Department from barring data hosting within the United States for TikTok, content delivery services and other technical transactions.

In her ruling, Beetlestone said the order would "have the effect of shutting down, within the United States, a platform for expressive activity used by approximately 700 million individuals globally. Over 100 million of these TikTok users are within the United States, and at least 50 million of these US users use the app on a daily basis."

It is the second restraint issued in favor of TikTok by US judges against a set of executive orders issued by Trump which sought to ban new downloads of the app beginning in September, and ban it outright by November 12.

Earlier on September 27, US District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington issued a preliminary injunction in a suit brought by TikTok owner ByteDance that stopped the US Commerce Department from ordering Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google app stores to remove TikTok for download by new users. That order had been set to take effect later that day.

Judges in both cases said in rulings that the chances of proving in court that Trump overstepped his authority were good.

They also equated &nbsp;TikTok to films, photographs, and news wires with legal protections.

Beetlestone noted in her ruling that concerns expressed by the US in justifying the ban were expressed hypothetically.

Talks have been ongoing to finalise a preliminary deal for Walmart Inc and Oracle Corp to take stakes in a new company, TikTok Global, that would oversee US operations. US&nbsp; 
President Donald Trump said last month the deal had his "blessing."

The Trump administration contends TikTok poses national security concerns as personal data collected on 100 million Americans who use the app could be obtained by China`s government.

TikTok has repeatedly defended itself against allegations of data transfers to the Chinese government.&nbsp;

It says its servers where user information is stored are located in the United States and Singapore.

The company has also said the ban is unnecessary since negotiations are underway to restructure the ownership of TikTok to address national security issues raised by the administration.

A tentative deal has been unveiled that would make Silicon Valley giant Oracle the technology partner for TikTok and a stakeholder in a new entity to be known as TikTok Global.

(with inputs from agencies)

A US federal judge has issued an injunction temporarily blocking an executive order by President Donald Trump aimed at banning TikTok, throwing up a legal roadblock ahead of a November 12 deadline.

A US federal judge has issued an injunction temporarily blocking an executive order by President Donald Trump aimed at banning TikTok, throwing up a legal roadblock ahead of a November 12 deadline. TikTok said in a statement it was "deeply moved by the outpouring of support" form its users "who have worked to protect their rights to expression." US District Court Judge Wendy Beetlestone enjoined the Commerce Department from barring data hosting within the United States for TikTok, content delivery services and other technical transactions. In her ruling, Beetlestone said the order would "have the effect of shutting down, within the United States, a platform for expressive activity used by approximately 700 million individuals globally. Over 100 million of these TikTok users are within the United States, and at least 50 million of these US users use the app on a daily basis." It is the second restraint issued in favor of TikTok by US judges against a set of executive orders issued by Trump which sought to ban new downloads of the app beginning in September, and ban it outright by November 12. Earlier on September 27, US District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington issued a preliminary injunction in a suit brought by TikTok owner ByteDance that stopped the US Commerce Department from ordering Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google app stores to remove TikTok for download by new users. That order had been set to take effect later that day. Judges in both cases said in rulings that the chances of proving in court that Trump overstepped his authority were good. They also equated TikTok to films, photographs, and news wires with legal protections. Beetlestone noted in her ruling that concerns expressed by the US in justifying the ban were expressed hypothetically. Talks have been ongoing to finalise a preliminary deal for Walmart Inc and Oracle Corp to take stakes in a new company, TikTok Global, that would oversee US operations. US President Donald Trump said last month the deal had his "blessing." The Trump administration contends TikTok poses national security concerns as personal data collected on 100 million Americans who use the app could be obtained by China`s government. TikTok has repeatedly defended itself against allegations of data transfers to the Chinese government. It says its servers where user information is stored are located in the United States and Singapore. The company has also said the ban is unnecessary since negotiations are underway to restructure the ownership of TikTok to address national security issues raised by the administration. A tentative deal has been unveiled that would make Silicon Valley giant Oracle the technology partner for TikTok and a stakeholder in a new entity to be known as TikTok Global. (with inputs from agencies)

US judge blocks Trump bid to ban TikTok

Pakistan has decided to lift a ban on popular social media app TikTok after the company vowed to block all accounts involved in spreading "obscenity and immorality", the country's telecom authority said in a tweet on Monday.

The move comes some 10 days after Pakistan blocked TikTok for failing to filter out "immoral and indecent" content.

Pakistan's telecom regulator blocked&nbsp;TikTok&nbsp;on Friday for failing to filter out "immoral and indecent" content, another blow to the social media app that has come under increasing scrutiny as its popularity has surged across the globe.

The ban comes in view of "complaints from different segments of the society against immoral and indecent content on the video sharing application," said the&nbsp;Pakistan&nbsp;Telecommunication Authority (PTA).

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/south-asia/chinese-firm-bytedance-to-reallocate-resources-if-pakistan-unblocks-tiktok-336245" hreflang="en">Chinese firm ByteDance to reallocate resources if Pakistan unblocks TikTok</a>

TikTok&nbsp;said it was "committed to following the law in markets where the app is offered".

"We have been in regular communication with the PTA and continue to work with them. We are hopeful to reach a conclusion that helps us continue to serve the country’s vibrant and creative online community," it said.

TikTok, owned by China-based ByteDance, has become hugely popular in a short period of time by encouraging young users to post brief videos. But a number of countries have raised security and privacy concerns over its links to China.

In June, it was blocked in India - then its largest market by users - which cited national security concerns at a time of a border dispute with China. Separately, it faces the threat of being barred in the United States, and scrutiny in other countries including Australia.

TikTok&nbsp;has long denied that its links to China pose a security concern.

According to the PTA spokesman,&nbsp;TikTok&nbsp;reported 20 million monthly active users in&nbsp;Pakistan, while it was the third most downloaded app after WhatsApp and Facebook over the last 12 months, according to analytics firm Sensor Tower.

Three&nbsp;Pakistani officials had told Reuters earlier on Friday that a ban on the app was imminent.&nbsp;TikTok&nbsp;was issued with a final warning in July.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/south-asia/pakistan-bans-tiktok-citing-morals-others-cite-politics-334694" hreflang="en">Pakistan bans TikTok, citing Morals. Others cite politics.</a>

"We have been asking them repeatedly to put in place an effective mechanism for blocking immoral and indecent content," one of the officials directly involved in the decision told Reuters.

Muslim-majority&nbsp;Pakistan&nbsp;has media regulations that adhere to conservative social customs.

The decision to ban&nbsp;TikTok&nbsp;was taken after Prime Minister Imran Khan took a keen interest in the issue, said a second official, adding that Khan has directed the telecoms authorities to make all efforts to block vulgar content.

Last month, five dating apps, including Tinder and Grindr, were also blocked by the PTA.

Pakistan has decided to lift a ban on popular social media app TikTok after the company vowed to block all accounts involved in spreading "obscenity and immorality", the country's telecom authority said in a tweet on Monday.

Pakistan has decided to lift a ban on popular social media app TikTok after the company vowed to block all accounts involved in spreading "obscenity and immorality", the country's telecom authority said in a tweet on Monday. The move comes some 10 days after Pakistan blocked TikTok for failing to filter out "immoral and indecent" content. Pakistan's telecom regulator blocked TikTok on Friday for failing to filter out "immoral and indecent" content, another blow to the social media app that has come under increasing scrutiny as its popularity has surged across the globe. The ban comes in view of "complaints from different segments of the society against immoral and indecent content on the video sharing application," said the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA). Also read: Chinese firm ByteDance to reallocate resources if Pakistan unblocks TikTok TikTok said it was "committed to following the law in markets where the app is offered". "We have been in regular communication with the PTA and continue to work with them. We are hopeful to reach a conclusion that helps us continue to serve the country’s vibrant and creative online community," it said. TikTok, owned by China-based ByteDance, has become hugely popular in a short period of time by encouraging young users to post brief videos. But a number of countries have raised security and privacy concerns over its links to China. In June, it was blocked in India - then its largest market by users - which cited national security concerns at a time of a border dispute with China. Separately, it faces the threat of being barred in the United States, and scrutiny in other countries including Australia. TikTok has long denied that its links to China pose a security concern. According to the PTA spokesman, TikTok reported 20 million monthly active users in Pakistan, while it was the third most downloaded app after WhatsApp and Facebook over the last 12 months, according to analytics firm Sensor Tower. Three Pakistani officials had told Reuters earlier on Friday that a ban on the app was imminent. TikTok was issued with a final warning in July. Also read: Pakistan bans TikTok, citing Morals. Others cite politics. "We have been asking them repeatedly to put in place an effective mechanism for blocking immoral and indecent content," one of the officials directly involved in the decision told Reuters. Muslim-majority Pakistan has media regulations that adhere to conservative social customs. The decision to ban TikTok was taken after Prime Minister Imran Khan took a keen interest in the issue, said a second official, adding that Khan has directed the telecoms authorities to make all efforts to block vulgar content. Last month, five dating apps, including Tinder and Grindr, were also blocked by the PTA.

Pakistan to lift ban on TikTok after it vows to moderate content

Chinese video sharing app TikTok has promised to put more resources in Pakistan to improve its services after the authorities here blocked it over "indecent content", a media report said on Sunday.

ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, regretted that its services remain suspended in Pakistan more than a week after the country's telecommunication authority banned it over its contents, the Express Tribune reported.

"TikTok's mission is to inspire creativity and joy, and that's just what we've done in Pakistan. We've built a community whose creativity and passion has brought joy to households across Pakistan and opened vital economic opportunities to incredibly talented creators,? the company said on Saturday.

It said that though the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) acknowledged and appreciated these efforts, TikTok's services remain blocked in the country and the PTA had not communicated with the company about how to resolve the issue.

"We continue to hope that our productive dialogue with the PTA can bring assurance of the government's commitment to a stable, enabling environment whereby we can explore investing further in the market, including in the inspiring talent we've seen thrive on TikTok," it said.

It promised to reallocate resources to improve its system. "If the government of Pakistan decides to reopen access to our services in the future, we can assess our allocation of resources to this market,? the company said.

The company said its users and creators in Pakistan are still unable to access TikTok, more than one week after our services were blocked by the PTA.

"After TikTok was blocked in Pakistan, we continued to engage with the PTA to demonstrate our commitment to comply with local laws and further enhance our content moderation capacity,? ByteDance further said.

The company said it made concerted efforts over the last one year to address questions from the government of Pakistan around the content moderation process, including significantly increasing the capacity of the local language content moderation team.

ByteDance regretted that it's unfortunate that Pakistan's vibrant online community is still unable to showcase their talent and creativity to our hundreds of millions of users worldwide.

The popular platform allows users to create short music, lip-sync, dance, comedy and talent videos of 3 to 15 seconds, and short looping videos of 3 to 60 seconds.&nbsp;

Chinese video sharing app TikTok has promised to put more resources in Pakistan to improve its services after the authorities here blocked it over "indecent content", a media report said on Sunday.

