<p>The Canadian government ordered the dissolution of the TikTok business in the country on Wednesday (Nov 6), &nbsp;because of high national security risks. It also mentioned that the government is not banning access to the app or blocking it from creating content.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Francois-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s innovation minister, as per Reuters said, “The government is taking action to address the specific national security risks related to ByteDance Ltd operations in Canada through the establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.”</p>

<p>Last year, Ottawa started reviewing TikTok’s strategy to invest and expand business in Canada. TikTok’s Chinese parent company is ByteDance. Canadian law allows the government to assess potential risks from foreign investments, like the TikTok proposal. The Canadian government is also legally allowed to hide the details of such investments.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/canada-censors-australia-today-over-jaishankars-presser-india-blasts-canadas-hypocrisy-774340">Canada censors Australia Today over Jaishankar’s presser, India blasts Ottawa’s ‘hypocrisy’</a></strong></p>

<p>Champagne added, "The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada's security and intelligence community and other government partners".&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-ruckus-breaks-out-in-jammu-and-kashmir-assembly-over-article-370-banner-video-774232">India: Ruckus in Jammu and Kashmir assembly over display of Article 370 banner | Video</a></strong></p>

<p>The spokesperson of TikTok, as per Reuters, said, “Shutting down TikTok's Canadian offices and destroying hundreds of well-paying local jobs is not in anyone's best interest, and today's shutdown order will do just that”. The app will oppose the orders in court.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, the Canadian government has prohibited access to the app from government devices citing significant risks to national security and privacy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>United States President Joe Biden signed a law on April 24, requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok by January 18 or face a ban. The White House has stated it wants to end Chinese ownership of the app because of national security but not ban TikTok. The parent company ByteDance and Tiktok got sued in the US federal court in May.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


The Canadian government ordered the dissolution of the TikTok business in the country on Wednesday (Nov 6), because of high national security risks. It also mentioned that the government is not banning access to the app or blocking it from creating content.

The Canadian government ordered the dissolution of the TikTok business in the country on Wednesday (Nov 6), because of high national security risks. It also mentioned that the government is not banning access to the app or blocking it from creating content. Francois-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s innovation minister, as per Reuters said, “The government is taking action to address the specific national security risks related to ByteDance Ltd operations in Canada through the establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.” Last year, Ottawa started reviewing TikTok’s strategy to invest and expand business in Canada. TikTok’s Chinese parent company is ByteDance. Canadian law allows the government to assess potential risks from foreign investments, like the TikTok proposal. The Canadian government is also legally allowed to hide the details of such investments. Also Read | Canada censors Australia Today over Jaishankar’s presser, India blasts Ottawa’s ‘hypocrisy’ Champagne added, "The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada's security and intelligence community and other government partners". Also Read | India: Ruckus in Jammu and Kashmir assembly over display of Article 370 banner | Video The spokesperson of TikTok, as per Reuters, said, “Shutting down TikTok's Canadian offices and destroying hundreds of well-paying local jobs is not in anyone's best interest, and today's shutdown order will do just that”. The app will oppose the orders in court. However, the Canadian government has prohibited access to the app from government devices citing significant risks to national security and privacy. United States President Joe Biden signed a law on April 24, requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok by January 18 or face a ban. The White House has stated it wants to end Chinese ownership of the app because of national security but not ban TikTok. The parent company ByteDance and Tiktok got sued in the US federal court in May. (With inputs from agencies)

Canadian government bans TikTok’s business in country, app access continues

<p>In a small community in Gjakova, Kosovo, a troubling wave of child self-harm cases has emerged, reportedly tied to a TikTok challenge.</p>

<h2><strong>TikTok and self-harm</strong></h2>

<p>It all came to light when a concerned parent informed local education officials that her 12-year-old daughter and friends had injured themselves, allegedly influenced by a self-harm challenge they saw on the app. This prompted an investigation led by Gjakova's chief education officer, Eranda Kumnova-Baci, uncovering at least 22 cases of self-harm among young girls across different schools.</p>

<p><strong>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/australia-calls-time-on-social-media-to-ban-use-by-children-under-16-no-parental-exemptions-774183">Australia 'calls time' on social media, to ban use by children under 16: No parental exemptions</a></strong></p>

<p>Initially thought to involve minor injuries, however, “But after medical examinations, we found that some of the girls had countless injuries on all parts of their bodies,” Kumnova-Baci told AFP.</p>

<p>This incident has cast a shadow over Gjakova, a city of 78,000 near the Albanian border. The mother of one affected girl expressed fears about TikTok, and said, “This app publishes everything, even the most dangerous content. I think the state should ban TikTok.”.</p>

<p>The mother revealed that the so-called “game,” is “for girls between the ages of nine and 17 on TikTok... they are imitating and acting like in the video posted there.”</p>

<p>AFP citing sources close to the victims said that many turned to self-harm to test their ability to bear pain, while others wanted to overcome passing feelings of desperation.</p>

<p><strong>Also read | <a class="WlydOe" data-sb="/url?sa=t&amp;source=web&amp;rct=j&amp;opi=89978449&amp;url=https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-do-i-need-it-underconsumption-core-trends-on-tiktok-749276&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjr97G94smJAxUB1jgGHVgZAmEQxfQBKAB6BAgPEAE&amp;usg=AOvVaw0x2ZAJLNkroVz9Q5wZCsVe" data-ved="2ahUKEwjr97G94smJAxUB1jgGHVgZAmEQxfQBKAB6BAgPEAE" href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-do-i-need-it-underconsumption-core-trends-on-tiktok-749276" jsname="YKoRaf">Do I need it? 'Underconsumption core' trends on TikTok</a> </strong></p>

<h2><strong>TikTok challenges: fun or a threat</strong></h2>

<p>TikTok's official policy prohibits content that promotes self-harm or suicide. Despite that, challenges on the platform have gone viral worldwide, sometimes with harmful consequences.</p>

<p>“We want TikTok to be a place where you can discuss emotionally complex topics in a supportive way without increasing the risk of harm. We do not allow showing, promoting, or sharing plans for suicide or self-harm,” said the company in a statement posted on its website.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


In a small community in Gjakova, Kosovo, a troubling wave of child self-harm cases has emerged, reportedly tied to a TikTok challenge. TikTok and self-harm It all came to light when a concerned parent informed local education officials that her 12-year-old daughter and friends had injured themselves, allegedly influenced by a self-harm challenge they saw on the app.

In a small community in Gjakova, Kosovo, a troubling wave of child self-harm cases has emerged, reportedly tied to a TikTok challenge. TikTok and self-harm It all came to light when a concerned parent informed local education officials that her 12-year-old daughter and friends had injured themselves, allegedly influenced by a self-harm challenge they saw on the app. This prompted an investigation led by Gjakova's chief education officer, Eranda Kumnova-Baci, uncovering at least 22 cases of self-harm among young girls across different schools. Also read | Australia 'calls time' on social media, to ban use by children under 16: No parental exemptions Initially thought to involve minor injuries, however, “But after medical examinations, we found that some of the girls had countless injuries on all parts of their bodies,” Kumnova-Baci told AFP. This incident has cast a shadow over Gjakova, a city of 78,000 near the Albanian border. The mother of one affected girl expressed fears about TikTok, and said, “This app publishes everything, even the most dangerous content. I think the state should ban TikTok.”. The mother revealed that the so-called “game,” is “for girls between the ages of nine and 17 on TikTok... they are imitating and acting like in the video posted there.” AFP citing sources close to the victims said that many turned to self-harm to test their ability to bear pain, while others wanted to overcome passing feelings of desperation. Also read | Do I need it? 'Underconsumption core' trends on TikTok TikTok challenges: fun or a threat TikTok's official policy prohibits content that promotes self-harm or suicide. Despite that, challenges on the platform have gone viral worldwide, sometimes with harmful consequences. “We want TikTok to be a place where you can discuss emotionally complex topics in a supportive way without increasing the risk of harm. We do not allow showing, promoting, or sharing plans for suicide or self-harm,” said the company in a statement posted on its website. (With inputs from agencies)

TikTok challenge suspected in rise of child self-harm in Kosovo's Gjakova

<p><br />
ByteDance has terminated the services of an intern for interference with an AI model project, which reportedly caused tens of millions dollars' worth of damages, a claim denied by the Chinese owner of massively popular video-sharing platform TikTok.</p>

<p>The firing took place in August, according to a clarification issued by ByteDance after Chinese mainland social media was abuzz with how massive a dent the intern's actions had made on the company's finances.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a statement posted on its news aggregation platform Toutiao on Saturday (Oct 19), ByteDance described as 'inaccurate' the reports of any significant damage or revenue losses for the company arising from the intern's actions.</p>

<p>The intern in question was part of ByteDance advertising tech department's commercialisation wing.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: Will ByteDance to divest TikTok Or Face Ban?</strong></p>

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<p>Reportedly dissatisfied with resource allocations, the intern disrupted AI model training involving over 8,000 GPUs or Graphics&nbsp;Processing Units.</p>

<p>ByteDance, which in addition to TikTok is developing several AI applications, said the company's official commercial projects and AI operations were not disrupted.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tiktok-fights-back-bytedance-appeals-to-overturn-unconstitutional-potential-ban-in-us-733665"><strong>TikTok fights back: ByteDance appeals against potential ban in US, calls it 'unconstitutional'</strong></a><br />
<br />
It said industry associations and the university of the intern were informed about the misconduct. The intern studied in Beihang University and Peking University, according to a report in South China Morning Post.</p>

<p>Countering claims in social media, ByteDance said the intern did not have experience with its AI lab.</p>

<p>The company's clarifications came even an audio recording claiming to be from the intern surfaced on the global code depository site GitHub.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The audio from the handle 'JusticeFighter110' posted on October 18 claimed the intern inserted malicious code into the AI project. But another repository on GitHub said the audio was fabricated.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/tiktok-cuts-hundreds-of-jobs-as-bytedance-shifts-focus-to-ai-content-moderation-767010"><strong>TikTok cuts hundreds of jobs as ByteDance shifts focus to AI content moderation</strong></a></p>

<p>According to the SCMP report,&nbsp;the intern had previosly worked at SenseTime and the Oxford University before starting&nbsp;at ByteDance in 2021.</p>

<p>Figting in generative AI world against big players like OpenAI, ByteDance's AI lab is bringing out several features and applications driven by artificial intellicence.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Its Doubao AI model reached 47 monthly active users in September as opposed to Baidu’s Ernie Bot or Wenxiaoyan which had 12 mn and Moonshot AI’s Kimi, which had had 7 mn users.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


ByteDance has terminated the services of an intern for interference with an AI model project, which reportedly caused tens of millions dollars' worth of damages, a claim denied by the Chinese owner of massively popular video-sharing platform TikTok.

ByteDance has terminated the services of an intern for interference with an AI model project, which reportedly caused tens of millions dollars' worth of damages, a claim denied by the Chinese owner of massively popular video-sharing platform TikTok. The firing took place in August, according to a clarification issued by ByteDance after Chinese mainland social media was abuzz with how massive a dent the intern's actions had made on the company's finances. In a statement posted on its news aggregation platform Toutiao on Saturday (Oct 19), ByteDance described as 'inaccurate' the reports of any significant damage or revenue losses for the company arising from the intern's actions. The intern in question was part of ByteDance advertising tech department's commercialisation wing. Watch: Will ByteDance to divest TikTok Or Face Ban? × Reportedly dissatisfied with resource allocations, the intern disrupted AI model training involving over 8,000 GPUs or Graphics Processing Units. ByteDance, which in addition to TikTok is developing several AI applications, said the company's official commercial projects and AI operations were not disrupted. TikTok fights back: ByteDance appeals against potential ban in US, calls it 'unconstitutional' It said industry associations and the university of the intern were informed about the misconduct. The intern studied in Beihang University and Peking University, according to a report in South China Morning Post. Countering claims in social media, ByteDance said the intern did not have experience with its AI lab. The company's clarifications came even an audio recording claiming to be from the intern surfaced on the global code depository site GitHub. The audio from the handle 'JusticeFighter110' posted on October 18 claimed the intern inserted malicious code into the AI project. But another repository on GitHub said the audio was fabricated. TikTok cuts hundreds of jobs as ByteDance shifts focus to AI content moderation According to the SCMP report, the intern had previosly worked at SenseTime and the Oxford University before starting at ByteDance in 2021. Figting in generative AI world against big players like OpenAI, ByteDance's AI lab is bringing out several features and applications driven by artificial intellicence. Its Doubao AI model reached 47 monthly active users in September as opposed to Baidu’s Ernie Bot or Wenxiaoyan which had 12 mn and Moonshot AI’s Kimi, which had had 7 mn users. (With inputs from agencies)

TikTok owner ByteDance's AI project was disrupted massively by an intern. And then, this happened

