Baidu, ByteDance, Other Chinese Firms Launch ChatGPT-Like Chatbots to Public

Baidu, ByteDance, Other Chinese Firms Launch ChatGPT-Like Chatbots to Public

Five Chinese tech firms, including Baidu and SenseTime Group, on Thursday launched their artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots to the public after receiving government approval, as China’s government pushes to widen the use of such products amid competition with the United States. Baidu, China’s leading online search provider, said in a statement…

US Lawmakers Consider Changes to Bill That Could Give Government New Powers to Ban TikTok

US Lawmakers Consider Changes to Bill That Could Give Government New Powers to Ban TikTok

U.S. lawmakers are considering changes to address concerns about a bill that would give the Biden administration new powers to ban Chinese-owned TikTok, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee who has cosponsored the legislation said on Monday. Democratic Senator Mark Warner told Reuters that aggressive lobbying by the ByteDance-owned…

Spotify Planning to Test Full-Length Music Videos in App

Spotify Planning to Test Full-Length Music Videos in App

Spotify Technology is considering adding full-length music videos to its app, which could help the streaming service better compete with Alphabet‘s YouTube and ByteDance‘s TikTok. The service has already begun talking to partners about the product, according to people familiar with the plan who asked not to be identified because…

TikTok Users in Montana, US, File Lawsuit Seeking to Block State’s Ban on App

TikTok Users in Montana, US, File Lawsuit Seeking to Block State’s Ban on App

Five TikTok users in Montana who create content posted on the short-video app filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to block the state’s new ban on the Chinese-owned platform. Montana Governor Greg Gianforte on Wednesday signed legislation to ban TikTok in the state, effective Jan. 1. The five users…

Former ByteDance Executive Says China Had ‘Supreme Access’ to All Data

Former ByteDance Executive Says China Had ‘Supreme Access’ to All Data

A former head of engineering at Bytedance in the United States has said the company discharged him after he voiced concern to management that it was taking user content from other platforms, mainly Instagram and Snapchat. The dispute comes at a time when ByteDance-owned app TikTok faces growing calls for…

TikTok Advertisers Commit to Continue Spending on App Amid Threat of US Ban

TikTok Advertisers Commit to Continue Spending on App Amid Threat of US Ban

Advertisers are committed to continue spending on TikTok due to its immense popularity with users despite threats of a potential ban in the U.S. over national security concerns, ad experts said. The steadfastness comes as TikTok, which is owned by Chinese tech firm ByteDance, is fighting to prevent a ban…

TikTok Usage Banned on Irish Government Devices Amid Cybersecurity Concerns

TikTok Usage Banned on Irish Government Devices Amid Cybersecurity Concerns

The state body responsible for advising the Irish government on cyber security recommended on Friday that staff at government departments and state agencies not use Chinese-owned video app TikTok on official devices. A number of Western countries including Britain, the US and other European Union member states have barred TikTok…

TikTok to Get Banned in France for Use on Smartphones of Civil Servants

TikTok to Get Banned in France for Use on Smartphones of Civil Servants

France will ban the use of Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok on the work phones of civil servants, Civil Service Minister Stanislas Guerini said on his Twitter account. “In order to guarantee the cybersecurity of our administrations and civil servants, the government has decided to ban recreational applications such as TikTok…

TikTok CEO Grilled Over Security Concerns in Hearing With US Lawmakers

TikTok CEO Grilled Over Security Concerns in Hearing With US Lawmakers

US lawmakers at a congressional hearing on Thursday accused TikTok of serving harmful content and inflicting “emotional distress” on young users, grilling the Chinese-owned app’s CEO on the company’s outsized influence on teens. Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican from Washington, kicked off the hearing with TikTok Chief Executive Shou Zi Chew…