Chinese video sharing app TikTok has promised to put more resources in Pakistan to improve its services after the authorities here blocked it over "indecent content", a media report said on Sunday. ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, regretted that its services remain suspended in Pakistan more than a week after the country's telecommunication authority banned it over its contents, the Express Tribune reported. "TikTok's mission is to inspire creativity and joy, and that's just what we've done in Pakistan. We've built a community whose creativity and passion has brought joy to households across Pakistan and opened vital economic opportunities to incredibly talented creators,? the company said on Saturday. It said that though the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) acknowledged and appreciated these efforts, TikTok's services remain blocked in the country and the PTA had not communicated with the company about how to resolve the issue. "We continue to hope that our productive dialogue with the PTA can bring assurance of the government's commitment to a stable, enabling environment whereby we can explore investing further in the market, including in the inspiring talent we've seen thrive on TikTok," it said. It promised to reallocate resources to improve its system. "If the government of Pakistan decides to reopen access to our services in the future, we can assess our allocation of resources to this market,? the company said. The company said its users and creators in Pakistan are still unable to access TikTok, more than one week after our services were blocked by the PTA. "After TikTok was blocked in Pakistan, we continued to engage with the PTA to demonstrate our commitment to comply with local laws and further enhance our content moderation capacity,? ByteDance further said. The company said it made concerted efforts over the last one year to address questions from the government of Pakistan around the content moderation process, including significantly increasing the capacity of the local language content moderation team. ByteDance regretted that it's unfortunate that Pakistan's vibrant online community is still unable to showcase their talent and creativity to our hundreds of millions of users worldwide. The popular platform allows users to create short music, lip-sync, dance, comedy and talent videos of 3 to 15 seconds, and short looping videos of 3 to 60 seconds.

Chinese firm ByteDance to reallocate resources if Pakistan unblocks TikTok

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan has become the latest country to ban TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media platform, in a move that government critics said stemmed as much from politics as from allegations of immoral content.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said in a statement Friday that it was banning TikTok based on a “number of complaints from different segments of the society against immoral/indecent content.” It said it had informed the company about complaints about its content, but TikTok’s administrators did not address their concerns.

The regulator said it was open to talks with the company “subject to a satisfactory mechanism by TikTok to moderate unlawful content.”

ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, said it was committed to following the law and it was in regular contact with Pakistani regulators. “We are hopeful to reach a conclusion that helps us serve the country’s vibrant and creative community online,” it said in a statement.

TikTok, with its lip-syncing teenagers and meme-heavy videos, has drawn criticism from governments around the world, for varying reasons.

The Trump administration has attempted to block the app, so far unsuccessfully, citing privacy concerns and the app’s Chinese ownership, allegations that ByteDance has disputed. India has banned the service along with other Chinese-owned apps amid rising tensions between New Delhi and Beijing.

TikTok has also faced occasional bans in places like Indonesia and Bangladesh over issues of public decency, as well as pressure in the United States and elsewhere over privacy and content given its base of young users.

On its face, Pakistan’s objections to TikTok center on the potential impact to society. Like users elsewhere, TikTok fans in Pakistan — about 20 million active monthly users, according to the government, citing the company’s figures — make videos ranging from do-it-yourself dance numbers to monologues about society, politics and daily life. Influencers also make money on the side. TikTok’s most popular star in Pakistan, Jannat Mirza, has accumulated 10 million followers with often soapy videos mostly about young romance.

But conservative Muslims in Pakistan have increasingly accused TikTok of testing acceptable social norms. They deemed memes and song adaptations as too suggestive and too risqué. Many people saw the content as lowbrow and vulgar. There were also growing complaints of underage delinquent behavior and display of illegal weapons.

Prime Minister Imran Khan — a former cricket star once famous for his flamboyant lifestyle who has become increasingly conservative since entering politics — criticized TikTok as promoting “obscenity and vulgarity.”

Mirza has called for regulating TikTok content and initially expressed support for a ban, although a local media report said she believed the ban should be lifted. She did not respond to a request for comment.

“Vulgar content exists on all platforms, but I would argue that the ratio might be slightly higher on TikTok,” said Saif Ali, digital account director at Empact Middle East, a marketing firm. “The whole platform is song and dance, so it was always going to ruffle feathers with conservatives.”

At the same time, critics see politics at work.

Political content has mushroomed on TikTok in recent months as the coronavirus has spread and the national and global economies have taken a hit. Political observers said that must rankle Khan and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority “has blocked TikTok not because of immoral content but because TikTokers are poking fun of the Great Leader,” Najam Sethi, one of the country’s most prominent journalists, said in a Twitter post, making an indirect reference to Khan.

Many analysts and journalists say that the ban served a dual purpose: mollifying conservatives and curbing criticism of Khan’s handling of the economy, rising inflation and tough stance toward political rivals.

“After the COVID-19 lockdown, Pakistanis going on TikTok doubled to over 20 million active users, while economic hardship related to livelihood loss and inflation hit the lower-middle and working class hard,” said Habibullah Khan, founder of Penumbra, a digital marketing agency based in Karachi, Pakistan. “These trends seem to have combined to cause a tipping point in public opinion that got picked up by TikTok algorithms.”

Since May, videos critical of the government started showing up on TikTok’s main feed, Habibullah Khan said.

The prime minister has blamed past leaders for Pakistan’s economic troubles and has implored the public to endure the tough times and wait for a better future. “You don’t have to panic,” Imran Khan said during one speech.

In one TikTok video that was shared widely a few months ago, two users mocked Khan by saying that the time to panic had finally arrived.

Supporters of the opposition political party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz also started using the app to criticize the government. One such user, Saud Butt, a supporter of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, accumulated 1.2 million followers in a short time.

Government officials said the real issue was videos that they said sexualized underage girls.

“Had there been any political relevance of TikTok in Pakistan, there would have been a number of serious political commentators on the platform influencing political discussions,” said Arslan Khalid, the prime minister’s point person on digital media.

“The claim that TikTok was banned due to political criticism is just frivolous,” he added.

Habibullah Khan said that TikTok videos had nevertheless undermined the majority party’s standing in Punjab, the country’s most populous and prosperous province, which determines the political fortunes of any political party in Pakistan.

“It’s hard to not conclude that the explosive growth,” he said, “and virality of such videos were at least one reason behind the ban.”

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan has become the latest country to ban TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media platform, in a move that government critics said stemmed as much from politics as from allegations of immoral content.

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan has become the latest country to ban TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media platform, in a move that government critics said stemmed as much from politics as from allegations of immoral content. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority said in a statement Friday that it was banning TikTok based on a “number of complaints from different segments of the society against immoral/indecent content.” It said it had informed the company about complaints about its content, but TikTok’s administrators did not address their concerns. The regulator said it was open to talks with the company “subject to a satisfactory mechanism by TikTok to moderate unlawful content.” ByteDance, the Chinese company that owns TikTok, said it was committed to following the law and it was in regular contact with Pakistani regulators. “We are hopeful to reach a conclusion that helps us serve the country’s vibrant and creative community online,” it said in a statement. TikTok, with its lip-syncing teenagers and meme-heavy videos, has drawn criticism from governments around the world, for varying reasons. The Trump administration has attempted to block the app, so far unsuccessfully, citing privacy concerns and the app’s Chinese ownership, allegations that ByteDance has disputed. India has banned the service along with other Chinese-owned apps amid rising tensions between New Delhi and Beijing. TikTok has also faced occasional bans in places like Indonesia and Bangladesh over issues of public decency, as well as pressure in the United States and elsewhere over privacy and content given its base of young users. On its face, Pakistan’s objections to TikTok center on the potential impact to society. Like users elsewhere, TikTok fans in Pakistan — about 20 million active monthly users, according to the government, citing the company’s figures — make videos ranging from do-it-yourself dance numbers to monologues about society, politics and daily life. Influencers also make money on the side. TikTok’s most popular star in Pakistan, Jannat Mirza, has accumulated 10 million followers with often soapy videos mostly about young romance. But conservative Muslims in Pakistan have increasingly accused TikTok of testing acceptable social norms. They deemed memes and song adaptations as too suggestive and too risqué. Many people saw the content as lowbrow and vulgar. There were also growing complaints of underage delinquent behavior and display of illegal weapons. Prime Minister Imran Khan — a former cricket star once famous for his flamboyant lifestyle who has become increasingly conservative since entering politics — criticized TikTok as promoting “obscenity and vulgarity.” Mirza has called for regulating TikTok content and initially expressed support for a ban, although a local media report said she believed the ban should be lifted. She did not respond to a request for comment. “Vulgar content exists on all platforms, but I would argue that the ratio might be slightly higher on TikTok,” said Saif Ali, digital account director at Empact Middle East, a marketing firm. “The whole platform is song and dance, so it was always going to ruffle feathers with conservatives.” At the same time, critics see politics at work. Political content has mushroomed on TikTok in recent months as the coronavirus has spread and the national and global economies have taken a hit. Political observers said that must rankle Khan and his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, or PTI. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority “has blocked TikTok not because of immoral content but because TikTokers are poking fun of the Great Leader,” Najam Sethi, one of the country’s most prominent journalists, said in a Twitter post, making an indirect reference to Khan. Many analysts and journalists say that the ban served a dual purpose: mollifying conservatives and curbing criticism of Khan’s handling of the economy, rising inflation and tough stance toward political rivals. “After the COVID-19 lockdown, Pakistanis going on TikTok doubled to over 20 million active users, while economic hardship related to livelihood loss and inflation hit the lower-middle and working class hard,” said Habibullah Khan, founder of Penumbra, a digital marketing agency based in Karachi, Pakistan. “These trends seem to have combined to cause a tipping point in public opinion that got picked up by TikTok algorithms.” Since May, videos critical of the government started showing up on TikTok’s main feed, Habibullah Khan said. The prime minister has blamed past leaders for Pakistan’s economic troubles and has implored the public to endure the tough times and wait for a better future. “You don’t have to panic,” Imran Khan said during one speech. In one TikTok video that was shared widely a few months ago, two users mocked Khan by saying that the time to panic had finally arrived. Supporters of the opposition political party Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz also started using the app to criticize the government. One such user, Saud Butt, a supporter of ousted prime minister Nawaz Sharif, accumulated 1.2 million followers in a short time. Government officials said the real issue was videos that they said sexualized underage girls. “Had there been any political relevance of TikTok in Pakistan, there would have been a number of serious political commentators on the platform influencing political discussions,” said Arslan Khalid, the prime minister’s point person on digital media. “The claim that TikTok was banned due to political criticism is just frivolous,” he added. Habibullah Khan said that TikTok videos had nevertheless undermined the majority party’s standing in Punjab, the country’s most populous and prosperous province, which determines the political fortunes of any political party in Pakistan. “It’s hard to not conclude that the explosive growth,” he said, “and virality of such videos were at least one reason behind the ban.”

Pakistan bans TikTok, citing Morals. Others cite politics.

Triller Inc, a budding competitor to popular short-video app TikTok, is in discussions with blank-check acquisition companies about a merger which would take the U.S. social media company public, according to people familiar with the matter.

The deal would come as Triller seeks to capitalize on TikTok`s woes. U.S. President Donald Trump`s administration has ordered TikTok`s Chinese parent ByteDance to divest the app, citing concerns that the data of U.S. citizens could be accessible to China`s Communist Party government. TikTok has sued the U.S. government to stave off a ban from U.S. app stores while deal negotiations continue.

Triller, which was launched in 2015 and only has a fraction of the 100 million users that TikTok boasts in the United States, has said it hopes that the uncertainty over its rival`s future will drive more influencers and users to its platform.

Triller is working with investment bank Farvahar Partners as it negotiates a potential deal with a so-called special purpose acquisition companies (SPAC), the sources said. A SPAC is a shell company that raises money in an initial public offering (IPO) to merge with a privately held company which then becomes publicly traded as a result.

Triller`s SPAC negotiations are happening alongside discussions with investors about a private fundraising round, led by investment bank UBS Group AG&nbsp;, in which the Los Angeles-based company is seeking to raise around $250 million, the sources said.