<p>A TikToker has posted a video of her tearing down blue and white striped flags from outside a New Jersey restaurant, venting her anger towards Israel. She thought that they were Israeli flags, however, to her embarrassment, they turned out to be Greek.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“The time I mistakenly thought the flag for Greek was for Israel and took the restaurant’s flag down OMG,” the title of the video posted by a woman named "Ambamelia" reads.</p>

<p>The TikTok has gone viral, garnering more than 3.2 million views on the platform, and millions more on X since being posted Tuesday. Netizens are confused about why she decided to post the video which shows her engaging in the dumb act.</p>

<p>The flags were strung outside Efi’s Gyro in Montclair. The woman can be heard saying, "Look at that s–t," as she pulls down a string of flags.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The staff inside looks confused as she says, "Free Palestine, ***h! What you looking at?"</p>

<p>She then goes up to the cashier with a fistful of flags, shouting “You know there’s a genocide."&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I don’t stand for Zionism in Montclair!" she goes on to say, flaunting the ripped-down flags.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Educated at TikTok U, this woman scream at terrified employees as she rips down flags…only to learn it was the flag of Greece, not Israel. <a href="https://t.co/zODDVrx8Eq">pic.twitter.com/zODDVrx8Eq</a></p>
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) <a href="https://twitter.com/AvivaKlompas/status/1846497772498813035?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>"There is nothing against people who are Jewish, but this is not OK," she says.</p>

<p>At this point, two of the confused staffers come outside and tell her that they are flags of Greece.</p>

<p>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-cough-medicine-can-help-women-get-pregnant-say-some-on-tiktok-experts-say-767570">Cough medicine can help women get pregnant, say some on TikTok. Experts say...</a></p>

<p>"What? Really? Oh, I thought it was Israel — my bad," the embarrassed TikToker says.</p>

<p>"Oh s–t … it looked like Israel."</p>

<h2>Owner confirms incident was real</h2>

<p>People believe the incident is too dumb to be real and several of them claim that it was a skit. However, the owner of the Greek restaurant confirmed that the bizarre incident was not staged.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Efi Mihalis opened the restaurant at the age of 18 in 2021 and said that the attack happened on March 11 and it is unclear why was it only posted now. Efi had filed a police complaint in the matter back then.</p>

<p>“It was not a skit as some people believe,” she told The New York Post.</p>

<p>"This was not planned nor was it calculated in any way" and everyone was "taken aback" when it happened.</p>

<p>The TikToker hasn't commented on the reason for posting it now.</p>

<p>Netizens can't believe that someone would post such a video, with several of them asking why would anyone post a clip embarrassing them. One user wrote, "Our education system is failing us i can’t."</p>


A TikToker has posted a video of her tearing down blue and white striped flags from outside a New Jersey restaurant, venting her anger towards Israel. She thought that they were Israeli flags, however, to her embarrassment, they turned out to be Greek.

A TikToker has posted a video of her tearing down blue and white striped flags from outside a New Jersey restaurant, venting her anger towards Israel. She thought that they were Israeli flags, however, to her embarrassment, they turned out to be Greek. “The time I mistakenly thought the flag for Greek was for Israel and took the restaurant’s flag down OMG,” the title of the video posted by a woman named "Ambamelia" reads. The TikTok has gone viral, garnering more than 3.2 million views on the platform, and millions more on X since being posted Tuesday. Netizens are confused about why she decided to post the video which shows her engaging in the dumb act. The flags were strung outside Efi’s Gyro in Montclair. The woman can be heard saying, "Look at that s–t," as she pulls down a string of flags. The staff inside looks confused as she says, "Free Palestine, ***h! What you looking at?" She then goes up to the cashier with a fistful of flags, shouting “You know there’s a genocide." "I don’t stand for Zionism in Montclair!" she goes on to say, flaunting the ripped-down flags. Educated at TikTok U, this woman scream at terrified employees as she rips down flags…only to learn it was the flag of Greece, not Israel. pic.twitter.com/zODDVrx8Eq — Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) October 16, 2024 × "There is nothing against people who are Jewish, but this is not OK," she says. At this point, two of the confused staffers come outside and tell her that they are flags of Greece. Also Read: Cough medicine can help women get pregnant, say some on TikTok. Experts say... "What? Really? Oh, I thought it was Israel — my bad," the embarrassed TikToker says. "Oh s–t … it looked like Israel." Owner confirms incident was real People believe the incident is too dumb to be real and several of them claim that it was a skit. However, the owner of the Greek restaurant confirmed that the bizarre incident was not staged. Efi Mihalis opened the restaurant at the age of 18 in 2021 and said that the attack happened on March 11 and it is unclear why was it only posted now. Efi had filed a police complaint in the matter back then. “It was not a skit as some people believe,” she told The New York Post. "This was not planned nor was it calculated in any way" and everyone was "taken aback" when it happened. The TikToker hasn't commented on the reason for posting it now. Netizens can't believe that someone would post such a video, with several of them asking why would anyone post a clip embarrassing them. One user wrote, "Our education system is failing us i can’t."

TikToker thought Greek flags at Jersey restaurant were Israeli. So she tore them down

<p>TikTok is laying off hundreds of workers globally from its workforce, including a significant number in Malaysia, the company announced on Friday as it pivots toward higher reliance on AI for content moderation. Reuters earlier reported that over 700 jobs were lost in Malaysia. The company owned by China's ByteDance, later released a statement that fewer than 500 employees were affected in the country.</p>

<p>According to company sources,&nbsp;employees - most of whom are staff in the content moderation team - were informed of their dismissal by email late Wednesday.</p>

<p>TikTok has confirmed the move after Reuters inquiries, stating that it will impact hundreds of employees around the world as part of a broader effort to optimise its moderation operations.</p>

<p>TikTok depends on both automated detection and human moderators to review content posted on the site.</p>

<p>ByteDance has more than 110,000 employees across more than 200 cities globally, according to the company website.</p>

<p>The tech firm will also add to the number of layoffs next month as part of efforts to declutter some of its regional operations, said one source.</p>

<p>"We're making these changes as part of our ongoing efforts to further strengthen our global operating model for content moderation," a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement.</p>

<p>The company expects to spend $2 billion globally this year on trust and safety and will continue to improve efficiency, with 80 per cent of content violating guidelines now removed by automated technologies, the spokesperson said.</p>

<p>The layoffs were first reported by business portal The Malaysian Reserve on Thursday.</p>

<p>The job cuts occur as global technology firms face greater regulatory pressure in Malaysia, where the government has asked social media operators to apply for an operating licence by January as part of an effort to combat cyber offences.</p>

<p>Malaysia recently reported a sharp increase in harmful social media content, which called for higher monitoring by the platforms, such as TikTok.</p>


TikTok is laying off hundreds of workers globally from its workforce, including a significant number in Malaysia, the company announced on Friday as it pivots toward higher reliance on AI for content moderation.

TikTok is laying off hundreds of workers globally from its workforce, including a significant number in Malaysia, the company announced on Friday as it pivots toward higher reliance on AI for content moderation. Reuters earlier reported that over 700 jobs were lost in Malaysia. The company owned by China's ByteDance, later released a statement that fewer than 500 employees were affected in the country. According to company sources, employees - most of whom are staff in the content moderation team - were informed of their dismissal by email late Wednesday. TikTok has confirmed the move after Reuters inquiries, stating that it will impact hundreds of employees around the world as part of a broader effort to optimise its moderation operations. TikTok depends on both automated detection and human moderators to review content posted on the site. ByteDance has more than 110,000 employees across more than 200 cities globally, according to the company website. The tech firm will also add to the number of layoffs next month as part of efforts to declutter some of its regional operations, said one source. "We're making these changes as part of our ongoing efforts to further strengthen our global operating model for content moderation," a TikTok spokesperson said in a statement. The company expects to spend $2 billion globally this year on trust and safety and will continue to improve efficiency, with 80 per cent of content violating guidelines now removed by automated technologies, the spokesperson said. The layoffs were first reported by business portal The Malaysian Reserve on Thursday. The job cuts occur as global technology firms face greater regulatory pressure in Malaysia, where the government has asked social media operators to apply for an operating licence by January as part of an effort to combat cyber offences. Malaysia recently reported a sharp increase in harmful social media content, which called for higher monitoring by the platforms, such as TikTok.

TikTok cuts hundreds of jobs as ByteDance shifts focus to AI content moderation

More than a dozen US States at the District of Columbia have filed lawsuits against the popular social networking site Tik Tok alleging that the popular short form video app is designed to be addictive to kids and harmful to their mental health. Watch in for more details!

Is TikTok Endangering Young Minds?

On Tuesday, October 8, 2024, more than a dozen States and the District of Columbia filed lawsuits against TikTok, claiming that the well-known short-form video app is made to be addicting for children and detrimental to their mental health.

US States File Lawsuit Against TikTok, Lawsuit Accuses App Of Harming Children

<p>A group of 14 US states on Tuesday filed lawsuits accusing TikTok of ensnaring young users with addictive features, then harming their minds and violating their privacy.</p>

<p>The wave of local court lawsuits demanding corrective measures and financial penalties comes as the popular video-snippet-sharing app faces a ban in the United States if it remains owned by China-based ByteDance.</p>

<p>"Our investigation has revealed that TikTok cultivates social media addiction to boost corporate profits," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a news release issued jointly with officials from other states.</p>

<p>"TikTok intentionally targets children because they know kids do not yet have the defenses or capacity to create healthy boundaries around addictive content."</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkish-tiktoker-who-went-viral-for-marrying-herself-dies-by-suicide-her-suicide-note-says-i-jumped-of-762982"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;Turkish TikToker, who went viral for marrying herself, dies by suicide. Suicide note says 'I jumped off...'</strong></a></p>

<p>Bonta contended that features such as beauty filters, endless scrolling, autoplay videos, and "likes" exploit youthful curiosity and lack of willpower to stop.</p>

<p>TikTok then hits young users with money-making ads, the lawsuits argue.</p>

<p>TikTok called the claims inaccurate and misleading.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;US: Federal Trade Commission probes TikTok over child privacy concerns</strong></p>

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<p>"We've endeavored to work with the Attorneys General for over two years, and it is incredibly disappointing they have taken this step rather than work with us on constructive solutions to industry-wide challenges," TikTok spokesman Michael Hughes said in response to an AFP inquiry.</p>

<p>Hughes cited what he said were TikTok safeguards that include booting users suspected of being younger than 13, default screen time limits, and privacy settings for minors using the app.</p>

<p>"Young people are struggling with their mental health because of addictive social media platforms like TikTok," said New York Attorney General Letitia James.</p>

<p>"TikTok claims that their platform is safe for young people, but that is far from true," she added.</p>

<p>TikTok is battling the US ban threat in a federal appeals court, arguing that it violates free speech rights.</p>

<p>A law poised to take effect early next year requires the app to divest from its Chinese ownership or be banned in the United States.</p>

<p>The US government alleges that TikTok allows Beijing to collect data and spy on users. It also says TikTok is a conduit to spread propaganda. China and the company strongly deny these claims.</p>

<p>TikTok has until January to find a buyer or face the ban, which would upend the social media business and rile many of the app's 170 million US users.</p>

<p><em>Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION&nbsp;audience.</em></p>


A group of 14 US states on Tuesday filed lawsuits accusing TikTok of ensnaring young users with addictive features, then harming their minds and violating their privacy.

A group of 14 US states on Tuesday filed lawsuits accusing TikTok of ensnaring young users with addictive features, then harming their minds and violating their privacy. The wave of local court lawsuits demanding corrective measures and financial penalties comes as the popular video-snippet-sharing app faces a ban in the United States if it remains owned by China-based ByteDance. "Our investigation has revealed that TikTok cultivates social media addiction to boost corporate profits," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a news release issued jointly with officials from other states. "TikTok intentionally targets children because they know kids do not yet have the defenses or capacity to create healthy boundaries around addictive content." Also read: Turkish TikToker, who went viral for marrying herself, dies by suicide. Suicide note says 'I jumped off...' Bonta contended that features such as beauty filters, endless scrolling, autoplay videos, and "likes" exploit youthful curiosity and lack of willpower to stop. TikTok then hits young users with money-making ads, the lawsuits argue. TikTok called the claims inaccurate and misleading. Watch | US: Federal Trade Commission probes TikTok over child privacy concerns × "We've endeavored to work with the Attorneys General for over two years, and it is incredibly disappointing they have taken this step rather than work with us on constructive solutions to industry-wide challenges," TikTok spokesman Michael Hughes said in response to an AFP inquiry. Hughes cited what he said were TikTok safeguards that include booting users suspected of being younger than 13, default screen time limits, and privacy settings for minors using the app. "Young people are struggling with their mental health because of addictive social media platforms like TikTok," said New York Attorney General Letitia James. "TikTok claims that their platform is safe for young people, but that is far from true," she added. TikTok is battling the US ban threat in a federal appeals court, arguing that it violates free speech rights. A law poised to take effect early next year requires the app to divest from its Chinese ownership or be banned in the United States. The US government alleges that TikTok allows Beijing to collect data and spy on users. It also says TikTok is a conduit to spread propaganda. China and the company strongly deny these claims. TikTok has until January to find a buyer or face the ban, which would upend the social media business and rile many of the app's 170 million US users. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

TikTok sued by 14 US states over harming young users with addictive features

<p>If you are a girl or young woman reading this, what would be more worrying for you when going online: FOMO, or the fear of missing out, or the sexual predators and misogynists roaming social media? A rather worrying study in the UK has found that in spite of the hidden dangers, young women are flocking to social media because of FOMO.</p>

<p>The survey by the NGO Girlguiding had more than 2,000 respondents.</p>

<p>It revealed that girls and young women aged 11 to 21 face unwanted sexual images and cyberstalking when surfing the net and social media.</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/who-study-one-in-four-adolescent-girls-in-relationship-face-violence-even-before-their-20th-birthday-745433">Also read: WHO study: One in four adolescent girls in relationship faces violence 'even before their 20th birthday'</a></strong></p>

<p>Even as nearly 20 per cent of the respondents said they faced online stalking, many continue to go back to these platforms, with more than half of the respondents on TikTok and Snapchat.&nbsp;More than a third saw unwanted sexual content while online.</p>

<p><strong>Watch: Pandemic lockdowns aged teen girls' brains rapidly</strong></p>

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<p>But connectivity is not bringing any more happiness to the young girls. Half of the respondents felt uncertain about their future. Only a quarter felt confident about their lives.</p>

<p>And paradoxically, the feeling that online connections are strong has decreased in the past four years, meaning greater connectivity is only leading to more vulnerability for the youth.</p>

<p>One of the issues reported is not new: the unrealistic beauty standards pushed by social media.</p>

<p>A report in The Guardian quoted a Girlguiding advocate Jia,17, as saying that this pressure exacerbates feelings of judgement and comparison, causing loneliness and low self esteem.</p>

<p>“Being online all the time amplifies this. While we’re ‘more connected’, we’re also more exposed to judgment and comparison – through body shaming, sexist jokes, online harassment and objectification. This fuels loneliness and erodes our confidence, which only makes it harder to feel positive about the future,” the paper quoted her as saying.</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/play-badminton-together-hong-kong-encourages-horny-teens-to-play-badminton-instead-of-having-premarital-sex-754039">Also read: 'Play badminton together': Hong Kong encourages teens to play badminton instead of having premarital sex</a></strong><br />
<br />
The girls and young women face a number of other issues when online: 85 per cent of respondents experienced sexism. For more than 50 per cent, sexism&nbsp;happened in real life, while nearly three quarters faced it online.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sexism fuels thoughts of not feeling safe, with 47 per cent of the girls feeling threatened. This is more than double the rate 10 years ago.</p>

<p>The silver lining of the survey is that&nbsp;44 per cent of the respondents still have hope about their futures.</p>

<p>Angela Salt, Girlguiding's CEO, said sexism continues to be pervasive, leaving many girls feeling vulnerable and unsafe, while noting that it was “devastating to see girls feel less confident about themselves and their futures”.</p>

<p>The survey was published amid plans by the UK government to classify extreme misogyny as a form of extremism.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


If you are a girl or young woman reading this, what would be more worrying for you when going online: FOMO, or the fear of missing out, or the sexual predators and misogynists roaming social media?

If you are a girl or young woman reading this, what would be more worrying for you when going online: FOMO, or the fear of missing out, or the sexual predators and misogynists roaming social media? A rather worrying study in the UK has found that in spite of the hidden dangers, young women are flocking to social media because of FOMO. The survey by the NGO Girlguiding had more than 2,000 respondents. It revealed that girls and young women aged 11 to 21 face unwanted sexual images and cyberstalking when surfing the net and social media. Also read: WHO study: One in four adolescent girls in relationship faces violence 'even before their 20th birthday' Even as nearly 20 per cent of the respondents said they faced online stalking, many continue to go back to these platforms, with more than half of the respondents on TikTok and Snapchat. More than a third saw unwanted sexual content while online. Watch: Pandemic lockdowns aged teen girls' brains rapidly × But connectivity is not bringing any more happiness to the young girls. Half of the respondents felt uncertain about their future. Only a quarter felt confident about their lives. And paradoxically, the feeling that online connections are strong has decreased in the past four years, meaning greater connectivity is only leading to more vulnerability for the youth. One of the issues reported is not new: the unrealistic beauty standards pushed by social media. A report in The Guardian quoted a Girlguiding advocate Jia,17, as saying that this pressure exacerbates feelings of judgement and comparison, causing loneliness and low self esteem. “Being online all the time amplifies this. While we’re ‘more connected’, we’re also more exposed to judgment and comparison – through body shaming, sexist jokes, online harassment and objectification. This fuels loneliness and erodes our confidence, which only makes it harder to feel positive about the future,” the paper quoted her as saying. Also read: 'Play badminton together': Hong Kong encourages teens to play badminton instead of having premarital sex The girls and young women face a number of other issues when online: 85 per cent of respondents experienced sexism. For more than 50 per cent, sexism happened in real life, while nearly three quarters faced it online. Sexism fuels thoughts of not feeling safe, with 47 per cent of the girls feeling threatened. This is more than double the rate 10 years ago. The silver lining of the survey is that 44 per cent of the respondents still have hope about their futures. Angela Salt, Girlguiding's CEO, said sexism continues to be pervasive, leaving many girls feeling vulnerable and unsafe, while noting that it was “devastating to see girls feel less confident about themselves and their futures”. The survey was published amid plans by the UK government to classify extreme misogyny as a form of extremism. (With inputs from agencies)

Girls go online due to fear of missing out in spite of sexism, stalking, harassment on social media

<p>TikTok has banned an influencer for sharing controversial weight loss advice after critics called her content &nbsp;“dangerous” and “harmful.” Liv Schmidt has nearly 700,000 followers on her channel where she talks about the importance of being thin.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Experts and dietitians say that her videos demonstrate an "unhealthy devotion to being thin". They argue that her videos should be removed as she has been "glamourising disordered eating" by telling people that “it is important to stay skinny” –</p>

<p>TikTok took the decision to delete her account after stating that her “disordered eating” posts violated community guidelines.</p>

<p>Schmidt, who lives in New York, has now responded to the controversy and the critics. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, she said, "For me and my personal aesthetic, I like to be skinny and there’s nothing wrong with that."</p>

<p>“Weight is a touchy topic, but that’s what the viewers want.”</p>

<p>She further stressed that she wants to “save America from obesity one person at a time” because of her own personal struggles with feeling confident in her body, as per WSJ. The tagline about obesity was also mentioned in her TikTok bio.</p>

<p>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/utah-woman-suffers-cardiac-arrest-due-to-tear-in-artery-while-on-treadmill-760601">Utah woman suffers cardiac arrest due to tear in artery while on treadmill</a></p>

<p>Telling the publication that she was "trying to build a genuine thing,” Schmidt said that she was "confused, upset" and "felt misunderstood" about the decision to remove her account.&nbsp;</p>

<h2>People slam&nbsp; Liv Schmidt for promoting 'skinny'</h2>

<p>However, several others feel that Schmidt was peddling the wrong notions about food on girls who are too young to decide what is right for them. Experts say that Schmidt’s “what I eat in a day” TikTok videos propagated the use of such foods that were “incredibly harmful”. They say that the videos linked to a curated Amazon storefront containing dietary supplements, ankle weights and protein powders.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A “Skinny Group Community Chat” with a subscription fee of $9.99 per month was also linked to her videos.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Social media users have slammed Schmidt for promoting the idea that being thin is important.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One of the users wrote, "There’s something so deeply sinister about a ‘regular’ influencer posting food like this and pretending like it’s normal, ESPECIALLY because there’s a massive population of girls on TikTok who are too young to realize that eating like this isn’t okay.”</p>


TikTok has banned an influencer for sharing controversial weight loss advice after critics called her content “dangerous” and “harmful.” Liv Schmidt has nearly 700,000 followers on her channel where she talks about the importance of being thin.

TikTok has banned an influencer for sharing controversial weight loss advice after critics called her content “dangerous” and “harmful.” Liv Schmidt has nearly 700,000 followers on her channel where she talks about the importance of being thin. Experts and dietitians say that her videos demonstrate an "unhealthy devotion to being thin". They argue that her videos should be removed as she has been "glamourising disordered eating" by telling people that “it is important to stay skinny” – TikTok took the decision to delete her account after stating that her “disordered eating” posts violated community guidelines. Schmidt, who lives in New York, has now responded to the controversy and the critics. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, she said, "For me and my personal aesthetic, I like to be skinny and there’s nothing wrong with that." “Weight is a touchy topic, but that’s what the viewers want.” She further stressed that she wants to “save America from obesity one person at a time” because of her own personal struggles with feeling confident in her body, as per WSJ. The tagline about obesity was also mentioned in her TikTok bio. Also Read: Utah woman suffers cardiac arrest due to tear in artery while on treadmill Telling the publication that she was "trying to build a genuine thing,” Schmidt said that she was "confused, upset" and "felt misunderstood" about the decision to remove her account. People slam Liv Schmidt for promoting 'skinny' However, several others feel that Schmidt was peddling the wrong notions about food on girls who are too young to decide what is right for them. Experts say that Schmidt’s “what I eat in a day” TikTok videos propagated the use of such foods that were “incredibly harmful”. They say that the videos linked to a curated Amazon storefront containing dietary supplements, ankle weights and protein powders. A “Skinny Group Community Chat” with a subscription fee of $9.99 per month was also linked to her videos. Social media users have slammed Schmidt for promoting the idea that being thin is important. One of the users wrote, "There’s something so deeply sinister about a ‘regular’ influencer posting food like this and pretending like it’s normal, ESPECIALLY because there’s a massive population of girls on TikTok who are too young to realize that eating like this isn’t okay.”

Influencer who 'likes being skinny' banned by TikTok. 'Weight is a...'

<p>Former United States president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump urged Americans to vote for him in the upcoming elections if they want to "save TikTok".&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a post on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday, Trump accused his Democratic opponent and incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris&nbsp;of seeking to "close it up".</p>

<h2><strong>'Want to save TikTok in America, vote for Trump'</strong></h2>

<p>“For all of those that want to save TikTok in America, vote for Trump,” the Republican&nbsp;presidential nominee&nbsp;said in a video, speaking directly into the camera and flanked by two American flags.</p>

<p>He added, "The other side’s closing it up, but I’m now a big star on TikTok," continuing, "We're setting records".&nbsp;</p>

<p>Trump joined the popular social media app three months ago and has gathered 10.8 million followers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, nearly two months later, VP&nbsp;Harris shortly after launching her bid for the presidential candidate, joined the app and gained five&nbsp;million followers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“We’re not doing anything with TikTok, but the other side is going to close it up,” Trump said in his video. “So if you like TikTok, go out and vote for Trump. If you don’t care about TikTok — and other things like safety, security, and prosperity — then you can vote for a Marxist who’s going to destroy our country.”</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/business-economy/tiktok-challenges-us-allegations-on-china-links-in-court-appeal-751137"><strong>Also read:&nbsp;TikTok challenges US allegations on China links in court appeal</strong></a></p>

<p>Both presidential nominees understand the importance of TikTok for the young voters, who have been more active in this election than in the past.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Moreover, according to a recent USA Today/Suffolk University poll, young people moved a massive 24 percentage points between June and August, from favouring Trump over US President Joe&nbsp;Biden by 11 points to supporting Harris over Trump by 13 percentage points.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>TikTok ban</strong></h2>

<p>Neither Trump&nbsp;nor Biden's campaign mentions that they favour a "TikTok ban", but the incumbent president's administration passed a bill that would compel the platform's China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell the video-sharing app or face a ban from US app stores.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;US TikTok Ban: Creators oppose TikTok ban as short-video app fights for survival</strong></p>

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<p>Washington gave them a January 2025 deadline to sell, with the possibility of a 90-day extension.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Trump opposed such a ban at that time, although&nbsp;he tried to enforce a similar ban via executive order during his tenure in the White House.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Former United States president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump urged Americans to vote for him in the upcoming elections if they want to "save TikTok".