Triller has so far secured around $100 million in that round at a $1.25 billion (959.91 million pounds) valuation, according to the sources. It is deliberating whether to proceed with the private fundraising or opt for the deal with a SPAC, one of the sources added.

The sources cautioned that no deal is certain and asked not to be identified because the negotiations are confidential.Farvahar Partners and UBS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

SPACs have emerged as a popular IPO alternative for companies this year, providing a path to going public with less regulatory scrutiny and more certainty over the valuation that will be attained and funds that will be raised. U.S. SPACs have raised $53.8 billion so far in 2020 through IPOs, more than the total raised in the prior seven years, according to industry tracker SPAC Research.

Triller said earlier this year it had 65 million monthly active users on its short video app, although many analytics companies have said they have not been provided enough access to independently verify Triller`s figures. 
Triller`s celebrity users include musicians Alicia Keys, Cardi B and Eminem, and its financial backers include Kendrick Lamar and The Weeknd.

Triller is owned by media industry veteran Ryan Kavanaugh and healthcare executive Bobby Sarnevesht. Kavanaugh in 2004 founded U.S. film studio Relativity Media LLC, whose films included the award-winning "The Fighter". The studio ended up filing for bankruptcy twice, in 2015 and 2018.

Sarnevesht was a partner at Bay Area Surgical Management, which lost a $37.4 million legal battle against Aetna Inc after the health insurance firm alleged in 2012 that it had been defrauded by the surgery centers operator. 
BID FOR TIKTOK

Triller sued TikTok in July, alleging it infringed its patent for stitching together multiple music videos with a single audio track.

In August, Triller said it had partnered with investment firm Centricus Asset Management Ltd in a bid for TikTok. ByteDance, however, said it was not engaged in such discussions.

Trump last month said he had given his preliminary blessing to a deal that would give a 20% stake in TikTok to computer networking conglomerate Oracle Corp&nbsp;and retail giant Walmart Inc&nbsp;. The negotiations subsequently stalled, as ByteDance maintained it would keep an 80% stake in TikTok, rather than distribute it to its investors.

TikTok is widely popular with U.S. teenagers, though its advertising business is still nascent. Major companies, including Procter &amp; Gamble Co&nbsp;, Danone&nbsp;and Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc&nbsp;told Reuters last week they would keep spending on advertising with TikTok despite the uncertainty over its future.

Triller Inc, a budding competitor to popular short-video app TikTok, is in discussions with blank-check acquisition companies about a merger which would take the U.

Triller Inc, a budding competitor to popular short-video app TikTok, is in discussions with blank-check acquisition companies about a merger which would take the U.S. social media company public, according to people familiar with the matter. The deal would come as Triller seeks to capitalize on TikTok`s woes. U.S. President Donald Trump`s administration has ordered TikTok`s Chinese parent ByteDance to divest the app, citing concerns that the data of U.S. citizens could be accessible to China`s Communist Party government. TikTok has sued the U.S. government to stave off a ban from U.S. app stores while deal negotiations continue. Triller, which was launched in 2015 and only has a fraction of the 100 million users that TikTok boasts in the United States, has said it hopes that the uncertainty over its rival`s future will drive more influencers and users to its platform. Triller is working with investment bank Farvahar Partners as it negotiates a potential deal with a so-called special purpose acquisition companies (SPAC), the sources said. A SPAC is a shell company that raises money in an initial public offering (IPO) to merge with a privately held company which then becomes publicly traded as a result. Triller`s SPAC negotiations are happening alongside discussions with investors about a private fundraising round, led by investment bank UBS Group AG , in which the Los Angeles-based company is seeking to raise around $250 million, the sources said. Triller has so far secured around $100 million in that round at a $1.25 billion (959.91 million pounds) valuation, according to the sources. It is deliberating whether to proceed with the private fundraising or opt for the deal with a SPAC, one of the sources added. The sources cautioned that no deal is certain and asked not to be identified because the negotiations are confidential.Farvahar Partners and UBS did not immediately respond to requests for comment. SPACs have emerged as a popular IPO alternative for companies this year, providing a path to going public with less regulatory scrutiny and more certainty over the valuation that will be attained and funds that will be raised. U.S. SPACs have raised $53.8 billion so far in 2020 through IPOs, more than the total raised in the prior seven years, according to industry tracker SPAC Research. Triller said earlier this year it had 65 million monthly active users on its short video app, although many analytics companies have said they have not been provided enough access to independently verify Triller`s figures. Triller`s celebrity users include musicians Alicia Keys, Cardi B and Eminem, and its financial backers include Kendrick Lamar and The Weeknd. Triller is owned by media industry veteran Ryan Kavanaugh and healthcare executive Bobby Sarnevesht. Kavanaugh in 2004 founded U.S. film studio Relativity Media LLC, whose films included the award-winning "The Fighter". The studio ended up filing for bankruptcy twice, in 2015 and 2018. Sarnevesht was a partner at Bay Area Surgical Management, which lost a $37.4 million legal battle against Aetna Inc after the health insurance firm alleged in 2012 that it had been defrauded by the surgery centers operator. BID FOR TIKTOK Triller sued TikTok in July, alleging it infringed its patent for stitching together multiple music videos with a single audio track. In August, Triller said it had partnered with investment firm Centricus Asset Management Ltd in a bid for TikTok. ByteDance, however, said it was not engaged in such discussions. Trump last month said he had given his preliminary blessing to a deal that would give a 20% stake in TikTok to computer networking conglomerate Oracle Corp and retail giant Walmart Inc . The negotiations subsequently stalled, as ByteDance maintained it would keep an 80% stake in TikTok, rather than distribute it to its investors. TikTok is widely popular with U.S. teenagers, though its advertising business is still nascent. Major companies, including Procter & Gamble Co , Danone and Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc told Reuters last week they would keep spending on advertising with TikTok despite the uncertainty over its future.

TikTok rival Triller explores deal to go public, sources say

After India and the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-judge-blocks-trump-administrations-ban-on-new-tiktok-downloads-330841">United States</a>, South Asian country Pakistan is also gearing up to ban the short-video sharing app TikTok in the country.

While India and the US decided to impose bans due to<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-india-us-australia-eye-ban-on-tiktok-316544"> concerns of privacy of data and national security</a>, Pakistan has a different reason altogether.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-bans-59-chinese-apps-including-tiktok-shareit-uc-browser-citing-national-security-309464">Also read:&nbsp;India bans 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, Shareit, UC Browser citing national security</a>

Pakistan decided to raise the issue of banning the popular app as the&nbsp;Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) believes the content available on the app is immoral, indecent and spreads wrong values among the Pakistani youth.

There were several complaints logged with the PTA regarding the same issue. Now, the PTA has issued a final warning to TikTok and has provided the company with a set time to respond to the warning.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/why-conspiracy-theories-are-so-addictive-right-now-333525">Also read:&nbsp;Why conspiracy theories are so addictive right now</a>

This warning was issued instructing the Chinese company to comply with the authority's instructions for development of&nbsp;effective mechanism for proactive moderation of unlawful online content.&nbsp;

However, the company failed to fully comply to the asked instructions. Now, TikTok has been informed that the Authority is open for engagement and will review its decision subject to a satisfactory mechanism by TikTok to moderate unlawful content.

After India and the United States, South Asian country Pakistan is also gearing up to ban the short-video sharing app TikTok in the country. While India and the US decided to impose bans due to concerns of privacy of data and national security, Pakistan has a different reason altogether.

After India and the United States, South Asian country Pakistan is also gearing up to ban the short-video sharing app TikTok in the country. While India and the US decided to impose bans due to concerns of privacy of data and national security, Pakistan has a different reason altogether. Also read: India bans 59 Chinese apps including TikTok, Shareit, UC Browser citing national security Pakistan decided to raise the issue of banning the popular app as the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) believes the content available on the app is immoral, indecent and spreads wrong values among the Pakistani youth. There were several complaints logged with the PTA regarding the same issue. Now, the PTA has issued a final warning to TikTok and has provided the company with a set time to respond to the warning. Also read: Why conspiracy theories are so addictive right now This warning was issued instructing the Chinese company to comply with the authority's instructions for development of effective mechanism for proactive moderation of unlawful online content. However, the company failed to fully comply to the asked instructions. Now, TikTok has been informed that the Authority is open for engagement and will review its decision subject to a satisfactory mechanism by TikTok to moderate unlawful content.

Now, Pakistan decides to block Chinese app TikTok

China says India and the US broke WTO rules by banning apps like TikTok & WeChat. Reportedly, China raised its objections at a closed-door meeting at WTO. Is China trying to bend the WTO to its will? WION'sPalki Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: Is China trying to bend the World Trade Organisation to its will?

NEW YORK —&nbsp;When Sin Yee Tsui immigrated to New York in 1982 to work as a seamstress, it took so long for her to receive letters from China that she did not learn of her father’s death until after his funeral.

Everything changed after WeChat, the Chinese messaging app, was released in 2011. She now wakes up every morning to greetings from relatives, in both her old homeland and her new one, a source of cheer during her retirement in Manhattan.

“WeChat has made my life in America much happier,” she said. “When I am feeling sad or troubled by anything, I no longer have to keep it all to myself.”

But if WeChat — and its billion users worldwide — have created a sense of community and belonging for immigrants like Tsui, the app has also exposed her to a cascade of information, disinformation and Chinese government propaganda on subjects as varied as the pandemic, Black Lives Matter and the democracy movement in Hong Kong.

Even neighborhood news can be distorted: In August, a false post that said a beloved Chinatown bakery was closing caused a crowd to descend on the storefront. Tsui’s son, Justin Tsui, 37, even walked to the Manhattan bakery to prove to her that the post was wrong.

This powerful combination — the comfort and convenience of connections around the world, the isolation and distortion of an echo chamber — is common to many social media platforms. But WeChat is unique on the American digital landscape in that it has quietly and profoundly reshaped the immigrant experience for one of the nation’s fastest growing ethnic populations, the estimated 5 million people of Chinese descent living in America.

It has also drawn the ire of President Donald Trump, who is trying to prohibit it.

On Friday, the legal fight over WeChat’s future in the United States intensified when the Trump administration appealed a federal judge’s ruling that had halted the federal government’s ban on the app.

The administration has argued that WeChat endangers national security by collecting data from American users that could be retrieved by China’s Communist government. The federal judge in San Francisco issued a temporary injunction last month preventing the ban from taking effect, citing free speech concerns after lawyers compared it to an attempt to shut down a newspaper or television station.

The prospect of a ban, though, has rippled through Chinese-speaking communities across the country, with many like Justin Tsui and his mother expressing alarm, if also acknowledging some ambivalence.

“Even if our parents believe a little bit of this garbage on WeChat, they are still connected to their relatives, people they may never be able to see again,” he said.

With 19 million regular users in the United States, the app is a vital bridge to China, where almost everyone uses it and the authorities block its global competitors, including Facebook. WeChat has facilitated trade and commerce, while making it far easier for Chinese immigrants in America — students, tech workers and others — to maintain ties to friends and family.

But critics say the app has also created a Chinese-language information silo that has given Beijing’s propagandists and censors a foothold in the United States. Because WeChat is owned by Chinese internet giant Tencent, keeping it under the watchful eye of the Chinese government, posts that criticize China’s leader, Xi Jinping, or mention sensitive topics like human rights can be quickly removed, even if the authors are in the United States.

The situation is of particular concern to officials who are suspicious of China’s efforts to meddle in U.S. elections, because WeChat has already helped inspire activism among a population that has long felt ignored by American politicians.