Former United States president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump urged Americans to vote for him in the upcoming elections if they want to "save TikTok". In a post on his Truth Social platform on Wednesday, Trump accused his Democratic opponent and incumbent Vice President Kamala Harris of seeking to "close it up". 'Want to save TikTok in America, vote for Trump' “For all of those that want to save TikTok in America, vote for Trump,” the Republican presidential nominee said in a video, speaking directly into the camera and flanked by two American flags. He added, "The other side’s closing it up, but I’m now a big star on TikTok," continuing, "We're setting records". Trump joined the popular social media app three months ago and has gathered 10.8 million followers. However, nearly two months later, VP Harris shortly after launching her bid for the presidential candidate, joined the app and gained five million followers. “We’re not doing anything with TikTok, but the other side is going to close it up,” Trump said in his video. “So if you like TikTok, go out and vote for Trump. If you don’t care about TikTok — and other things like safety, security, and prosperity — then you can vote for a Marxist who’s going to destroy our country.” Also read: TikTok challenges US allegations on China links in court appeal Both presidential nominees understand the importance of TikTok for the young voters, who have been more active in this election than in the past. Moreover, according to a recent USA Today/Suffolk University poll, young people moved a massive 24 percentage points between June and August, from favouring Trump over US President Joe Biden by 11 points to supporting Harris over Trump by 13 percentage points. TikTok ban Neither Trump nor Biden's campaign mentions that they favour a "TikTok ban", but the incumbent president's administration passed a bill that would compel the platform's China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell the video-sharing app or face a ban from US app stores. Watch | US TikTok Ban: Creators oppose TikTok ban as short-video app fights for survival × Washington gave them a January 2025 deadline to sell, with the possibility of a 90-day extension. Trump opposed such a ban at that time, although he tried to enforce a similar ban via executive order during his tenure in the White House. (With inputs from agencies)

Trump says he will 'save TikTok' if Americans vote for him in upcoming presidential elections

Germany's alternative for Germany party also known as the AfD has become the first far-right party to win the German state election since 1945. The result has sent shock waves across Germany experts say that social media platform TikTok played a huge role in securing AfD a Victory. Watch in for more details!

TikTok likely helped AfD in German Elections: Researchers

<p>Have you seen a crucified minion meme lately in your social media feeds? It has become quite common on TikTok and a little bit on Instagram as well. Minions are cute little animated&nbsp;creatures we have been loving for years now. They speak an odd language, walk weirdly, look like a yellow capsule dressed up, and have different physical features, and yet have managed to capture the hearts of millions of people worldwide, especially children.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Minion memes are common, but showing a minion crucified is new. The widespread meme shows a minion dying on the cross with a thorn crown on its head. The Minion memes have apparently been strewn across social media by Christian influencers. Almost every video made with the meme has the exact same script.</p>

<p>Minions were made popular by the <em>Despicable Me</em> franchise. The influencers seem to be leveraging minions to gain the attention of the youth scrolling through social media, and then using the moment to talk about Jesus.</p>

<p>The TikToks start off the videos by claiming that the crucified Minion photo was accidentally created by an animator who was “messing around one day”. Then they tell the viewer, “a Minion didn't die for you. A Minion didn't pay the price of sin for you and me that we deserve. But Jesus did.”</p>

<p>“Jesus loves you,” they say at the end of the video.</p>

<p>Another video has a woman saying, "If you love Minions, don’t scroll." “Right above me is a picture of a minion washing another minion’s feet,” the woman named Kalkidan Radford, says. “But we both know a minion never did that. But let me tell you who did: Jesus.”</p>

<p>Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/this-is-what-the-o-in-oclock-stands-for-754489">Did you know? THIS is what the ‘o’ in ‘o’clock’ stands for</a></p>

<p>The videos have repetitive content and look eerie because of that. This also led commentators to wonder if the “Dead Internet Theory” was to blame for it. Some of them believe that bots were pushing the trend by creating, sharing and commenting on the videos.</p>

<h2>Who started the ‘Crucified Minion’ memes?</h2>

<p>The first post was reportedly made by TikTok pastor @pastorjoshpan, in May, and this triggered several more such memes by other users. The crucified Minion photo looks like it was made using AI, but it actually goes back a few years and owes its origin to digital artist Américo Cruz. In 2021, he posted a 3D rendering of a Minion on a cross on Facebook.</p>

<p>The Minion memes are now attracting satirical responses in the form of videos and comments. TikTokers are also mocking videos explaining the memes, with several of them using phrases such as “a Minion didn’t die for you", from the original video to make fun of them.</p>

<p>Right now, the trend seems like a whole Generative AI project, with chatbots filling up the feeds. However, the simple explanation seems to be that Christian influences are using Minions to get people interested in their content.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Have you seen a crucified minion meme lately in your social media feeds? It has become quite common on TikTok and a little bit on Instagram as well. Minions are cute little animated creatures we have been loving for years now.

Have you seen a crucified minion meme lately in your social media feeds? It has become quite common on TikTok and a little bit on Instagram as well. Minions are cute little animated creatures we have been loving for years now. They speak an odd language, walk weirdly, look like a yellow capsule dressed up, and have different physical features, and yet have managed to capture the hearts of millions of people worldwide, especially children. Minion memes are common, but showing a minion crucified is new. The widespread meme shows a minion dying on the cross with a thorn crown on its head. The Minion memes have apparently been strewn across social media by Christian influencers. Almost every video made with the meme has the exact same script. Minions were made popular by the Despicable Me franchise. The influencers seem to be leveraging minions to gain the attention of the youth scrolling through social media, and then using the moment to talk about Jesus. The TikToks start off the videos by claiming that the crucified Minion photo was accidentally created by an animator who was “messing around one day”. Then they tell the viewer, “a Minion didn't die for you. A Minion didn't pay the price of sin for you and me that we deserve. But Jesus did.” “Jesus loves you,” they say at the end of the video. Another video has a woman saying, "If you love Minions, don’t scroll." “Right above me is a picture of a minion washing another minion’s feet,” the woman named Kalkidan Radford, says. “But we both know a minion never did that. But let me tell you who did: Jesus.” Also Read: Did you know? THIS is what the ‘o’ in ‘o’clock’ stands for The videos have repetitive content and look eerie because of that. This also led commentators to wonder if the “Dead Internet Theory” was to blame for it. Some of them believe that bots were pushing the trend by creating, sharing and commenting on the videos. Who started the ‘Crucified Minion’ memes? The first post was reportedly made by TikTok pastor @pastorjoshpan, in May, and this triggered several more such memes by other users. The crucified Minion photo looks like it was made using AI, but it actually goes back a few years and owes its origin to digital artist Américo Cruz. In 2021, he posted a 3D rendering of a Minion on a cross on Facebook. The Minion memes are now attracting satirical responses in the form of videos and comments. TikTokers are also mocking videos explaining the memes, with several of them using phrases such as “a Minion didn’t die for you", from the original video to make fun of them. Right now, the trend seems like a whole Generative AI project, with chatbots filling up the feeds. However, the simple explanation seems to be that Christian influences are using Minions to get people interested in their content.

What are the 'crucified Minion' memes that have taken over TikTok?

<p>A TikTok video being made by an influencer took an unexpected turn when the diner broke out in tears after she was attacked by a vicious shrimp at a hotpot restaurant in China.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The video, in which the shrimp turned the tables for the influencer, received more than five million views.</p>

<p>The woman was seen sitting in an undisclosed establishment and trying to place the live crustacean in a pot which had other kinds of seafood.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/watch-panchayat-pigeon-incident-turns-real-bird-released-by-police-officer-falls-on-ground-751932">Panchayat pigeon scene turns real. Bird released by police officer falls on ground</a></p>

<p>Suddenly, the shrimp hopped out of the influencer's hand but the diner soon snapped the critters in her chopsticks.</p>

<p>Once she nabbed it in between the chopsticks, the shrimp somehow managed to latch to the TikToker's hand and speared into her its raptorial forearm because of which she cried out in pain.</p>

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<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C-ktcyixt1Y/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Marco Watts (@marcowatts_)</a></p>
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<p>Somehow, the offscreen employee managed to remove the shrimp from the woman.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>How TikTok users reacted to the viral video&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>TikTok users found the shrimp attacking the woman amusing as one of them wrote, "Shrimp said you hurt me, I hurt you back.”</p>

<p>“Good for that shrimp !! He wasn’t going out without a fight,” wrote another user.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Some of the users said that the creature was a mantis shrimp,&nbsp;which is a predatory crustacean and is famous for capturing&nbsp;and dispatching prey with the help of its large raptorial claws.</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Viral Video Shows Pigeon Fail at Independence Day Event, Echoes TV Series Scene</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/viral-video-shows-pigeon-fail-at-independence-day-event-echoes-tv-series-scene-752058/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>There are two types of shrimps - one is the spearers which go for soft-bodied prey like fish and worms and the other is smashers which crack open crabs and snails with the help of their mallet-like appendages.</p>

<p>Smashers have a powerful punch which can shatter glass. Spearers are capable of amputating&nbsp;a human finger and help earn them the moniker “thumb splitter”.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


A TikTok video being made by an influencer took an unexpected turn when the diner broke out in tears after she was attacked by a vicious shrimp at a hotpot restaurant in China.

A TikTok video being made by an influencer took an unexpected turn when the diner broke out in tears after she was attacked by a vicious shrimp at a hotpot restaurant in China. The video, in which the shrimp turned the tables for the influencer, received more than five million views. The woman was seen sitting in an undisclosed establishment and trying to place the live crustacean in a pot which had other kinds of seafood. Also Read: Panchayat pigeon scene turns real. Bird released by police officer falls on ground Suddenly, the shrimp hopped out of the influencer's hand but the diner soon snapped the critters in her chopsticks. Once she nabbed it in between the chopsticks, the shrimp somehow managed to latch to the TikToker's hand and speared into her its raptorial forearm because of which she cried out in pain. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Marco Watts (@marcowatts_) × Somehow, the offscreen employee managed to remove the shrimp from the woman. How TikTok users reacted to the viral video TikTok users found the shrimp attacking the woman amusing as one of them wrote, "Shrimp said you hurt me, I hurt you back.” “Good for that shrimp !! He wasn’t going out without a fight,” wrote another user. Some of the users said that the creature was a mantis shrimp, which is a predatory crustacean and is famous for capturing and dispatching prey with the help of its large raptorial claws. Watch: Viral Video Shows Pigeon Fail at Independence Day Event, Echoes TV Series Scene There are two types of shrimps - one is the spearers which go for soft-bodied prey like fish and worms and the other is smashers which crack open crabs and snails with the help of their mallet-like appendages. Smashers have a powerful punch which can shatter glass. Spearers are capable of amputating a human finger and help earn them the moniker “thumb splitter”. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: Wild video of vicious and alive shrimp attacking diner goes viral

<p>Watching YouTube shorts, Instagram reels and TikTok videos on endless scroll is a way to kill boredom for millions of mostly young people. However, a new study has found that moving from one video to the next actually causes more boredom.</p>

<p>Digital switching is the practice of people switching between videos or fast-forward through them on platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Netflix. The study done in University of Toronto showed that this switching behaviour "makes people feel more bored, less satisfied, less engaged, and less meaningful in some instances."&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp; <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-court-blocks-key-part-of-california-law-on-childrens-online-safety-750870">US court blocks key part of California law on children's online safety</a></strong></p>

<p>The&nbsp;assessment was made based on the idea that switching from one content to other is actually a tedious process, which tires one's attention span. Boredom is directly linked to attention: it's the disparity between what one wants to do or where one wants to be versus the reality.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“When people keep switching through videos, they become less engaged with the videos and they are looking for something more interesting. This can lead to increased feelings of boredom,” the Guardian newspaper quoted Dr Katy Tam at the University of Toronto Scarborough, the lead author of the research, as saying.</p>

<h2><strong>How 'boredom on social media' study was done</strong></h2>

<p>The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, reached the conclusion after experiments on 1,200 participants who were shown videos and made to answer questions about boredom.</p>

<p>One experiment with 140 respondents revealed that people tended to switch between videos more when they rated the content more boring.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH:&nbsp;Social media platform X makes likes private to enhance user privacy</strong></p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We found a bidirectional, causal relationship between boredom and digital switching.&nbsp;When participants were bored, they switched and they believed that switching would help them avoid boredom," said the study.</p>

<p>It was found that switching between videos - or within a video - not only led to more boredom, but also reduced satisfaction, reduced attention, and lowered meaning.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Even when participants had the freedom to watch videos of personal choice and interest on YouTube, digital switching still intensified boredom, it found.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Our findings suggest that attempts to avoid boredom through digital switching may sometimes inadvertently exacerbate it," said the authors.</p>

<h2><strong>Age may be a factor in how easily bored you get with online videos</strong></h2>

<p>People of different ages, said the study,&nbsp;may have different habits when it comes to watching videos and switching. “How people consume videos and how this affects boredom may vary based on age and digital media habits," it said, adding further research is needed to explore this aspect.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/google-meta-bend-their-own-rules-to-target-teenagers-with-ad-campaigns-report-748487">Google, Meta bend their own rules to target teenagers with ad campaigns: Report</a></strong></p>

<p>So what's the best way to enjoy videos while avoiding boredom?</p>

<p>“Just as we pay for an immersive experience in a movie theatre, enjoyment often comes from immersing ourselves in videos rather than swiping through them,” Tan said.<br />
<br />
<em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Watching YouTube shorts, Instagram reels and TikTok videos on endless scroll is a way to kill boredom for millions of mostly young people. However, a new study has found that moving from one video to the next actually causes more boredom.

Watching YouTube shorts, Instagram reels and TikTok videos on endless scroll is a way to kill boredom for millions of mostly young people. However, a new study has found that moving from one video to the next actually causes more boredom. Digital switching is the practice of people switching between videos or fast-forward through them on platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Netflix. The study done in University of Toronto showed that this switching behaviour "makes people feel more bored, less satisfied, less engaged, and less meaningful in some instances." Also read: US court blocks key part of California law on children's online safety The assessment was made based on the idea that switching from one content to other is actually a tedious process, which tires one's attention span. Boredom is directly linked to attention: it's the disparity between what one wants to do or where one wants to be versus the reality. “When people keep switching through videos, they become less engaged with the videos and they are looking for something more interesting. This can lead to increased feelings of boredom,” the Guardian newspaper quoted Dr Katy Tam at the University of Toronto Scarborough, the lead author of the research, as saying. How 'boredom on social media' study was done The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, reached the conclusion after experiments on 1,200 participants who were shown videos and made to answer questions about boredom. One experiment with 140 respondents revealed that people tended to switch between videos more when they rated the content more boring. WATCH: Social media platform X makes likes private to enhance user privacy × "We found a bidirectional, causal relationship between boredom and digital switching. When participants were bored, they switched and they believed that switching would help them avoid boredom," said the study. It was found that switching between videos - or within a video - not only led to more boredom, but also reduced satisfaction, reduced attention, and lowered meaning. Even when participants had the freedom to watch videos of personal choice and interest on YouTube, digital switching still intensified boredom, it found. "Our findings suggest that attempts to avoid boredom through digital switching may sometimes inadvertently exacerbate it," said the authors. Age may be a factor in how easily bored you get with online videos People of different ages, said the study, may have different habits when it comes to watching videos and switching. “How people consume videos and how this affects boredom may vary based on age and digital media habits," it said, adding further research is needed to explore this aspect. Also read: Google, Meta bend their own rules to target teenagers with ad campaigns: Report So what's the best way to enjoy videos while avoiding boredom? “Just as we pay for an immersive experience in a movie theatre, enjoyment often comes from immersing ourselves in videos rather than swiping through them,” Tan said. (With inputs from agencies)

Those videos you scroll for killing time might actually be causing more boredom

<p>Anything and everything is possible in the age of social media. British influencer Chloe Lopez has been grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons. The influencer has started a bizarre trend where she can be seen taking off her underwear and leaving them at various public places. Lopez claims to have done this bizarre act on camera as part of a challenge.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The videos of Lopez have been going viral ever since as she can be seen leaving her underwear at coffee shops, gas stations, and grocery stores.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
In one video, she can be seen standing in front of the bread section before sneakily taking her underwear off and keeping it in the bread tray.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
According to reports, the video was shot in a Mercadona supermarket in Spain.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
While the videos are drawing eyeballs, most have been criticizing Lopez for her public stunt.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"British social media influencer Chloe Lopez doesn’t just leave her underwear in grocery stores, she sometimes leaves them as tip for coffee," writes one user.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">British social media influencer Chloe Lopez doesn’t just leave her underwear in grocery stores, she sometimes leaves them as tip for coffee <a href="https://t.co/fj1dhgPoT3">pic.twitter.com/fj1dhgPoT3</a></p>
— Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bubblebathgirl/status/1824718742711914988?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>"Degeneracy and stupidity at all levels British supermodel/influencer Chloe leaves her underwear (panties) on the grocery shelves in Spain. Hope she gets canceled on all social media," writes another.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Another user wrote, "So there’s a “global influencer” removing her underwear and leaving it in public places? I don’t endorse."&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The British Influencer is known for creating adult content on TikTok.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, Mercadona authorities are reportedly investigating the matter and may ask Chloe Lopez to leave Spain for her strange behaviour.&nbsp;</p>


Anything and everything is possible in the age of social media. British influencer Chloe Lopez has been grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons. The influencer has started a bizarre trend where she can be seen taking off her underwear and leaving them at various public places.

Anything and everything is possible in the age of social media. British influencer Chloe Lopez has been grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons. The influencer has started a bizarre trend where she can be seen taking off her underwear and leaving them at various public places. Lopez claims to have done this bizarre act on camera as part of a challenge. The videos of Lopez have been going viral ever since as she can be seen leaving her underwear at coffee shops, gas stations, and grocery stores. In one video, she can be seen standing in front of the bread section before sneakily taking her underwear off and keeping it in the bread tray. According to reports, the video was shot in a Mercadona supermarket in Spain. While the videos are drawing eyeballs, most have been criticizing Lopez for her public stunt. "British social media influencer Chloe Lopez doesn’t just leave her underwear in grocery stores, she sometimes leaves them as tip for coffee," writes one user. British social media influencer Chloe Lopez doesn’t just leave her underwear in grocery stores, she sometimes leaves them as tip for coffee pic.twitter.com/fj1dhgPoT3 — Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) August 17, 2024 × "Degeneracy and stupidity at all levels British supermodel/influencer Chloe leaves her underwear (panties) on the grocery shelves in Spain. Hope she gets canceled on all social media," writes another. Another user wrote, "So there’s a “global influencer” removing her underwear and leaving it in public places? I don’t endorse." The British Influencer is known for creating adult content on TikTok. Meanwhile, Mercadona authorities are reportedly investigating the matter and may ask Chloe Lopez to leave Spain for her strange behaviour.

Influencer gets slammed for taking off underwear and leaving them in public places

<p>The Chinese firm TikTok argued in a federal appeals court on Thursday that the US Department of Justice overstated the social media app's ties to China, urging it to throw out a law necessitating China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok's US assets or face a ban.</p>

<p>TikTok, which has sued to overturn the law, said the Justice Department has gotten the facts wrong in the case. Department attorneys argued that the app is a national security threat because the Chinese government can collect data on Americans and covertly manipulate the content they see.</p>

<p>TikTok said on Thursday that it is undisputed that the app's content recommendation engine and user data are stored in US cloud servers operated by Oracle and moderation on the content that would affect US users are made in the US.</p>

<p>The law allows ByteDance until January 19 to sell TikTok—with the alternative facing a ban—was signed by President Joe Biden on April 24. The White House said they wanted an end to Chinese-based ownership on the grounds of national security but did not want to put in place a total ban on TikTok.</p>

<p>The appeals court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the legal fight on Sept. 16, thrusting the issue of TikTok's fate deep into the final weeks of the Nov. 5 presidential election.</p>

<p>Developments in the case come after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump joined TikTok, saying in June he would never support a TikTok ban.</p>

<p>In July, Democratic Presidential Candidate Vice President Kamala Harris joined TikTok and dialled up social media as part of her campaign strategy.</p>

<p>TikTok countered Thursday that the law would divest it of its free-speech right, countering the Justice Department's contention that the content curation decisions of the short video app are "speech of a foreigner" and not protected by the US Constitution.</p>

<p>"By the government's logic, a U.S. newspaper that republishes the content of a foreign publication - Reuters, for example - would lack constitutional protection," the company said.</p>

<p>The law blocks Apple, Alphabet's Google, etc., from offering TikTok and prohibits internet hosting services from providing its back-end services to TikTok unless it is divested by ByteDance.</p>

<p>Fueled by fears in Congress that China might use the app to collect data on Americans or even spy on them, the measure passed overwhelmingly just weeks after its&nbsp;introduction.</p>


The Chinese firm TikTok argued in a federal appeals court on Thursday that the US Department of Justice overstated the social media app's ties to China, urging it to throw out a law necessitating China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok's US assets or face a ban.

The Chinese firm TikTok argued in a federal appeals court on Thursday that the US Department of Justice overstated the social media app's ties to China, urging it to throw out a law necessitating China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok's US assets or face a ban. TikTok, which has sued to overturn the law, said the Justice Department has gotten the facts wrong in the case. Department attorneys argued that the app is a national security threat because the Chinese government can collect data on Americans and covertly manipulate the content they see. TikTok said on Thursday that it is undisputed that the app's content recommendation engine and user data are stored in US cloud servers operated by Oracle and moderation on the content that would affect US users are made in the US. The law allows ByteDance until January 19 to sell TikTok—with the alternative facing a ban—was signed by President Joe Biden on April 24. The White House said they wanted an end to Chinese-based ownership on the grounds of national security but did not want to put in place a total ban on TikTok. The appeals court is scheduled to hear oral arguments in the legal fight on Sept. 16, thrusting the issue of TikTok's fate deep into the final weeks of the Nov. 5 presidential election. Developments in the case come after Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump joined TikTok, saying in June he would never support a TikTok ban. In July, Democratic Presidential Candidate Vice President Kamala Harris joined TikTok and dialled up social media as part of her campaign strategy. TikTok countered Thursday that the law would divest it of its free-speech right, countering the Justice Department's contention that the content curation decisions of the short video app are "speech of a foreigner" and not protected by the US Constitution. "By the government's logic, a U.S. newspaper that republishes the content of a foreign publication - Reuters, for example - would lack constitutional protection," the company said. The law blocks Apple, Alphabet's Google, etc., from offering TikTok and prohibits internet hosting services from providing its back-end services to TikTok unless it is divested by ByteDance. Fueled by fears in Congress that China might use the app to collect data on Americans or even spy on them, the measure passed overwhelmingly just weeks after its introduction.

TikTok challenges US allegations on China links in court appeal

<p>A man from Montreal, Canada, is filing a lawsuit against social networking platforms YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, and TikTok claiming that they cause addiction and have a negative impact on mental health, as per CTV News.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The 24-year-old man said that he began utilising social media in 2015 and since then, started experiencing numerous problems with body image and productivity. As per the lawsuit, his utilisation time of social networking sites was up to four hours, but he has now cut that down to two hours a day. Philippe Brault from Lambert Avocats, the law firm representing the man said, "He still finds that it has an effect on his productivity and his sleep.”</p>

<p><strong>Also Read|<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladeshs-st-martin-island-what-a-potential-us-airbase-could-mean-for-region-749179">What a US airbase at Bangladesh's St. Martin Island could mean for region</a>|</strong></p>

<p>Brault added, "In 2024, it's estimated that humanity as a whole will be using social media for a total of 500 million years." He mentioned that the firm took this case because it is an ever-growing problem for everyone. He highlighted that 52 per cent of children in Canada between the ages of seven and eleven use social media.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The aim of the case is to recover these punitive damages for the purportedly careless platform designs of social media companies. Brault also highlighted that platform owners should prioritise the safety and health of their users.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trumps-presidential-campaign-hacked-iranian-actors-blamed-by-his-team-749057">Trump's prez campaign hacked, Iranian actors blamed by his team</a>|</strong></p>

<p>The design of these social media platforms exploits the psychological weaknesses of their users, leading to extended engagements that negatively impact the user's daily lives.</p>

<p>"We're also looking to get this message out there by talking to the media. People have to understand the risks of the use of social media," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em><br />
&nbsp;</p>


A man from Montreal, Canada, is filing a lawsuit against social networking platforms YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, and TikTok claiming that they cause addiction and have a negative impact on mental health, as per CTV News.