Still, for Americans to communicate with people in mainland China, there are few alternatives. WeChat is an all-in-one tool that allows users to text, share photos and videos, read news, make payments and even send virtual red envelopes of cash, a Chinese New Year tradition.

WeChat helped raise awareness about the coronavirus when it first spread in China, prompting some Chinese people in America to begin avoiding indoor dining as early as January. In New York City, Asian Americans have had the lowest virus infection rates of any racial group, the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said.

During the initial surge of cases in New York, Chinese Americans quickly mobilized on WeChat to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars and ship medical supplies from China to doctors in America at a time of dire shortages.

WeChat was also filled with fearmongering rumors, including messages claiming cashiers at certain grocery stores in New York had the virus.

David Wang, 50, a UPS supervisor living in Queens, is active in WeChat groups to discuss Bible passages with his friends from church, most of whom are native Chinese speakers. The online communities, which are akin to Facebook groups, form around common interests or backgrounds.

Earlier this year, one of those friends sent Wang a video on WeChat, which showed bodies floating in water with Chinese captions that falsely claimed Americans were feeling so hopeless during the pandemic that they were committing mass suicide.

“We were like, where did you get this thing?” said Wang, who immigrated to the United States from Taiwan in 1983. “It’s so absurd. We told her not to believe a lot of these things. It’s bad, but it’s not this crazy bad.”

He has also regularly clicked on articles sent by friends, only to find the links disabled by WeChat’s censors — including articles about dissidents like imprisoned Christian pastor Wang Yi.

Often, the rumors on WeChat are more trivial but still can lead to real-world consequences.

In August, a WeChat post falsely claimed that Taipan Bakery, a popular Chinese bakery in Manhattan and Queens, was about to close. Older customers rushed to the stores to cash in their gift cards, waiting for hours on narrow sidewalks in the heat.

The chaos overwhelmed the bakery’s cooks, who worked late into the night to prepare more pastries. Since the gift cards were prepaid, the purchases were not generating much extra profit for the business.

An employee stood in line to reassure customers, and the stores put up paper signs in Chinese dispelling the rumor. But some customers insisted on using their gift cards immediately, according to a family member of the bakery’s owner. The family still does not know how the rumor started.

WeChat is a vital tool for political activism by Chinese immigrants, whose political engagement and voter turnout have traditionally been low amid a lack of outreach by both major parties.

The narratives that gain the most traction on WeChat often pit Chinese Americans against other minority groups and portray Chinese people as victims of bullying and discrimination.

In 2016, WeChat groups mobilized tens of thousands of Chinese people across the United States to protest in the streets — some for the very first time — the manslaughter conviction of Peter Liang, a Chinese American New York City police officer, in the killing of Akai Gurley, a Black man.

WeChat has played a significant role in organizing campaigns that accuse high school and college admissions of discriminating against Asian American applicants, including a closely watched lawsuit against Harvard University.

Right-leaning WeChat groups had a wider reach than left-leaning ones, according to a 2017 study. Many WeChat users have questioned why Trump would ban a platform that is used by so many of his supporters.

Viral efforts on WeChat have also focused on elevating Chinese people regardless of political party. Last year, many groups rallied behind Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, the child of Taiwanese immigrants.

Phil Wong, 54, a parent and civil rights organizer in Queens, said WeChat groups helped him to galvanize thousands of Chinese parents to protest a 2018 proposal by New York City officials to eliminate the entrance exam for admission to the city’s top public high schools.

They believed the change would hurt their children’s chances of getting into the schools, whose makeup is disproportionately Asian.

After the uproar from Chinese and other Asian parents, the proposal failed.

Even though WeChat has invigorated political protests by Chinese Americans, Wong said he was often appalled by the anti-American propaganda on the app, including videos from the protests after George Floyd’s killing in May that were repackaged to amplify footage of looting and arson to promote a narrative that American democracy was evil.

“It gets me so mad,” Wong said. “This is not happening to every street in every city.”

In June, WeChat was set aflame by a viral open letter written by a Chinese American student at Yale University, who said the Chinese community suffered from “rampant anti-Blackness.”

Amelia Wang, 17, a Shanghai native who moved to the United States in 2017, discussed the letter with her mother, who responded by sharing a different WeChat article by a Chinese parent. The article accused Chinese American children of being “brainwashed” by the American education system.

Still, Wang and others said WeChat offered more nuanced articles about China, providing a fuller picture than Western news outlets, which they said often portrayed China as a monolithic threat.

“I don’t think there should be an expectation that if you’re in America, you shouldn’t be consuming news from back home,” said Tianyu Fang, a Beijing native who is a freshman at Stanford University. “That is cruel and condescending.”

Xing Lu, a professor emeritus in the College of Communication at DePaul University in Chicago, immigrated to the United States in 1987 from China. Early on, she often felt embarrassed at work when she was unable to understand why her American colleagues would laugh at certain jokes.

WeChat, she said, eased her sense of isolation. It became a virtual home where she and other Chinese immigrants could plan parties and share stories about their children.

She has fought in WeChat groups with friends and former classmates about their views of Xi and Trump. Eventually, she said, like-minded friends would form new subgroups to discuss politics, which silenced the fighting in the main group.

“We are trying to acculturate into American society, and WeChat provides this bridge for us to empower one another,” Lu said. “I know the U.S. government has its own reasons to remove WeChat, but it’s still a loss for the Chinese community.”

NEW YORK — When Sin Yee Tsui immigrated to New York in 1982 to work as a seamstress, it took so long for her to receive letters from China that she did not learn of her father’s death until after his funeral.

NEW YORK — When Sin Yee Tsui immigrated to New York in 1982 to work as a seamstress, it took so long for her to receive letters from China that she did not learn of her father’s death until after his funeral. Everything changed after WeChat, the Chinese messaging app, was released in 2011. She now wakes up every morning to greetings from relatives, in both her old homeland and her new one, a source of cheer during her retirement in Manhattan. “WeChat has made my life in America much happier,” she said. “When I am feeling sad or troubled by anything, I no longer have to keep it all to myself.” But if WeChat — and its billion users worldwide — have created a sense of community and belonging for immigrants like Tsui, the app has also exposed her to a cascade of information, disinformation and Chinese government propaganda on subjects as varied as the pandemic, Black Lives Matter and the democracy movement in Hong Kong. Even neighborhood news can be distorted: In August, a false post that said a beloved Chinatown bakery was closing caused a crowd to descend on the storefront. Tsui’s son, Justin Tsui, 37, even walked to the Manhattan bakery to prove to her that the post was wrong. This powerful combination — the comfort and convenience of connections around the world, the isolation and distortion of an echo chamber — is common to many social media platforms. But WeChat is unique on the American digital landscape in that it has quietly and profoundly reshaped the immigrant experience for one of the nation’s fastest growing ethnic populations, the estimated 5 million people of Chinese descent living in America. It has also drawn the ire of President Donald Trump, who is trying to prohibit it. On Friday, the legal fight over WeChat’s future in the United States intensified when the Trump administration appealed a federal judge’s ruling that had halted the federal government’s ban on the app. The administration has argued that WeChat endangers national security by collecting data from American users that could be retrieved by China’s Communist government. The federal judge in San Francisco issued a temporary injunction last month preventing the ban from taking effect, citing free speech concerns after lawyers compared it to an attempt to shut down a newspaper or television station. The prospect of a ban, though, has rippled through Chinese-speaking communities across the country, with many like Justin Tsui and his mother expressing alarm, if also acknowledging some ambivalence. “Even if our parents believe a little bit of this garbage on WeChat, they are still connected to their relatives, people they may never be able to see again,” he said. With 19 million regular users in the United States, the app is a vital bridge to China, where almost everyone uses it and the authorities block its global competitors, including Facebook. WeChat has facilitated trade and commerce, while making it far easier for Chinese immigrants in America — students, tech workers and others — to maintain ties to friends and family. But critics say the app has also created a Chinese-language information silo that has given Beijing’s propagandists and censors a foothold in the United States. Because WeChat is owned by Chinese internet giant Tencent, keeping it under the watchful eye of the Chinese government, posts that criticize China’s leader, Xi Jinping, or mention sensitive topics like human rights can be quickly removed, even if the authors are in the United States. The situation is of particular concern to officials who are suspicious of China’s efforts to meddle in U.S. elections, because WeChat has already helped inspire activism among a population that has long felt ignored by American politicians. Still, for Americans to communicate with people in mainland China, there are few alternatives. WeChat is an all-in-one tool that allows users to text, share photos and videos, read news, make payments and even send virtual red envelopes of cash, a Chinese New Year tradition. WeChat helped raise awareness about the coronavirus when it first spread in China, prompting some Chinese people in America to begin avoiding indoor dining as early as January. In New York City, Asian Americans have had the lowest virus infection rates of any racial group, the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said. During the initial surge of cases in New York, Chinese Americans quickly mobilized on WeChat to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars and ship medical supplies from China to doctors in America at a time of dire shortages. WeChat was also filled with fearmongering rumors, including messages claiming cashiers at certain grocery stores in New York had the virus. David Wang, 50, a UPS supervisor living in Queens, is active in WeChat groups to discuss Bible passages with his friends from church, most of whom are native Chinese speakers. The online communities, which are akin to Facebook groups, form around common interests or backgrounds. Earlier this year, one of those friends sent Wang a video on WeChat, which showed bodies floating in water with Chinese captions that falsely claimed Americans were feeling so hopeless during the pandemic that they were committing mass suicide. “We were like, where did you get this thing?” said Wang, who immigrated to the United States from Taiwan in 1983. “It’s so absurd. We told her not to believe a lot of these things. It’s bad, but it’s not this crazy bad.” He has also regularly clicked on articles sent by friends, only to find the links disabled by WeChat’s censors — including articles about dissidents like imprisoned Christian pastor Wang Yi. Often, the rumors on WeChat are more trivial but still can lead to real-world consequences. In August, a WeChat post falsely claimed that Taipan Bakery, a popular Chinese bakery in Manhattan and Queens, was about to close. Older customers rushed to the stores to cash in their gift cards, waiting for hours on narrow sidewalks in the heat. The chaos overwhelmed the bakery’s cooks, who worked late into the night to prepare more pastries. Since the gift cards were prepaid, the purchases were not generating much extra profit for the business. An employee stood in line to reassure customers, and the stores put up paper signs in Chinese dispelling the rumor. But some customers insisted on using their gift cards immediately, according to a family member of the bakery’s owner. The family still does not know how the rumor started. WeChat is a vital tool for political activism by Chinese immigrants, whose political engagement and voter turnout have traditionally been low amid a lack of outreach by both major parties. The narratives that gain the most traction on WeChat often pit Chinese Americans against other minority groups and portray Chinese people as victims of bullying and discrimination. In 2016, WeChat groups mobilized tens of thousands of Chinese people across the United States to protest in the streets — some for the very first time — the manslaughter conviction of Peter Liang, a Chinese American New York City police officer, in the killing of Akai Gurley, a Black man. WeChat has played a significant role in organizing campaigns that accuse high school and college admissions of discriminating against Asian American applicants, including a closely watched lawsuit against Harvard University. Right-leaning WeChat groups had a wider reach than left-leaning ones, according to a 2017 study. Many WeChat users have questioned why Trump would ban a platform that is used by so many of his supporters. Viral efforts on WeChat have also focused on elevating Chinese people regardless of political party. Last year, many groups rallied behind Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, the child of Taiwanese immigrants. Phil Wong, 54, a parent and civil rights organizer in Queens, said WeChat groups helped him to galvanize thousands of Chinese parents to protest a 2018 proposal by New York City officials to eliminate the entrance exam for admission to the city’s top public high schools. They believed the change would hurt their children’s chances of getting into the schools, whose makeup is disproportionately Asian. After the uproar from Chinese and other Asian parents, the proposal failed. Even though WeChat has invigorated political protests by Chinese Americans, Wong said he was often appalled by the anti-American propaganda on the app, including videos from the protests after George Floyd’s killing in May that were repackaged to amplify footage of looting and arson to promote a narrative that American democracy was evil. “It gets me so mad,” Wong said. “This is not happening to every street in every city.” In June, WeChat was set aflame by a viral open letter written by a Chinese American student at Yale University, who said the Chinese community suffered from “rampant anti-Blackness.” Amelia Wang, 17, a Shanghai native who moved to the United States in 2017, discussed the letter with her mother, who responded by sharing a different WeChat article by a Chinese parent. The article accused Chinese American children of being “brainwashed” by the American education system. Still, Wang and others said WeChat offered more nuanced articles about China, providing a fuller picture than Western news outlets, which they said often portrayed China as a monolithic threat. “I don’t think there should be an expectation that if you’re in America, you shouldn’t be consuming news from back home,” said Tianyu Fang, a Beijing native who is a freshman at Stanford University. “That is cruel and condescending.” Xing Lu, a professor emeritus in the College of Communication at DePaul University in Chicago, immigrated to the United States in 1987 from China. Early on, she often felt embarrassed at work when she was unable to understand why her American colleagues would laugh at certain jokes. WeChat, she said, eased her sense of isolation. It became a virtual home where she and other Chinese immigrants could plan parties and share stories about their children. She has fought in WeChat groups with friends and former classmates about their views of Xi and Trump. Eventually, she said, like-minded friends would form new subgroups to discuss politics, which silenced the fighting in the main group. “We are trying to acculturate into American society, and WeChat provides this bridge for us to empower one another,” Lu said. “I know the U.S. government has its own reasons to remove WeChat, but it’s still a loss for the Chinese community.”