A man from Montreal, Canada, is filing a lawsuit against social networking platforms YouTube, Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, and TikTok claiming that they cause addiction and have a negative impact on mental health, as per CTV News. The 24-year-old man said that he began utilising social media in 2015 and since then, started experiencing numerous problems with body image and productivity. As per the lawsuit, his utilisation time of social networking sites was up to four hours, but he has now cut that down to two hours a day. Philippe Brault from Lambert Avocats, the law firm representing the man said, "He still finds that it has an effect on his productivity and his sleep.” Also Read|What a US airbase at Bangladesh's St. Martin Island could mean for region| Brault added, "In 2024, it's estimated that humanity as a whole will be using social media for a total of 500 million years." He mentioned that the firm took this case because it is an ever-growing problem for everyone. He highlighted that 52 per cent of children in Canada between the ages of seven and eleven use social media. The aim of the case is to recover these punitive damages for the purportedly careless platform designs of social media companies. Brault also highlighted that platform owners should prioritise the safety and health of their users. Also Read |Trump's prez campaign hacked, Iranian actors blamed by his team| The design of these social media platforms exploits the psychological weaknesses of their users, leading to extended engagements that negatively impact the user's daily lives. "We're also looking to get this message out there by talking to the media. People have to understand the risks of the use of social media," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Canada man sues social networking sites Meta, TikTok, and Reddit for being addictive

<p>Spending just eight minutes on TikTok is enough for young women to question their own body image, according to a controlled study that highlighted the scourge of content harmful to youngsters on the video-sharing platform.</p>

<p>The study titled '#ForYou? the impact of pro-ana TikTok content on body image dissatisfaction and internalisation of societal beauty standards' was co-authored by Madison R Blackburn and Rachel C Hogg.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-what-is-angelman-syndrome-the-condition-that-colin-farrells-son-suffers-from-748624">What is Angelman Syndrome? The condition that Colin Farrell's son suffers from</a></strong></p>

<p>Researchers created two focus groups, one of which showed TikTok content on dieting, weight loss and exercise. This is&nbsp;broadly known as 'pro-ana' or pro-anorexia content which glorifies disordered eating practices.</p>

<p>The aim of the study was to find out the link between time spent on TikTok and disordered eating behaviours.</p>

<h2><strong>How the study was done</strong></h2>

<p>A group of 273 women in the 18–28 age group were divided into two groups. One group was given pro-anorexia content, while the other was given neutral content from TikTok.</p>

<p>Then the women were made to answer questionnaires to find out what they thought about their bodies after watching the content.</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-will-you-buy-it-dolce--gabbana-launches-luxury-dog-perfume-at-this-whopping-price-748512">Will you buy it? Dolce &amp; Gabbana launches luxury dog perfume at this whopping price</a></strong></p>

<p>"Women exposed to pro-anorexia content displayed the greatest decrease in body image satisfaction and an increase in internalisation of societal beauty standards," said the study published in PLOS One journal. "Women exposed to neutral content also reported a decrease in body image satisfaction."</p>

<p>The study found that those categorised as high and extreme daily TikTok users reported greater average disordered eating behaviour than participants with low and moderate use.</p>

<p>Participants who used TikTok for over two hours per day "reported more disordered eating behaviours than less frequent users," the authors&nbsp;said but pointed out that this was not statistically significant.</p>

<p>The pro-ana videos had shown young content creators in the so-called 'fitspiration' category showing how they cut on their diets and give fitness, workout and food tips and advice. The hacks like juice cleanses for weight loss were included in the content.</p>

<h2><strong>What is content internalisation?</strong></h2>

<p>Besides having the biggest fall in body image satisfaction, those who watched pro-ana content also 'internalised' the beauty standards more.</p>

<p>While watching potentially harmful content does not necessarily lead to harm, it is the 'internalisation' of this content that is dangerous, according to the study. Internalisation happens when someone accepts and identifies with external beauty standards, it pointed out.</p>

<p>There is a multitude of habits and hacks being pushed on TikTok, like detoxing with juices, and clean or limited diets in the name of wellness, with hashtags like #GymTok and #FoodTok. Disorderly eating content included binge eating, laxative use or excessive exercise, said the study.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Spending just eight minutes on TikTok is enough for young women to question their own body image, according to a controlled study that highlighted the scourge of content harmful to youngsters on the video-sharing platform.

Spending just eight minutes on TikTok is enough for young women to question their own body image, according to a controlled study that highlighted the scourge of content harmful to youngsters on the video-sharing platform. The study titled '#ForYou? the impact of pro-ana TikTok content on body image dissatisfaction and internalisation of societal beauty standards' was co-authored by Madison R Blackburn and Rachel C Hogg. Also Read | What is Angelman Syndrome? The condition that Colin Farrell's son suffers from Researchers created two focus groups, one of which showed TikTok content on dieting, weight loss and exercise. This is broadly known as 'pro-ana' or pro-anorexia content which glorifies disordered eating practices. The aim of the study was to find out the link between time spent on TikTok and disordered eating behaviours. How the study was done A group of 273 women in the 18–28 age group were divided into two groups. One group was given pro-anorexia content, while the other was given neutral content from TikTok. Then the women were made to answer questionnaires to find out what they thought about their bodies after watching the content. Also Read | Will you buy it? Dolce & Gabbana launches luxury dog perfume at this whopping price "Women exposed to pro-anorexia content displayed the greatest decrease in body image satisfaction and an increase in internalisation of societal beauty standards," said the study published in PLOS One journal. "Women exposed to neutral content also reported a decrease in body image satisfaction." The study found that those categorised as high and extreme daily TikTok users reported greater average disordered eating behaviour than participants with low and moderate use. Participants who used TikTok for over two hours per day "reported more disordered eating behaviours than less frequent users," the authors said but pointed out that this was not statistically significant. The pro-ana videos had shown young content creators in the so-called 'fitspiration' category showing how they cut on their diets and give fitness, workout and food tips and advice. The hacks like juice cleanses for weight loss were included in the content. What is content internalisation? Besides having the biggest fall in body image satisfaction, those who watched pro-ana content also 'internalised' the beauty standards more. While watching potentially harmful content does not necessarily lead to harm, it is the 'internalisation' of this content that is dangerous, according to the study. Internalisation happens when someone accepts and identifies with external beauty standards, it pointed out. There is a multitude of habits and hacks being pushed on TikTok, like detoxing with juices, and clean or limited diets in the name of wellness, with hashtags like #GymTok and #FoodTok. Disorderly eating content included binge eating, laxative use or excessive exercise, said the study. (With inputs from agencies)

Just 8 minutes on TikTok can lead to negative body image for young women: Study

<p>In a bizarre incident, a TikTok creator revealed how the American Airlines flight was diverted due to a medical emergency, which was later found to be a lice infestation.</p>

<p>The flight, which took off from Los Angeles and was bound to land in New York, was rerouted to Phoenix. Among the passengers was Ethan Judelson, who posted a video on TikTok detailing how American Airlines did not inform the travellers of what actually happened.</p>

<p>In the video that reached over 1.2 million views, Judelson describes how he saw a woman causing a commotion as she rushed through the aisle towards the front as soon as the plane landed. While he was confused, no other passenger paid attention to it.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/air-canada-to-montreal-cancelled-after-flight-attendant-loses-her-cool-before-take-off-watch-745879">Air Canada's Montreal-bound flight cancelled after cabin crew member loses her cool before take-off; Watch</a></strong></p>

<p>"It just seemed like one of those people who, as soon as the seatbelt sign goes off, gets up and tries to be the first to their bag," he told People, recalling the incident. "So the girl next to me ... we were both like, 'Why is she so rushed to get off? We're all getting off together, calm down."</p>

<p>The airlines told them that they would learn more about the situation once the plane was deboarded. However, the only thing they learned was that the flight to New York would take off in 12 hours.</p>

<p>After they landed in Phoenix, they got a voucher for a stay at a hotel via email from the airlines. On TikTok, Judelson mentioned two women gave him "cryptic" answers when asked about what happened.</p>

<p>"Let's just say it was in the best interest of everyone here that they did this. It's for the safety of the plane," they told him.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/trending/us-man-gets-high-on-edibles-attempts-sex-with-flight-attendant-opens-door-mid-air-746543">US man gets high on edibles, attempts sex with flight attendant, opens door mid-air</a></strong></p>

<p>The following day, Judelson was shocked to find out from another passenger that the reason for the emergency landing was a lice outbreak. They told him the women who gave cryptic answers, saw bugs crawling in the hair of the woman seated next to them and informed the flight attendant.</p>

<p>After they boarded the plane again, they were assigned the same seats, which resulted in a major scene when the two women returned to the same seat where they spotted the lice.</p>

<p>"They would not sit in that seat," the TikToker said.</p>

<p>In a statement to People, the airlines confirmed the diversion of American Airlines flight 2201 on June 15, but only stated that it was "due to the medical needs of a customer."</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


In a bizarre incident, a TikTok creator revealed how the American Airlines flight was diverted due to a medical emergency, which was later found to be a lice infestation.

In a bizarre incident, a TikTok creator revealed how the American Airlines flight was diverted due to a medical emergency, which was later found to be a lice infestation. The flight, which took off from Los Angeles and was bound to land in New York, was rerouted to Phoenix. Among the passengers was Ethan Judelson, who posted a video on TikTok detailing how American Airlines did not inform the travellers of what actually happened. In the video that reached over 1.2 million views, Judelson describes how he saw a woman causing a commotion as she rushed through the aisle towards the front as soon as the plane landed. While he was confused, no other passenger paid attention to it. Also read | Air Canada's Montreal-bound flight cancelled after cabin crew member loses her cool before take-off; Watch "It just seemed like one of those people who, as soon as the seatbelt sign goes off, gets up and tries to be the first to their bag," he told People, recalling the incident. "So the girl next to me ... we were both like, 'Why is she so rushed to get off? We're all getting off together, calm down." The airlines told them that they would learn more about the situation once the plane was deboarded. However, the only thing they learned was that the flight to New York would take off in 12 hours. After they landed in Phoenix, they got a voucher for a stay at a hotel via email from the airlines. On TikTok, Judelson mentioned two women gave him "cryptic" answers when asked about what happened. "Let's just say it was in the best interest of everyone here that they did this. It's for the safety of the plane," they told him. Also read | US man gets high on edibles, attempts sex with flight attendant, opens door mid-air The following day, Judelson was shocked to find out from another passenger that the reason for the emergency landing was a lice outbreak. They told him the women who gave cryptic answers, saw bugs crawling in the hair of the woman seated next to them and informed the flight attendant. After they boarded the plane again, they were assigned the same seats, which resulted in a major scene when the two women returned to the same seat where they spotted the lice. "They would not sit in that seat," the TikToker said. In a statement to People, the airlines confirmed the diversion of American Airlines flight 2201 on June 15, but only stated that it was "due to the medical needs of a customer." (With inputs from agencies)

American Airlines flight makes emergency landing after passengers spot lice in woman’s hair

<p>US Justice Department launched a legal battle against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, on Friday (Aug 2), accusing the social media platform of violating children's privacy laws.</p>

<p>The lawsuit is the latest move by the Biden administration to increase pressure on TikTok.</p>

<p>The US government said TikTok violated the ‘Children's Online Privacy Protection Act’ that involve services aimed at children to get parental approval to collect personal information from users under age 13.</p>

<p>Notably, the Chinese-owned short-video platform boasts around 170 million US users, and presently is fighting a new law that would force ByteDance to divest TikTok's US assets by Jan 19 or face a ban.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:</strong>&nbsp;<a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/tiktok-fights-back-bytedance-appeals-to-overturn-unconstitutional-potential-ban-in-us-733665" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/tiktok-fights-back-bytedance-appeals-to-overturn-unconstitutional-potential-ban-in-us-733665&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj9lcWemtiHAxX9VmwGHU33Hd0QFnoECAkQAg&amp;usg=AOvVaw2LDUGsiOqK-0pnS1FBTJIH&amp;arm=e" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tiktok-fights-back-bytedance-appeals-to-overturn-unconstitutional-potential-ban-in-us-733665" target="_blank"><b>TikTok</b>&nbsp;fights back: ByteDance appeals against potential ban in US</a></p>

<p>Amidst escalating tensions, US has taken another step against TikTok and its parent company. The lawsuit stems from fears that the platform is a medium for the Chinese government to collect sensitive American data and influence public opinion through content manipulation.</p>

<p>The suit states it is aimed at putting an end to TikTok's unlawful massive-scale invasions of children's privacy.</p>

<p>Representative Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, said the suit "underscores the importance of divesting TikTok from Chinese Communist Party control. We simply cannot continue to allow our adversaries to harvest vast troves of Americans’ sensitive data."</p>

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<p>Frank Pallone further stated&nbsp;that the lawsuit "highlights the need to dissociate from TikTok from Chinese Communist Party control. We cannot allow our adversaries to continue harvesting large amounts of Americans’ sensitive data."</p>

<p>While TikTok on Friday said, it disagrees "with these allegations, many of which relate to past events and practices that are factually inaccurate or have been addressed."</p>

<p>As per the Department of Justice, TikTok on purpose permitted children to create regular TikTok accounts, and then create and share short-form videos and messages with adults and others on the regular TikTok platform.</p>

<p>TikTok collected personal information from these children without obtaining consent from their parents.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;</strong><a data-ctorig="https://www.wionews.com/world/indias-ban-on-tiktok-to-help-us-authorities-win-legal-case-against-chinese-app-says-top-us-official-715969" data-cturl="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-element-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/indias-ban-on-tiktok-to-help-us-authorities-win-legal-case-against-chinese-app-says-top-us-official-715969&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwj9lcWemtiHAxX9VmwGHU33Hd0QFnoECAIQAg&amp;usg=AOvVaw0I1umQNGoT7oeuR7Dzi-9S&amp;arm=e" dir="ltr" href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indias-ban-on-tiktok-to-help-us-authorities-win-legal-case-against-chinese-app-says-top-us-official-715969" target="_blank">India's ban on&nbsp;<b>TikTok</b>&nbsp;to help US authorities win legal case&nbsp;</a></p>

<p>The FTC is seeking penalties of up to $51,744 per violation per day from TikTok for improperly collecting data, which could potentially amount to billions of dollars if TikTok is found liable.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


US Justice Department launched a legal battle against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, on Friday (Aug 2), accusing the social media platform of violating children's privacy laws.