WeChat, wild rumours and all, is their lifeline. Washington may end that

The short-video sharing app TikTok has joined the other social media platforms in fighting the spread of misinformation and fake news during the upcoming&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/us-election">US elections</a>, that are scheduled for November 3.

After fighting the US President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;over a nationwide ban on the popular app, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/tiktok">TikTok</a>&nbsp;has launched a&nbsp;US election guide to ensure people get the facts and real news, and stop the spread of misinformation.

Through this guide, TikTok is hoping to establish the app as a platform where authentic information can be found. "Our goal is to keep TikTok a place where authentic content can thrive, and our elections guide reflects our ongoing efforts to protect the integrity of our platform and the US elections," the&nbsp;head of US public policy Michael Beckerman said.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/hours-before-court-hearing-judge-rejects-bid-to-delay-tiktok-ban-330573">Also read:&nbsp;Hours before court hearing, Judge rejects bid to delay TikTok ban</a>

The guide will be available at the&nbsp;bottom of all election-related videos and all content posted by the verified accounts of political figures and parties. It will also be available on the&nbsp;Discover page in the TikTok app.

"On TikTok we're seeing how people, especially younger voters, are passionate about important issues and are ready to make their voices heard," BallotReady chief executive Alex Niemczewski said in the release.

"Younger voters often do not realize everything that will appear on their ballot, and we believe that TikTok can help them vote their entire ballot."

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Meanwhile,&nbsp;MediaWise at the Poynter Institute, has announced plans of releasing short videos on the app to make the first-time voters about how to vote and how to spot fake news related to the US elections.

"We are excited to partner with TikTok to help teach their community how to sort fact from fiction online," program manager Katy Byron said.

The short-video sharing app TikTok has joined the other social media platforms in fighting the spread of misinformation and fake news during the upcoming US elections, that are scheduled for November 3.

The short-video sharing app TikTok has joined the other social media platforms in fighting the spread of misinformation and fake news during the upcoming US elections, that are scheduled for November 3. After fighting the US President Donald Trump over a nationwide ban on the popular app, TikTok has launched a US election guide to ensure people get the facts and real news, and stop the spread of misinformation. Through this guide, TikTok is hoping to establish the app as a platform where authentic information can be found. "Our goal is to keep TikTok a place where authentic content can thrive, and our elections guide reflects our ongoing efforts to protect the integrity of our platform and the US elections," the head of US public policy Michael Beckerman said. Also read: Hours before court hearing, Judge rejects bid to delay TikTok ban The guide will be available at the bottom of all election-related videos and all content posted by the verified accounts of political figures and parties. It will also be available on the Discover page in the TikTok app. "On TikTok we're seeing how people, especially younger voters, are passionate about important issues and are ready to make their voices heard," BallotReady chief executive Alex Niemczewski said in the release. "Younger voters often do not realize everything that will appear on their ballot, and we believe that TikTok can help them vote their entire ballot." × Meanwhile, MediaWise at the Poynter Institute, has announced plans of releasing short videos on the app to make the first-time voters about how to vote and how to spot fake news related to the US elections. "We are excited to partner with TikTok to help teach their community how to sort fact from fiction online," program manager Katy Byron said.

TikTok launches guide on fighting misinformation during US elections

A US judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration order that was set to bar Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google from offering short video-sharing app TikTok for download at 11:59 pm on Sunday.

Trump's administration contends that Chinese-owned TikTok poses national security concerns as personal data collected on 100 million Americans who use the app could be obtained by China's government. Any deal will also still need to be reviewed by the US government's Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

US District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington issued the preliminary injunction in a brief order late on Sunday. He declined "at this time" to block restrictions set to take effect on November 12 on technical and business arrangements which are crucial for the app to function properly.

The Commerce Department said in a statement it "will comply with the injunction and has taken immediate steps to do so."

The injunction comes at a time when negotiations are underway to hammer out terms of a preliminary deal for Walmart Inc and Oracle Corp to take stakes in a new company, TikTok Global, that would oversee US operations. Trump has said he had given the deal his "blessing."

But key terms of the deal, including who will have majority ownership, are in dispute.

ByteDance has also said any deal will need to be approved by China and Beijing has revised its list of technologies subject to export bans, in a way that gives it a say over any TikTok deal.

TikTok said it was pleased with the injunction and added it would maintain its "ongoing dialogue with the government to turn our proposal, which the president gave his preliminary approval to last week, into an agreement."

Representatives for Chinese state media welcomed the ruling.

A US judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration order that was set to bar Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google from offering short video-sharing app TikTok for download at 11:59 pm on Sunday.

A US judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration order that was set to bar Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google from offering short video-sharing app TikTok for download at 11:59 pm on Sunday. Trump's administration contends that Chinese-owned TikTok poses national security concerns as personal data collected on 100 million Americans who use the app could be obtained by China's government. Any deal will also still need to be reviewed by the US government's Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). US District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington issued the preliminary injunction in a brief order late on Sunday. He declined "at this time" to block restrictions set to take effect on November 12 on technical and business arrangements which are crucial for the app to function properly. The Commerce Department said in a statement it "will comply with the injunction and has taken immediate steps to do so." The injunction comes at a time when negotiations are underway to hammer out terms of a preliminary deal for Walmart Inc and Oracle Corp to take stakes in a new company, TikTok Global, that would oversee US operations. Trump has said he had given the deal his "blessing." But key terms of the deal, including who will have majority ownership, are in dispute. ByteDance has also said any deal will need to be approved by China and Beijing has revised its list of technologies subject to export bans, in a way that gives it a say over any TikTok deal. TikTok said it was pleased with the injunction and added it would maintain its "ongoing dialogue with the government to turn our proposal, which the president gave his preliminary approval to last week, into an agreement." Representatives for Chinese state media welcomed the ruling.

US judge blocks Trump administration's ban on new TikTok downloads

A U.S. judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration order that was set to bar Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc's Google from offering Chinese-owned short video-sharing app TikTok for download at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday.

A U.S. judge in Washington said he plans to decide later on Sunday whether to block a Trump administration order banning Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc`s Google from offering Chinese-owned short video-sharing app TikTok for download.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols said after a 90-minute Sunday morning hearing that he plans to issue a public order later in the day. The Commerce Department TikTok app store ban is set to take effect at 11:59 p.m. EDT (0359 GMT).

John E. Hall, a lawyer for TikTok, argued during the hearing that the ban was "unprecedented" and "irrational."

"How does it make sense to impose this app store ban tonight when there are negotiations underway that might make it unnecessary?" Hall asked during the hearing. "This is just punitive. This is just a blunt way to whack the company. ... There is simply no urgency here."

U.S. officials have expressed national security concerns that personal data collected on 100 million Americans who use the app could be obtained by China’s Communist Party government.

ByteDance said on Sept. 20 it made a preliminary deal for Walmart Inc and Oracle Corp to take stakes in a new company, TikTok Global, that would oversee U.S. operations. Negotiations continue over the terms of the agreement and to resolve concerns from Washington and Beijing.

The deal is still to be reviewed by the U.S. government`s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

The Justice Department said a preliminary injunction allowing Americans to continue downloading the TikTok app would be "interfering with a formal national security judgment of the president; altering the landscape with respect to ongoing CFIUS negotiations; and continuing to allow sensitive and valuable user information to flow to ByteDance with respect to all new users."

On Sept. 19, the Commerce Department delayed the ban to give the companies an additional week to finalize a deal. 
TikTok argues the restrictions, amid rising U.S.-China tensions under the Trump administration, "were not motivated by a genuine national security concern, but rather by political 
considerations relating to the upcoming general election."

A separate set of restrictions are set to take effect Nov. 12 barring other transactions with TikTok that would effectively ban the app in the United States, the company said.

Another U.S. judge, in Pennsylvania, on Saturday rejected a bid by three TikTok content creators to block the ban, while a judge in California has blocked a similar order from taking effect on Tencent Holdings` WeChat app.

A U.S. judge in Washington said he plans to decide later on Sunday whether to block a Trump administration order banning Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc`s Google from offering Chinese-owned short video-sharing app TikTok for download.

A U.S. judge in Washington said he plans to decide later on Sunday whether to block a Trump administration order banning Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc`s Google from offering Chinese-owned short video-sharing app TikTok for download. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols said after a 90-minute Sunday morning hearing that he plans to issue a public order later in the day. The Commerce Department TikTok app store ban is set to take effect at 11:59 p.m. EDT (0359 GMT). John E. Hall, a lawyer for TikTok, argued during the hearing that the ban was "unprecedented" and "irrational." "How does it make sense to impose this app store ban tonight when there are negotiations underway that might make it unnecessary?" Hall asked during the hearing. "This is just punitive. This is just a blunt way to whack the company. ... There is simply no urgency here." U.S. officials have expressed national security concerns that personal data collected on 100 million Americans who use the app could be obtained by China’s Communist Party government. ByteDance said on Sept. 20 it made a preliminary deal for Walmart Inc and Oracle Corp to take stakes in a new company, TikTok Global, that would oversee U.S. operations. Negotiations continue over the terms of the agreement and to resolve concerns from Washington and Beijing. The deal is still to be reviewed by the U.S. government`s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). The Justice Department said a preliminary injunction allowing Americans to continue downloading the TikTok app would be "interfering with a formal national security judgment of the president; altering the landscape with respect to ongoing CFIUS negotiations; and continuing to allow sensitive and valuable user information to flow to ByteDance with respect to all new users." On Sept. 19, the Commerce Department delayed the ban to give the companies an additional week to finalize a deal. TikTok argues the restrictions, amid rising U.S.-China tensions under the Trump administration, "were not motivated by a genuine national security concern, but rather by political considerations relating to the upcoming general election." A separate set of restrictions are set to take effect Nov. 12 barring other transactions with TikTok that would effectively ban the app in the United States, the company said. Another U.S. judge, in Pennsylvania, on Saturday rejected a bid by three TikTok content creators to block the ban, while a judge in California has blocked a similar order from taking effect on Tencent Holdings` WeChat app.

Judge plans to decide on TikTok US app store ban by end of day

Hours before a US court is set to rule out on the US ban of the video-sharing app TikTok,&nbsp;a judge in Pennsylvania has rejected a request by three TikTok content creators who asked her to temporarily block a government ban on Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc Google.

The creators had requested the judge to re-consider their request as they fear the ban would make them "lose access to tens of thousands of potential viewers and creators every month, an effect amplified by the looming threat to close TikTok altogether."

US&nbsp;District Judge Wendy Beetlestone, however, rejected the request adding that&nbsp;she understands the ban will be&nbsp;"undoubtedly an inconvenience".

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-not-back-down-from-tiktok-ban-court-hearing-on-sunday-330332">Also read:&nbsp;US to not back down from TikTok ban; court hearing on Sunday</a>

The reason she rejected the request of the TikTokcreators is that despite the ban on new downloads, the creators "will still be able to create, publish, and share content for their millions of current followers."

Rejection of this request has come hours before a separate court hearing is scheduled in the court of US&nbsp;District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington, where the Chinese company ByteDance is fighting the US President Donald Trump against his decision to ban any fresh downloads of the popular app TikTok in the US from Sunday noon.

TikTok argued, "Until the administration's intervention, TikTok was one of the fastest growing apps in the United States, and its continued rapid growth is necessary to maintain its competitive market position."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/tiktoks-owner-bytedance-applies-for-chinese-license-to-close-us-deal-329964">Also read:&nbsp;TikTok's owner ByteDance applies for Chinese license to close US deal</a>

Talking about the ban, TikTok claimed it will be a&nbsp;devastating blow, the lawyers argued that this ban will cause&nbsp;"extraordinary harm to (TikTok's) reputation and goodwill, making it unlikely that these relationships could be salvaged even if the ban is later lifted."

A ban "will cause our user base to stagnate and then precipitously decline," interim TikTok head Vanessa Pappas said.

TikTok will be presenting the details of its new deal adding Oracle Corp as the data partner and the retail giant Walmart holding minority shares.&nbsp;

The government lawyers have requested the court to let them submit an "under seal", which means the documents submitted will not be available for public record. While TikTok has agreed to it for the time being, the company has the right to demand that some documents be made available for the public eye.

Hours before a US court is set to rule out on the US ban of the video-sharing app TikTok, a judge in Pennsylvania has rejected a request by three TikTok content creators who asked her to temporarily block a government ban on Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc Google.

Hours before a US court is set to rule out on the US ban of the video-sharing app TikTok, a judge in Pennsylvania has rejected a request by three TikTok content creators who asked her to temporarily block a government ban on Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc Google. The creators had requested the judge to re-consider their request as they fear the ban would make them "lose access to tens of thousands of potential viewers and creators every month, an effect amplified by the looming threat to close TikTok altogether." US District Judge Wendy Beetlestone, however, rejected the request adding that she understands the ban will be "undoubtedly an inconvenience". Also read: US to not back down from TikTok ban; court hearing on Sunday The reason she rejected the request of the TikTokcreators is that despite the ban on new downloads, the creators "will still be able to create, publish, and share content for their millions of current followers." Rejection of this request has come hours before a separate court hearing is scheduled in the court of US District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington, where the Chinese company ByteDance is fighting the US President Donald Trump against his decision to ban any fresh downloads of the popular app TikTok in the US from Sunday noon. TikTok argued, "Until the administration's intervention, TikTok was one of the fastest growing apps in the United States, and its continued rapid growth is necessary to maintain its competitive market position." Also read: TikTok's owner ByteDance applies for Chinese license to close US deal Talking about the ban, TikTok claimed it will be a devastating blow, the lawyers argued that this ban will cause "extraordinary harm to (TikTok's) reputation and goodwill, making it unlikely that these relationships could be salvaged even if the ban is later lifted." A ban "will cause our user base to stagnate and then precipitously decline," interim TikTok head Vanessa Pappas said. TikTok will be presenting the details of its new deal adding Oracle Corp as the data partner and the retail giant Walmart holding minority shares. The government lawyers have requested the court to let them submit an "under seal", which means the documents submitted will not be available for public record. While TikTok has agreed to it for the time being, the company has the right to demand that some documents be made available for the public eye.

Hours before court hearing, Judge rejects bid to delay TikTok ban

The Trump administration has refused to back down from the TikTok ultimatum that the US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> decided on few weeks ago.

Trump,&nbsp;few days ago, decided to ban all new downloads of the Chinese app&nbsp;TikTok&nbsp;from Sunday.&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;has cited national security issue as the reason behind his ban — a claim which has been denied by the app.

TikTok &nbsp;petition for an injunction to block the order&nbsp;from the US government. The US District Judge Carl Nichols set a hearing for Sunday at 9 am&nbsp;— hours before the President's order goes into effect on Sunday noon.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tiktok-asks-court-to-block-trumps-ban-claiming-it-to-be-us-elections-agenda-329813">Also read:&nbsp;TikTok asks court to block Trump's ban claiming it to be US elections' agenda</a>

The government lawyers have requested the court to let them submit an&nbsp;"under seal", which means the documents submitted will not be available for public record. While&nbsp;TikTok&nbsp;has agreed to it for the time being, the company has the right to demand that some documents be made available for the public eye.

The ban can cause an irreparable damage to the Chinese video-sharing app which has nearly 100 million users in the US.&nbsp;

A new deal is in talks with Oracle Corp and Walmart to establish TikTok Global with&nbsp;Oracle Corp as the data partner and the retail giant Walmart will hold minority shares. The deal is yet to be given a nod by the White House and China.

The Trump administration has refused to back down from the TikTok ultimatum that the US President Donald Trump decided on few weeks ago. Trump, few days ago, decided to ban all new downloads of the Chinese app TikTok from Sunday.

The Trump administration has refused to back down from the TikTok ultimatum that the US President Donald Trump decided on few weeks ago. Trump, few days ago, decided to ban all new downloads of the Chinese app TikTok from Sunday. Trump has cited national security issue as the reason behind his ban — a claim which has been denied by the app. TikTok petition for an injunction to block the order from the US government. The US District Judge Carl Nichols set a hearing for Sunday at 9 am — hours before the President's order goes into effect on Sunday noon. Also read: TikTok asks court to block Trump's ban claiming it to be US elections' agenda The government lawyers have requested the court to let them submit an "under seal", which means the documents submitted will not be available for public record. While TikTok has agreed to it for the time being, the company has the right to demand that some documents be made available for the public eye. The ban can cause an irreparable damage to the Chinese video-sharing app which has nearly 100 million users in the US. A new deal is in talks with Oracle Corp and Walmart to establish TikTok Global with Oracle Corp as the data partner and the retail giant Walmart will hold minority shares. The deal is yet to be given a nod by the White House and China.

US to not back down from TikTok ban; court hearing on Sunday

The chinese short-video app TikTok is requesting a&nbsp;federal court to block the US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> from banning the app in the US.

TikTok has alleged that Trump is using their app as an agenda to further his campaign for the upcoming&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/us-election">US elections</a>, scheduled for November 03.

The lawyers will be advocating their case in front of the judges on Thursday in which they will be arguing to prove that Trump has been using the TikTok ban issue as a motive to further his agenda in the US elections and woo the right-wing audience, rather than worrying about 'national security'.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/us-tv-shows-try-a-new-election-playbook-making-voting-part-of-the-story-329808">Also read:&nbsp;US TV shows try a new election playbook: making voting part of the story</a>

Trump, on the other hand, states that the only reason he wants to ban the app is because he is worried the Chinese parent company ByteDance has been breaching the privacy of the billions of users and providing data to the Chinese government.

The issue was raised by trump after the two countries — China and US — started a diplomatic and wordly war citing security concerns which has resulted in corporations and journalists bearing the heat of it.

The President had announced that he will be willing to let the app entertain its millions of American users only if ByteDance gives up the control over its US operations and let an American company take control. TikTok offered a deal with Oracle and Walmart as its partners. The deal, which earlier got 'blessings' from Trump, has not been approved yet as Trump has vowed to block every offered deal if ByteDance holds majority shares.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-refuses-to-commit-on-peaceful-transition-of-power-after-us-elections-329798">Also read:&nbsp;Trump refuses to commit on peaceful transition of power after US elections</a>

As per the latest deal offered, Oracle Corp was to take over as the data partner and the&nbsp;retail giant Walmart would have held minority shares in the new entity being set up under the name of TikTok Global.

Trump, known for his indecisiveness, had earlier unofficially announced his intentions of agreeing with the deal. However, he later told Fox News in an interview that ByteDance&nbsp;"will have nothing to do with it, and if they do, then we just won't make the deal."

He further explained that he would be oka with the deal only if&nbsp;Oracle and Walmart "are going to own the controlling interest. Everything is going to be moved into a cloud done by Oracle... and it's going to be controlled — totally controlled by Oracle."

Now, as per the new case filed by tikTok in a federal court,&nbsp;the US government's conduct has been "arbitrary and capricious in multiple respects." The social media giant argues that Trump's repeated tries of banning the app violates the Constitution.

ANother reason why Trump wants to ban the app is because of the reports that claimed that&nbsp;some <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/k-pop-fans-and-tiktok-users-played-trump-hundreds-of-seats-remain-empty-in-tulsa-rally-307532">TikTok users and K-Pop fans pranked Trump</a> and registered for free tickets for his Tulsa campaign rally. However, close to zero showed up to the rally, leaving hundreds of seats vacant. Some believe this might be another reason for Trump wanting the app to be banned before the upcoming&nbsp;US elections.

The chinese short-video app TikTok is requesting a federal court to block the US President Donald Trump from banning the app in the US. TikTok has alleged that Trump is using their app as an agenda to further his campaign for the upcoming US elections, scheduled for November 03.