US Justice Department launched a legal battle against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, on Friday (Aug 2), accusing the social media platform of violating children's privacy laws. The lawsuit is the latest move by the Biden administration to increase pressure on TikTok. The US government said TikTok violated the ‘Children's Online Privacy Protection Act’ that involve services aimed at children to get parental approval to collect personal information from users under age 13. Notably, the Chinese-owned short-video platform boasts around 170 million US users, and presently is fighting a new law that would force ByteDance to divest TikTok's US assets by Jan 19 or face a ban. Also read: TikTok fights back: ByteDance appeals against potential ban in US Amidst escalating tensions, US has taken another step against TikTok and its parent company. The lawsuit stems from fears that the platform is a medium for the Chinese government to collect sensitive American data and influence public opinion through content manipulation. The suit states it is aimed at putting an end to TikTok's unlawful massive-scale invasions of children's privacy. Representative Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, said the suit "underscores the importance of divesting TikTok from Chinese Communist Party control. We simply cannot continue to allow our adversaries to harvest vast troves of Americans’ sensitive data." × Frank Pallone further stated that the lawsuit "highlights the need to dissociate from TikTok from Chinese Communist Party control. We cannot allow our adversaries to continue harvesting large amounts of Americans’ sensitive data." While TikTok on Friday said, it disagrees "with these allegations, many of which relate to past events and practices that are factually inaccurate or have been addressed." As per the Department of Justice, TikTok on purpose permitted children to create regular TikTok accounts, and then create and share short-form videos and messages with adults and others on the regular TikTok platform. TikTok collected personal information from these children without obtaining consent from their parents. Also read: India's ban on TikTok to help US authorities win legal case The FTC is seeking penalties of up to $51,744 per violation per day from TikTok for improperly collecting data, which could potentially amount to billions of dollars if TikTok is found liable. (With inputs from agencies)

US sues TikTok over privacy violations involving children under 13

The global fascination with Korean culture, or Hallyu, is showing no signs of slowing down. A new report from TikTok and kantar predicts that spending on Korean content will nearly double by 2030, reaching 143 billion dollars.

Social media spurs global interest in K-content

From Banning Tik Tok to now backing TikTok, Donald Trump has expressed support for the Tik Tok app and is against its ban in the United States and this marks a significant shift from Donald Trump's previous stance as he's once again tried to ban the app in 2020 when he had been President.

US: Trump shifts stance, support TikTok as potential ban looms

<p>A massive UFO&nbsp;was spotted beaming with pulsating green lights and flying over Iran.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A short video of the mysterious spaceship was caught&nbsp;on camera and shared on TikTok, sparking a&nbsp;debate among people over whether aliens have descended on Earth.</p>

<p>The supposed spacecraft, which was spotted flying quite low at a few junctures, appeared to have four circular rows of bright pulsating green lights. In the middle of the UFO's underside, there was one solid dot.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also Read:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/aliens-trying-communicating-to-humans-keep-getting-blocked-by-mysterious-earth-barrier-claims-reddit-user-739612">Aliens trying communicating to humans, keep getting blocked by mysterious Earth barrier, claims Reddit user</a></p>

<p>As the so-called spacecraft&nbsp;zipped across the skies in the&nbsp;capital city of Tehran, many citizens captured it on camera. The spacecraft's speed and altitude kept changing as it continued its journey.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Multiple video clips show brightly lit UFO flying over streets of Tehran, Iran<br />
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A strange object spotted over Iran has been captured on camera from multiple different angles.<br />
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It's not often that we get to see clear video footage of an unidentified flying object, but in this… <a href="https://t.co/xOjD8WQrif">pic.twitter.com/xOjD8WQrif</a></p>
— The Confessionals (@TConfessionals) <a href="https://twitter.com/TConfessionals/status/1800975974097428584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>The video clip was shared by TikTok user @jakestaxxx on the social media platform and received more than half a million views, as people debated&nbsp;its authenticity.</p>

<h2><strong>Here's how&nbsp;users reacted to the video</strong></h2>

<p>One user said that he had witnessed a UFO previously and appeared to be taking the TikTok post at face value.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"That's so cool, I've witnessed a real UFO close up but it was so fast coming down and it stopped only to do four circles around in the sky so fast then flew over us like that, awesome to witness," he said, as quoted by the Mirror Now.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch:&nbsp;Study: Secret aliens could be here on Earth already</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/study-secret-aliens-could-be-here-on-earth-already-731848/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Even though many believed that it did belong to the other world, some disagreed and accused that digital wizardry may have been used.</p>

<p>"Aliens just don't show up like that, there's galactic rules. If this was real it would have caused public unrest. I don't see any public unrest," said one user.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


A massive UFO was spotted beaming with pulsating green lights and flying over Iran. A short video of the mysterious spaceship was caught on camera and shared on TikTok, sparking a debate among people over whether aliens have descended on Earth.

A massive UFO was spotted beaming with pulsating green lights and flying over Iran. A short video of the mysterious spaceship was caught on camera and shared on TikTok, sparking a debate among people over whether aliens have descended on Earth. The supposed spacecraft, which was spotted flying quite low at a few junctures, appeared to have four circular rows of bright pulsating green lights. In the middle of the UFO's underside, there was one solid dot. Also Read: Aliens trying communicating to humans, keep getting blocked by mysterious Earth barrier, claims Reddit user As the so-called spacecraft zipped across the skies in the capital city of Tehran, many citizens captured it on camera. The spacecraft's speed and altitude kept changing as it continued its journey. Multiple video clips show brightly lit UFO flying over streets of Tehran, Iran A strange object spotted over Iran has been captured on camera from multiple different angles. It's not often that we get to see clear video footage of an unidentified flying object, but in this… pic.twitter.com/xOjD8WQrif — The Confessionals (@TConfessionals) June 12, 2024 × The video clip was shared by TikTok user @jakestaxxx on the social media platform and received more than half a million views, as people debated its authenticity. Here's how users reacted to the video One user said that he had witnessed a UFO previously and appeared to be taking the TikTok post at face value. "That's so cool, I've witnessed a real UFO close up but it was so fast coming down and it stopped only to do four circles around in the sky so fast then flew over us like that, awesome to witness," he said, as quoted by the Mirror Now. Watch: Study: Secret aliens could be here on Earth already Even though many believed that it did belong to the other world, some disagreed and accused that digital wizardry may have been used. "Aliens just don't show up like that, there's galactic rules. If this was real it would have caused public unrest. I don't see any public unrest," said one user. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: Green-coloured UFO spotted flying over Iran. TikTokers share video, ask 'aliens headed to Earth?'

<p>The digital world is constantly overflowing with information. This leaves Generation Z, or Gen Z, exposed to misinformation &amp; clickbait at an alarming level. Unlike previous generations, Gen Z is forging a new path to consuming information. Their method relies on 'communities' rather than 'institutions'.</p>

<p><strong>Gen Z &amp; information sensibility</strong></p>

<p>Information dissemination in previous generations was different. It was mostly gossip that happened within communities. To filter that, people relied on 'information literacy', which is the ability to critically evaluate sources and then make an informed decision.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, information in today's digital world is multi-faceted. It's across spectrums, ranging from Instagram reels to WhatsApp statuses to Twitter threads. This has led to a gradual decline in the influence of traditional media like newspapers. News is right in front of you before you can open a newspaper. This has also led to 'online gossip' in groups with like-minded people. Researchers at Jigsaw, a Google subsidiary, found that Gen Z relies on 'information sensibility', which means prioritising social circles for information and less reliance on traditional fact-checking.</p>

<p><strong>Gen Z hates clickbait</strong></p>

<p>Studies have shown that Gen Z distrusts clickbait and news sources with ads or paywalls.</p>

<p>Instead, they find a social media influencer who speaks their language and curates information with a specific angle they wish to seek. Social media comments are another trusted source, especially when it comes to catching the general 'vibe' regarding a particular incident. This helps people get the gravity of a situation and accordingly comment. It is also a great source for identifying like-minded people.</p>

<p>These generational shifts have caused a change in news consumption habits. A recent Pew Research Centre study shows how Gen Z primarily get their news from social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. This potentially restricts the scope of reading as the reliance has now shifted to 'summaries' rather than in-depth fact-checking.</p>

<p><strong>Gen Z and the 'misinformation pandemic'</strong></p>

<p>News was restricted when the sources were limited. Now, every channel is a news channel, and every platform is a way for you to connect with the world. This leads to an overflow of news beyond what's even needed. Concerns are ripe on how this Gen Z approach can make them susceptible to misinformation.</p>

<p>However, research by Microsoft suggests intentional misinformation primarily targets specific-already radicalised groups and not the usual Gen Z users.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A Gen Z social media user is typically exposed to extreme opinions, and the one he clicks on more times becomes his social media feed till the time he becomes interested in another trend or an ideology. In many ways, social media has become a marketplace for ideologies to pick customers for their 'cult'.</p>

<p>One thing in favour of Gen Z is that they rely on personal experiences and close friends over statistics, especially in areas like Health and Wellness.</p>

<p>The focus, overall, has to be on creating a safe social media space for our future generations and not treating them like commodities for profits. This is why Big Tech firms like Meta and Google are facing lawsuits worldwide. Their sophisticated algorithms are being trained by the personal data of billions of people across the world, which makes them equally responsible for ensuring the mental safety of the younger generations, the ones reading this article on their phones right now.</p>


The digital world is constantly overflowing with information. This leaves Generation Z, or Gen Z, exposed to misinformation & clickbait at an alarming level. Unlike previous generations, Gen Z is forging a new path to consuming information.

The digital world is constantly overflowing with information. This leaves Generation Z, or Gen Z, exposed to misinformation & clickbait at an alarming level. Unlike previous generations, Gen Z is forging a new path to consuming information. Their method relies on 'communities' rather than 'institutions'. Gen Z & information sensibility Information dissemination in previous generations was different. It was mostly gossip that happened within communities. To filter that, people relied on 'information literacy', which is the ability to critically evaluate sources and then make an informed decision. Meanwhile, information in today's digital world is multi-faceted. It's across spectrums, ranging from Instagram reels to WhatsApp statuses to Twitter threads. This has led to a gradual decline in the influence of traditional media like newspapers. News is right in front of you before you can open a newspaper. This has also led to 'online gossip' in groups with like-minded people. Researchers at Jigsaw, a Google subsidiary, found that Gen Z relies on 'information sensibility', which means prioritising social circles for information and less reliance on traditional fact-checking. Gen Z hates clickbait Studies have shown that Gen Z distrusts clickbait and news sources with ads or paywalls. Instead, they find a social media influencer who speaks their language and curates information with a specific angle they wish to seek. Social media comments are another trusted source, especially when it comes to catching the general 'vibe' regarding a particular incident. This helps people get the gravity of a situation and accordingly comment. It is also a great source for identifying like-minded people. These generational shifts have caused a change in news consumption habits. A recent Pew Research Centre study shows how Gen Z primarily get their news from social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. This potentially restricts the scope of reading as the reliance has now shifted to 'summaries' rather than in-depth fact-checking. Gen Z and the 'misinformation pandemic' News was restricted when the sources were limited. Now, every channel is a news channel, and every platform is a way for you to connect with the world. This leads to an overflow of news beyond what's even needed. Concerns are ripe on how this Gen Z approach can make them susceptible to misinformation. However, research by Microsoft suggests intentional misinformation primarily targets specific-already radicalised groups and not the usual Gen Z users. A Gen Z social media user is typically exposed to extreme opinions, and the one he clicks on more times becomes his social media feed till the time he becomes interested in another trend or an ideology. In many ways, social media has become a marketplace for ideologies to pick customers for their 'cult'. One thing in favour of Gen Z is that they rely on personal experiences and close friends over statistics, especially in areas like Health and Wellness. The focus, overall, has to be on creating a safe social media space for our future generations and not treating them like commodities for profits. This is why Big Tech firms like Meta and Google are facing lawsuits worldwide. Their sophisticated algorithms are being trained by the personal data of billions of people across the world, which makes them equally responsible for ensuring the mental safety of the younger generations, the ones reading this article on their phones right now.

Gen Z Trends: How does Gen Z navigate news overflow

<p>Bangladesh's deadliest executioner, who hanged some of the country's notorious criminals including serial killers as well as politicians, died on Monday (June 24), a year after he was released from jail.</p>

<p>Shahjahan Bouya was released from prison in June 2023 after which he wrote a book detailing his experiences as a hangman which emerged as a top seller.</p>

<p>The 74-year-old also briefly married a girl who was 50 years younger to him, and in recent weeks became a viral sensation on TikTok after he uploaded short videos with teenage girls.</p>

<p>According to police, he complained of chest pain on Monday morning and was immediately rushed to Dhaka's Suhrawardy Hospital.</p>

<p>Upon reaching the hospital, the doctors declared Bouya dead, said the police station chief in Dhaka.</p>

<p>"He was brought in dead -- &nbsp;doctors haven't ascertained the actual cause of his death," Sajib Dey, a police station chief in Dhaka, told news agency AFP.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mamata-expresses-strong-reservation-in-letter-to-pm-modi-over-teesta-talks-with-bangladesh-734758">Mamata expresses 'strong reservation' in letter to PM Modi over Teesta talks with Bangladesh</a></p>

<p>"He had breathing difficulties," Abul Kashem, Bouya's landlord, told AFP. "He rented one of our rooms only 15 days ago. He lived alone".</p>

<p>Bouya was serving a 42-year jail term over a murder.</p>

<p>However, the hangings he did in the prison led to his early release from Dhaka's top jail in 2023.</p>

<p>As per the prison authorities, Bouya held a total of 26 executions, however, he said that he participated in 60.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The ones who died at his hand included military officers who were found guilty of plotting a coup in the year 1975 and killing the country's founding leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's father.</p>

<p>He launched his book in February, detailing his years as a hangman that immediately garnered people's attention and became a bestseller at Bangladesh's largest annual book fair.</p>

<p>His 96-page book narrated the procedure of hanging by ropes that the country adopted from the British colonial rulers.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Bangladesh's deadliest executioner, who hanged some of the country's notorious criminals including serial killers as well as politicians, died on Monday (June 24), a year after he was released from jail.

Bangladesh's deadliest executioner, who hanged some of the country's notorious criminals including serial killers as well as politicians, died on Monday (June 24), a year after he was released from jail. Shahjahan Bouya was released from prison in June 2023 after which he wrote a book detailing his experiences as a hangman which emerged as a top seller. The 74-year-old also briefly married a girl who was 50 years younger to him, and in recent weeks became a viral sensation on TikTok after he uploaded short videos with teenage girls. According to police, he complained of chest pain on Monday morning and was immediately rushed to Dhaka's Suhrawardy Hospital. Upon reaching the hospital, the doctors declared Bouya dead, said the police station chief in Dhaka. "He was brought in dead -- doctors haven't ascertained the actual cause of his death," Sajib Dey, a police station chief in Dhaka, told news agency AFP. Also read: Mamata expresses 'strong reservation' in letter to PM Modi over Teesta talks with Bangladesh "He had breathing difficulties," Abul Kashem, Bouya's landlord, told AFP. "He rented one of our rooms only 15 days ago. He lived alone". Bouya was serving a 42-year jail term over a murder. However, the hangings he did in the prison led to his early release from Dhaka's top jail in 2023. As per the prison authorities, Bouya held a total of 26 executions, however, he said that he participated in 60. The ones who died at his hand included military officers who were found guilty of plotting a coup in the year 1975 and killing the country's founding leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's father. He launched his book in February, detailing his years as a hangman that immediately garnered people's attention and became a bestseller at Bangladesh's largest annual book fair. His 96-page book narrated the procedure of hanging by ropes that the country adopted from the British colonial rulers. (With inputs from agencies)

Bangladesh's deadliest executioner, who hanged most notorious serial killers, dies

TikTok is facing a fresh investigation in the US into potential violations of children’s privacy. Federal Trade Commission also investigating Chinese video app over potential breaches of act outlawing ‘unfair practices’. Watch in for more details!

FTC probes TikTok over child privacy

In 2019, TikTok agreed to pay $5.7 million to settle FTC allegations that it illegally collected personal info from children, which the agency said was the largest civil penalty ever obtained in a children's privacy case.

US: Federal Trade Commission probes TikTok over child privacy concerns

<p>TikTok has again grabbed headlines after reports of cyberattacks targeting several brands and celebrity accounts, including news network CNN surfaced.</p>

<p>Following this, the short video platform on Tuesday (June 4) released a statement saying that the company was taking measures to safeguard the public accounts from the attack.</p>

<p>"We have taken measures to stop this attack and prevent it from happening in the future," the spokesperson said as per news agency AFP reports.</p>

<p>"We're working directly with affected account owners to restore access if needed."</p>

<p>TikTok said that the number of accounts compromised by the cyberattack which was carried out by "malicious actors" was "very small" and their team was working to help the users restore access to their respective accounts if required.</p>

<p>"We have been collaborating closely with CNN to restore account access and implement enhanced security measures to safeguard their account moving forward," the spokesperson said.</p>

<p>As per the news agency Reuters, reality TV star Paris Hilton's account was also targeted in the cyberattack, however, it wasn't compromised.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/tiktok-to-adopt-new-tech-aimed-at-labelling-ai-generated-images-719820">Also read:&nbsp;TikTok to adopt new tech aimed at labelling AI-generated images</a></p>

<h2><strong>TikTok, ByteDance challenge potential US ban in court</strong></h2>

<p>TikTok and its parent firm ByteDance had on May 7 filed a legal challenge against the US targeting a bill signed by President Joe Biden that would push the app to either face a ban in the United States or to be sold.</p>

<p>The development came almost two weeks after Biden passed a law giving the popular short-form video hosting service an ultimatum of 270 days to find a non-Chinese buyer or face a ban in the country.</p>

<p>TikTok argues that the bill signed by the US president was unconstitutional.</p>

<p>"For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban, and bars every American from participating in a unique online community with more than one billion people worldwide," said the suit by TikTok and ByteDance.</p>

<p>The short-video sharing platform also alleges that the move violates the First Amendment, charging that "Congress has made a law curtailing massive amounts of protected speech."</p>

<p>It further stated that the divestiture demanded for the short video app for it to be functional in the country is "simply not possible".</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


TikTok has again grabbed headlines after reports of cyberattacks targeting several brands and celebrity accounts, including news network CNN surfaced. Following this, the short video platform on Tuesday (June 4) released a statement saying that the company was taking measures to safeguard the public accounts from the attack.

TikTok has again grabbed headlines after reports of cyberattacks targeting several brands and celebrity accounts, including news network CNN surfaced. Following this, the short video platform on Tuesday (June 4) released a statement saying that the company was taking measures to safeguard the public accounts from the attack. "We have taken measures to stop this attack and prevent it from happening in the future," the spokesperson said as per news agency AFP reports. "We're working directly with affected account owners to restore access if needed." TikTok said that the number of accounts compromised by the cyberattack which was carried out by "malicious actors" was "very small" and their team was working to help the users restore access to their respective accounts if required. "We have been collaborating closely with CNN to restore account access and implement enhanced security measures to safeguard their account moving forward," the spokesperson said. As per the news agency Reuters, reality TV star Paris Hilton's account was also targeted in the cyberattack, however, it wasn't compromised. Also read: TikTok to adopt new tech aimed at labelling AI-generated images TikTok, ByteDance challenge potential US ban in court TikTok and its parent firm ByteDance had on May 7 filed a legal challenge against the US targeting a bill signed by President Joe Biden that would push the app to either face a ban in the United States or to be sold. The development came almost two weeks after Biden passed a law giving the popular short-form video hosting service an ultimatum of 270 days to find a non-Chinese buyer or face a ban in the country. TikTok argues that the bill signed by the US president was unconstitutional. "For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban, and bars every American from participating in a unique online community with more than one billion people worldwide," said the suit by TikTok and ByteDance. The short-video sharing platform also alleges that the move violates the First Amendment, charging that "Congress has made a law curtailing massive amounts of protected speech." It further stated that the divestiture demanded for the short video app for it to be functional in the country is "simply not possible". (With inputs from agencies)

TikTok says taking necessary measures after cyberattack targets several brand and celeb accounts

Social media platform TikTok has reported a Cyber attack targeting high-profile accounts on its platform. Watch in for more details!

Cyberattack on TikTok targets brands & celebrity accounts

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<p>Ali Abulaban, a former TikTok celebrity, sobbed uncontrollably as the jury on Wednesday (May 30) found him guilty of killing his estranged wife and her friend.</p>

<p>Inside the couple's high-rise apartment in San Diego, Ana Abulaban, 28, and Rayburn Barron, 29, were shot and murdered by Ali Abulaban. During his trial evidence, Ali Abulaban acknowledged killing the two people despite entering a not-guilty plea to the two first-degree murder counts.</p>

<p>"My gun was in my hand and next thing I'm shooting and I can't stop. I'm just shooting. He said he thought his wife was cheating on him and he felt "betrayed," Abulaban said.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Former TikToker Ali Abulaban Found Guilty in 2021 Murders of His Wife and Her Friend - E! Online<br />
<br />
A jury in San Diego, Calif., found former TikToker Ali Abulaban guilty of first-degree murder in the case regarding the killings of his wife Ana Abulaban and her friend Ray Barron. <a href="https://t.co/akUEKCmugB">pic.twitter.com/akUEKCmugB</a></p>
— John Bose (@JohnBose456082) <a href="https://twitter.com/JohnBose456082/status/1796237397405090188?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Abulaban treated his wife in a "jealous, controlling, and violent" manner, according to Deputy District Attorney Taren Brast. Jodi Green, Abulaban's lawyer, said that the violence he endured as a youngster had a significant impact on his perspective on relationships.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-supreme-court-boosts-nra-in-free-speech-fight-with-new-york-official-727191">US Supreme Court boosts NRA in free speech fight with New York official</a></strong></p>

<p>The morning before the deaths, Abulaban reportedly damaged items, dumped Ana Abulaban's clothing down a garbage chute, and put a listening app&nbsp;on their daughter's iPad, who is five years old.</p>

<p>Abulaban heard his wife laughing in the room with her friend using the listening app. He drove to the apartment to shoot them after getting upset.</p>

<p>Throughout the trial, the neighbour's security footage was shown. There are six gunshots heard shortly after Abulaban is shown entering the flat. Additionally, Abulaban can be heard calling his mother to inform her of what he had done and yelling Ana's name.</p>

<p>Dalal Warra, Abulaban's mother, stated that her son had phoned her following the deaths. "That's not funny, Ali. Don't say that,"&nbsp;she told her son on the phone.</p>

<p>He allegedly sent her a picture of the victims' bodies as well, which she deleted right away. Ali Abulaban, who went by "JinnKid" on TikTok, amassed around a million followers. He mimicked the role of Al Pacino in the film "Scarface" and shared comic sketches.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Ali Abulaban, a former TikTok celebrity, sobbed uncontrollably as the jury on Wednesday (May 30) found him guilty of killing his estranged wife and her friend. Inside the couple's high-rise apartment in San Diego, Ana Abulaban, 28, and Rayburn Barron, 29, were shot and murdered by Ali Abulaban.

Ali Abulaban, a former TikTok celebrity, sobbed uncontrollably as the jury on Wednesday (May 30) found him guilty of killing his estranged wife and her friend. Inside the couple's high-rise apartment in San Diego, Ana Abulaban, 28, and Rayburn Barron, 29, were shot and murdered by Ali Abulaban. During his trial evidence, Ali Abulaban acknowledged killing the two people despite entering a not-guilty plea to the two first-degree murder counts. "My gun was in my hand and next thing I'm shooting and I can't stop. I'm just shooting. He said he thought his wife was cheating on him and he felt "betrayed," Abulaban said. Former TikToker Ali Abulaban Found Guilty in 2021 Murders of His Wife and Her Friend - E! Online A jury in San Diego, Calif., found former TikToker Ali Abulaban guilty of first-degree murder in the case regarding the killings of his wife Ana Abulaban and her friend Ray Barron. pic.twitter.com/akUEKCmugB — John Bose (@JohnBose456082) May 30, 2024 × Abulaban treated his wife in a "jealous, controlling, and violent" manner, according to Deputy District Attorney Taren Brast. Jodi Green, Abulaban's lawyer, said that the violence he endured as a youngster had a significant impact on his perspective on relationships. Also read: US Supreme Court boosts NRA in free speech fight with New York official The morning before the deaths, Abulaban reportedly damaged items, dumped Ana Abulaban's clothing down a garbage chute, and put a listening app on their daughter's iPad, who is five years old. Abulaban heard his wife laughing in the room with her friend using the listening app. He drove to the apartment to shoot them after getting upset. Throughout the trial, the neighbour's security footage was shown. There are six gunshots heard shortly after Abulaban is shown entering the flat. Additionally, Abulaban can be heard calling his mother to inform her of what he had done and yelling Ana's name. Dalal Warra, Abulaban's mother, stated that her son had phoned her following the deaths. "That's not funny, Ali. Don't say that," she told her son on the phone. He allegedly sent her a picture of the victims' bodies as well, which she deleted right away. Ali Abulaban, who went by "JinnKid" on TikTok, amassed around a million followers. He mimicked the role of Al Pacino in the film "Scarface" and shared comic sketches. (With inputs from agencies)

US TikTok star Ali Abulaban convicted of murdering wife and her friend, sobs hysterically after verdict

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