The chinese short-video app TikTok is requesting a federal court to block the US President Donald Trump from banning the app in the US. TikTok has alleged that Trump is using their app as an agenda to further his campaign for the upcoming US elections, scheduled for November 03. The lawyers will be advocating their case in front of the judges on Thursday in which they will be arguing to prove that Trump has been using the TikTok ban issue as a motive to further his agenda in the US elections and woo the right-wing audience, rather than worrying about 'national security'. Also read: US TV shows try a new election playbook: making voting part of the story Trump, on the other hand, states that the only reason he wants to ban the app is because he is worried the Chinese parent company ByteDance has been breaching the privacy of the billions of users and providing data to the Chinese government. The issue was raised by trump after the two countries — China and US — started a diplomatic and wordly war citing security concerns which has resulted in corporations and journalists bearing the heat of it. The President had announced that he will be willing to let the app entertain its millions of American users only if ByteDance gives up the control over its US operations and let an American company take control. TikTok offered a deal with Oracle and Walmart as its partners. The deal, which earlier got 'blessings' from Trump, has not been approved yet as Trump has vowed to block every offered deal if ByteDance holds majority shares. Also read: Trump refuses to commit on peaceful transition of power after US elections As per the latest deal offered, Oracle Corp was to take over as the data partner and the retail giant Walmart would have held minority shares in the new entity being set up under the name of TikTok Global. Trump, known for his indecisiveness, had earlier unofficially announced his intentions of agreeing with the deal. However, he later told Fox News in an interview that ByteDance "will have nothing to do with it, and if they do, then we just won't make the deal." He further explained that he would be oka with the deal only if Oracle and Walmart "are going to own the controlling interest. Everything is going to be moved into a cloud done by Oracle... and it's going to be controlled — totally controlled by Oracle." Now, as per the new case filed by tikTok in a federal court, the US government's conduct has been "arbitrary and capricious in multiple respects." The social media giant argues that Trump's repeated tries of banning the app violates the Constitution. ANother reason why Trump wants to ban the app is because of the reports that claimed that some TikTok users and K-Pop fans pranked Trump and registered for free tickets for his Tulsa campaign rally. However, close to zero showed up to the rally, leaving hundreds of seats vacant. Some believe this might be another reason for Trump wanting the app to be banned before the upcoming US elections.

TikTok asks court to block Trump's ban claiming it to be US elections' agenda

The Chinese government is unlikely to approve the deal China's ByteDance has struck with Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc over the future of its video-streaming app TikTok in the United States.

ByteDance has said it will create a US subsidiary partly owned by American majors Oracle and Walmart to pacify the administration of President Donald Trump which had planned to ban TikTok on security grounds.

"It is clear that these articles (terms) extensively show Washington's bullying style and hooligan logic. They hurt China's national security, interests and dignity," said a Global Times report.

The Global Times is a tabloid published by the People's Daily, the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party, but does not speak on behalf of the party and government unlike its parent publication.

The article's unidentified author objected to a requirement that four of the five board seats of TikTok Global be occupied by Americans and only one reserved for a Chinese national, as well as the inclusion of a US-approved "national security director".

It also denounced a requirement that ByteDance reveal TikTok's source code to Oracle as part of the latter's stake purchase, as well as the separate management of TikTok from Chinese equivalent Douyin.

"As TikTok and Douyin should have the same source code, this means the US can get to know the operations of Douyin," the editorial continued.

"If the reorganisation of TikTok under US manipulation becomes a model, it means once any successful Chinese company expands its business to the US and becomes competitive, it will be targeted by the US and turned into a US-controlled company via trickery and coercion, which eventually serves only US interests," the author wrote.

ByteDance and Oracle have announced they had reached a deal that would satisfy Trump's call for TikTok to be sold to an American buyer or face shutdown in the United States.

However, both sides have framed the deal differently in public statements.

ByteDance has said TikTok Global will be its subsidiary of which it will own 80%, while Oracle has said the former's ownership would be distributed to its investors, many of which are US-based and that the Beijing-based firm itself would have no stake in TikTok Global.

The Chinese government is unlikely to approve the deal China's ByteDance has struck with Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc over the future of its video-streaming app TikTok in the United States.

The Chinese government is unlikely to approve the deal China's ByteDance has struck with Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc over the future of its video-streaming app TikTok in the United States. ByteDance has said it will create a US subsidiary partly owned by American majors Oracle and Walmart to pacify the administration of President Donald Trump which had planned to ban TikTok on security grounds. "It is clear that these articles (terms) extensively show Washington's bullying style and hooligan logic. They hurt China's national security, interests and dignity," said a Global Times report. The Global Times is a tabloid published by the People's Daily, the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party, but does not speak on behalf of the party and government unlike its parent publication. The article's unidentified author objected to a requirement that four of the five board seats of TikTok Global be occupied by Americans and only one reserved for a Chinese national, as well as the inclusion of a US-approved "national security director". It also denounced a requirement that ByteDance reveal TikTok's source code to Oracle as part of the latter's stake purchase, as well as the separate management of TikTok from Chinese equivalent Douyin. "As TikTok and Douyin should have the same source code, this means the US can get to know the operations of Douyin," the editorial continued. "If the reorganisation of TikTok under US manipulation becomes a model, it means once any successful Chinese company expands its business to the US and becomes competitive, it will be targeted by the US and turned into a US-controlled company via trickery and coercion, which eventually serves only US interests," the author wrote. ByteDance and Oracle have announced they had reached a deal that would satisfy Trump's call for TikTok to be sold to an American buyer or face shutdown in the United States. However, both sides have framed the deal differently in public statements. ByteDance has said TikTok Global will be its subsidiary of which it will own 80%, while Oracle has said the former's ownership would be distributed to its investors, many of which are US-based and that the Beijing-based firm itself would have no stake in TikTok Global.

Beijing unlikely to approve ByteDance's TikTok deal with Oracle, report says

TikTok's takeover deal in the US now hit yet another road block. TikTok's parent company ByteDance and prospective buyer Oracle has now issued conflicting statements regarding the deal.

TikTok's takeover deal in the US now hit yet another road block

China`s ByteDance said on Monday that TikTok`s global business will become its subsidiary, even as Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc said over the weekend that they and U.S. investors would own the majority of the video app following a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump`s administration.

Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 14 giving ByteDance 90 days to sell TikTok, amid concerns that the personal data of as many as 100 million Americans that use the app could be passed on to China`s Communist Party government. On Saturday, he said he supported a deal in principle that would allow TikTok to continue to operate in the United States.

Accounts of the deal differ. ByteDance said on Monday that it will own 80% of TikTok Global, a newly created U.S. company that will own most of the app`s operations worldwide. Oracle and Walmart, which have agreed to take stakes in TikTok Global of 12.5% and 7.5% respectively, had said on Saturday that majority ownership of TikTok would be in American hands.

ByteDance said in its statement on Monday that it was a "rumor" that U.S. investors would be TikTok Global`s majority owners. Oracle declined to comment on ByteDance`s statement, while Walmart did not respond to a request for comment.

Some sources close to the deal have sought to reconcile the discrepancy by pointing out that 41% of ByteDance is owned by U.S. investors, so by counting this indirect ownership TikTok Global would be majority owned by U.S. parties.

One of the sources said the deal with Oracle and Walmart values TikTok Global at more than $50 billion.

TikTok also confirmed plans for an initial public offering of TikTok Global. The Beijing-based firm said TikTok Global`s board of directors will include ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming as well as Walmart`s chief executive Doug McMillon and current directors of ByteDance.

The current plan for TikTok Global does not involve any transfer of algorithms or technologies, and Oracle will be able to inspect TikTok U.S.`s source code, ByteDance said. This is akin to U.S. companies such as Microsoft Corp sharing their source code with Chinese technology experts, ByteDance added.

ByteDance also said a $5 billion payment reportedly to be made to the U.S. Treasury by TikTok Global is based on estimated income and other taxes the company will need to pay over the next few years and has nothing to do with the deal reached with Oracle and Walmart. Trump last week had said there would be a $5 billion U.S. education fund as part of the deal.

China`s ByteDance said on Monday that TikTok`s global business will become its subsidiary, even as Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc said over the weekend that they and U.

China`s ByteDance said on Monday that TikTok`s global business will become its subsidiary, even as Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc said over the weekend that they and U.S. investors would own the majority of the video app following a deal with U.S. President Donald Trump`s administration. Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 14 giving ByteDance 90 days to sell TikTok, amid concerns that the personal data of as many as 100 million Americans that use the app could be passed on to China`s Communist Party government. On Saturday, he said he supported a deal in principle that would allow TikTok to continue to operate in the United States. Accounts of the deal differ. ByteDance said on Monday that it will own 80% of TikTok Global, a newly created U.S. company that will own most of the app`s operations worldwide. Oracle and Walmart, which have agreed to take stakes in TikTok Global of 12.5% and 7.5% respectively, had said on Saturday that majority ownership of TikTok would be in American hands. ByteDance said in its statement on Monday that it was a "rumor" that U.S. investors would be TikTok Global`s majority owners. Oracle declined to comment on ByteDance`s statement, while Walmart did not respond to a request for comment. Some sources close to the deal have sought to reconcile the discrepancy by pointing out that 41% of ByteDance is owned by U.S. investors, so by counting this indirect ownership TikTok Global would be majority owned by U.S. parties. One of the sources said the deal with Oracle and Walmart values TikTok Global at more than $50 billion. TikTok also confirmed plans for an initial public offering of TikTok Global. The Beijing-based firm said TikTok Global`s board of directors will include ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming as well as Walmart`s chief executive Doug McMillon and current directors of ByteDance. The current plan for TikTok Global does not involve any transfer of algorithms or technologies, and Oracle will be able to inspect TikTok U.S.`s source code, ByteDance said. This is akin to U.S. companies such as Microsoft Corp sharing their source code with Chinese technology experts, ByteDance added. ByteDance also said a $5 billion payment reportedly to be made to the U.S. Treasury by TikTok Global is based on estimated income and other taxes the company will need to pay over the next few years and has nothing to do with the deal reached with Oracle and Walmart. Trump last week had said there would be a $5 billion U.S. education fund as part of the deal.

China's ByteDance says TikTok will be its subsidiary under deal with Trump

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump on Monday said his administration would not approve the sale of TikTok to Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc if TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance retained any control.

Asked in an interview whether ByteDance would still have any involvement, he said that "they will have nothing to do with it and if they do, then we just won't make the deal."

He added Oracle and Walmart "are going to have total control over it. They're going to own the controling interest... If we find they don't have total control, then we're not going to approve the deal."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/chinas-bytedance-says-tiktok-will-be-its-subsidiary-under-deal-with-trump-329041" hreflang="en">China's ByteDance says TikTok will be its subsidiary under deal with Trump</a>

TikTok,&nbsp;which became a global phenomenon with its brand of short, addictive phone videos,&nbsp;has come under fire in recent months as tensions escalate between China and the west.

Trump has claimed&nbsp;TikTok&nbsp;is collecting user data for China's Communist Party, and&nbsp;signed an executive order&nbsp;on August&nbsp;14 giving ByteDance until September 20&nbsp;to hand over&nbsp;TikTok's US operations to an American company.

ByteDance, under pressure in China not to give in to US demands, set out to clarify "rumours" on Monday after details of the deal were announced. It said the current plan "does not involve the transfer of any algorithms and technologies".

While Oracle has the authority to check the source code of&nbsp;TikTok&nbsp;in the US, ByteDance said displaying the source code is a way for multinationals to allay local data security concerns.

US President Donald Trump on Monday said his administration would not approve the sale of TikTok to Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc if TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance retained any control.

US President Donald Trump on Monday said his administration would not approve the sale of TikTok to Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc if TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance retained any control. Asked in an interview whether ByteDance would still have any involvement, he said that "they will have nothing to do with it and if they do, then we just won't make the deal." He added Oracle and Walmart "are going to have total control over it. They're going to own the controling interest... If we find they don't have total control, then we're not going to approve the deal." Also read: China's ByteDance says TikTok will be its subsidiary under deal with Trump TikTok, which became a global phenomenon with its brand of short, addictive phone videos, has come under fire in recent months as tensions escalate between China and the west. Trump has claimed TikTok is collecting user data for China's Communist Party, and signed an executive order on August 14 giving ByteDance until September 20 to hand over TikTok's US operations to an American company. ByteDance, under pressure in China not to give in to US demands, set out to clarify "rumours" on Monday after details of the deal were announced. It said the current plan "does not involve the transfer of any algorithms and technologies". While Oracle has the authority to check the source code of TikTok in the US, ByteDance said displaying the source code is a way for multinationals to allay local data security concerns.

No TikTok deal if China's ByteDance maintains control, says Trump

Video-sharing app TikTok said on Saturday it had already committed to the US government oversight of data security in the country. It added it was "disappointed" by the Trump administration's decision to ban it from US app stores from Sunday.

The ban is in response to a pair of executive orders issued by US President Donald Trump on Aug. 6 that gave the Commerce Department 45 days to determine what transactions to block from the apps he deemed pose a threat to national security. That deadline expires on Sunday.

The ban on new US downloads of the app, owned by China's ByteDance, could still be rescinded by Trump before it takes effect if the company seals a deal with Oracle Corp that addresses concerns about the security of users' data.

TikTok said that in its proposal to the US government, it has already agreed to measures like "third-party audits, verification of code security, and the US government oversight of US data security."

Commerce Department officials said they were taking the extraordinary step because of the risks posed by the apps' collection of data. China and the companies have denied US user data is collected for spying.

"An American Technology provider would be responsible for maintaining and operating the TikTok network in the US, which would include all services and data serving US consumers," TikTok added in the statement.

Meanwhile, the debacle seems to be coming to an end as the Chinese company has proposed for Oracle to be its US technology provider and Walmart as a commercial partner.

"We are pleased that the proposal by TikTok, Oracle, and Walmart will resolve the security concerns of the US Administration and settle questions around TikTok's future in the US," a spokeswoman for TikTok said.

The deal has been proposed to the Trump administration but has not received an official yes yet. However, Trump had earlier, while talking to reporters, hailed this deal as "fantastic".

"I have given the deal my blessing," Trump said. "I approve the deal in concept."

(with inputs from agencies)

Video-sharing app TikTok said on Saturday it had already committed to the US government oversight of data security in the country. It added it was "disappointed" by the Trump administration's decision to ban it from US app stores from Sunday.

Video-sharing app TikTok said on Saturday it had already committed to the US government oversight of data security in the country. It added it was "disappointed" by the Trump administration's decision to ban it from US app stores from Sunday. The ban is in response to a pair of executive orders issued by US President Donald Trump on Aug. 6 that gave the Commerce Department 45 days to determine what transactions to block from the apps he deemed pose a threat to national security. That deadline expires on Sunday. The ban on new US downloads of the app, owned by China's ByteDance, could still be rescinded by Trump before it takes effect if the company seals a deal with Oracle Corp that addresses concerns about the security of users' data. TikTok said that in its proposal to the US government, it has already agreed to measures like "third-party audits, verification of code security, and the US government oversight of US data security." Commerce Department officials said they were taking the extraordinary step because of the risks posed by the apps' collection of data. China and the companies have denied US user data is collected for spying. "An American Technology provider would be responsible for maintaining and operating the TikTok network in the US, which would include all services and data serving US consumers," TikTok added in the statement. Meanwhile, the debacle seems to be coming to an end as the Chinese company has proposed for Oracle to be its US technology provider and Walmart as a commercial partner. "We are pleased that the proposal by TikTok, Oracle, and Walmart will resolve the security concerns of the US Administration and settle questions around TikTok's future in the US," a spokeswoman for TikTok said. The deal has been proposed to the Trump administration but has not received an official yes yet. However, Trump had earlier, while talking to reporters, hailed this deal as "fantastic". "I have given the deal my blessing," Trump said. "I approve the deal in concept." (with inputs from agencies)

TikTok says it already committed to government oversight of US data security

The TikTok debacle seems to be coming to an end as the Chinese company has proposed for Oracle to be its US technology provider and Walmart as a commercial partner.

This decision has been taken after weeks of closed-door meetings, proposals and legal wars after the US President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;ordered a ban on the Chinese app <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/tiktok">TikTok</a>&nbsp;citing national security concerns.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/china-asks-us-to-stop-bullying-after-trump-bans-tiktok-and-wechat-threatens-retaliation-328547">Also read:&nbsp;China asks US to stop 'bullying' after Trump bans TikTok and WeChat; threatens retaliation</a>

"We are pleased that the proposal by TikTok, Oracle, and Walmart will resolve the security concerns of the US Administration and settle questions around TikTok's future in the US," a spokeswoman for TikTok said.

The deal has been proposed to the Trump administration but has not received an official yes yet. However, Trump had earlier, while talking to reporters, hailed this deal as "fantastic".

"I have given the deal my blessing," Trump said. "I approve the deal in concept."

As per the new deal, ByteDance will be setting up a new portion called TikTok Global in which the US shareholders are expected to control 53 per cent of the shares, and the Chinese investors will hold 36 per cent. While it is not yet finalised which company will be the majority share holder, Oracle is rumoured to hold 12.5 per cent of the TikTok Global shares.

Trump has claimed that the new company will be based in Texas and hire nearly 25,000 people. He has also reportedly claimed that the new company will be contributing nearly $5 billion to a fund dedicated to education for Americans.

"Well, we have a deal worked out I think with Wal-Mart is going to buy it, along with Oracle, Larry Ellison. It's going to be an incredible combination and I said, you know, do me a favour, could you put up 5 billion dollars into a fund for education so we can educate people as to real history of our country? The real history. Not the fake history. Because we're getting very close to that deal and all of the technology will be maintained here. They're going to move probably to the great state of Texas. Sorry, we've got you (North Carolina) a lot of business, but we couldn't...but they're going to move into the United States, which is what's important, move it to the United States. Unbelievable company. They're going to have 25,000 jobs if it all goes. I gave them the preliminary approval," he told local reporters.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-not-happy-with-oracle-having-minority-shares-in-tiktok-328040">Also Read:&nbsp;Trump not happy with Oracle having minority shares in TikTok</a>

The unofficial agreement has come after weeks of declining all other deal that the Chinese parent company ByteDance proposed.

The US Treasure has said, "Oracle will be responsible for key technology and security responsibilities to protect all U.S. user data. Approval of the transaction is subject to a closing with Oracle and Walmart and necessary documentation and conditions to be approved by" the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.

Considering the new deal, the US Commerce Department has extended the deadline of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-to-ban-tiktok-and-wechat-downloads-from-september-20-328428">US ban</a> of the popular short-video sharing app.&nbsp;

However,&nbsp;the deal still has to go through the official nods by China and the US.

The TikTok debacle seems to be coming to an end as the Chinese company has proposed for Oracle to be its US technology provider and Walmart as a commercial partner.

The TikTok debacle seems to be coming to an end as the Chinese company has proposed for Oracle to be its US technology provider and Walmart as a commercial partner. This decision has been taken after weeks of closed-door meetings, proposals and legal wars after the US President Donald Trump ordered a ban on the Chinese app TikTok citing national security concerns. Also read: China asks US to stop 'bullying' after Trump bans TikTok and WeChat; threatens retaliation "We are pleased that the proposal by TikTok, Oracle, and Walmart will resolve the security concerns of the US Administration and settle questions around TikTok's future in the US," a spokeswoman for TikTok said. The deal has been proposed to the Trump administration but has not received an official yes yet. However, Trump had earlier, while talking to reporters, hailed this deal as "fantastic". "I have given the deal my blessing," Trump said. "I approve the deal in concept." As per the new deal, ByteDance will be setting up a new portion called TikTok Global in which the US shareholders are expected to control 53 per cent of the shares, and the Chinese investors will hold 36 per cent. While it is not yet finalised which company will be the majority share holder, Oracle is rumoured to hold 12.5 per cent of the TikTok Global shares. Trump has claimed that the new company will be based in Texas and hire nearly 25,000 people. He has also reportedly claimed that the new company will be contributing nearly $5 billion to a fund dedicated to education for Americans. "Well, we have a deal worked out I think with Wal-Mart is going to buy it, along with Oracle, Larry Ellison. It's going to be an incredible combination and I said, you know, do me a favour, could you put up 5 billion dollars into a fund for education so we can educate people as to real history of our country? The real history. Not the fake history. Because we're getting very close to that deal and all of the technology will be maintained here. They're going to move probably to the great state of Texas. Sorry, we've got you (North Carolina) a lot of business, but we couldn't...but they're going to move into the United States, which is what's important, move it to the United States. Unbelievable company. They're going to have 25,000 jobs if it all goes. I gave them the preliminary approval," he told local reporters. Also Read: Trump not happy with Oracle having minority shares in TikTok The unofficial agreement has come after weeks of declining all other deal that the Chinese parent company ByteDance proposed. The US Treasure has said, "Oracle will be responsible for key technology and security responsibilities to protect all U.S. user data. Approval of the transaction is subject to a closing with Oracle and Walmart and necessary documentation and conditions to be approved by" the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States. Considering the new deal, the US Commerce Department has extended the deadline of the US ban of the popular short-video sharing app. However, the deal still has to go through the official nods by China and the US.

TikTok proposes new deal with Oracle and Walmart; Trump gives his blessings

US President Donald Trump delays the ban on downloading TikTok after he gave green signal to a deal proposed between TikTok & US company Oracle.

Trump green lights Oracle’s TikTok agreement and delays ban on the app

China's ByteDance Ltd is seeking a valuation of $60 billion for TikTok as Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc take stakes in the short-video app's business to address US security concerns.

US President Donald Trump on Saturday said that he supported a deal in principle would allow TikTok to continue to operate in the United States, even as it appeared to conflict with his earlier executive order for China's ByteDance to divest the video app.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tiktok-proposes-new-deal-with-oracle-and-walmart-trump-gives-his-blessings-328746">Also read |&nbsp;TikTok proposes new deal with Oracle and Walmart; Trump gives his blessings</a>

According to a report published by Bloomberg News on Sunday, Oracle will take a 12.5% stake in TikTok Global and store all its user data in its cloud to comply with US national security requirements.&nbsp;

Retail giant Walmart said it would take a 7.5% stake.

The two companies would pay a combined $12 billion for their stakes if they agree to a $60 billion asking price, Bloomberg reported.

The final valuation had not been set as the companies worked out the equity structure and measures for data security.

ByteDance was racing to avoid a crackdown on TikTok after the US Commerce Department said on Friday that it would block new downloads and updates to the app from Sunday.

US officials had expressed concern that the personal data of as many as 100 million Americans that use the app were being passed on to China's Communist Party government.

China's ByteDance Ltd is seeking a valuation of $60 billion for TikTok as Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc take stakes in the short-video app's business to address US security concerns.

China's ByteDance Ltd is seeking a valuation of $60 billion for TikTok as Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc take stakes in the short-video app's business to address US security concerns. US President Donald Trump on Saturday said that he supported a deal in principle would allow TikTok to continue to operate in the United States, even as it appeared to conflict with his earlier executive order for China's ByteDance to divest the video app. Also read | TikTok proposes new deal with Oracle and Walmart; Trump gives his blessings According to a report published by Bloomberg News on Sunday, Oracle will take a 12.5% stake in TikTok Global and store all its user data in its cloud to comply with US national security requirements. Retail giant Walmart said it would take a 7.5% stake. The two companies would pay a combined $12 billion for their stakes if they agree to a $60 billion asking price, Bloomberg reported. The final valuation had not been set as the companies worked out the equity structure and measures for data security. ByteDance was racing to avoid a crackdown on TikTok after the US Commerce Department said on Friday that it would block new downloads and updates to the app from Sunday. US officials had expressed concern that the personal data of as many as 100 million Americans that use the app were being passed on to China's Communist Party government.

China's ByteDance seeks $60 billion TikTok valuation in US deal, report says

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