One of the new hardware features that Apple introduced with the iPhone 12 is a LiDAR scanner. This is meant to help with augmented reality as well as helping the iPhone’s camera better autofocus especially in dimly-lit environments. It’s not necessarily a feature that we can “feel”, but TikTok is hoping to change that.
Back in November, we reported that TikTok’s ban in the US had been delayed. This was due to several factors, one of which is an impending lawsuit where TikTok creators are suing to keep the company from being banned. However, there was still a deadline in effect that was supposed to end on the 4th of December.
One of TikTok’s appealing features is the ability to upload short videos to the platform, which means that users can watch multiple videos quickly and easily that gets to the point. The idea, presumably, is to drive consumption and engagement where users won’t get bored by watching videos that drag on for too long.
Following the success of TikTok, it didn’t really come as a surprise to learn that many other companies were looking to emulate that success with platforms of their own, especially with the possibility that TikTok could be banned in the US which would leave a void that other companies would be more than eager to fill.
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By today, by all accounts, TikTok should have been banned in the US. However, it looks like the company is enjoying a temporary stay of execution. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, it seems that the US Department of Commerce will not be pushing through the order that would have forced TikTok to shut down in the US.
As some of you have heard, TikTok is facing an impending ban on the 12th of November. However, it seems that the ban might have been delayed, thanks to a lawsuit filed by several TikTok influencers kind of on behalf of the company, where they claim that the ban would harm their business which largely relies on TikTok.
If you haven’t downloaded TikTok or WeChat yet, you might want to do so quickly. This is because according to an announcement by the US Department of Commerce, both TikTok and WeChat will be banned and removed from app stores in the US starting this Sunday, and will also see the ban of US companies hosting these services.
When it was announced that TikTok had to seek a US buyer or face potentially being banned in the US, Microsoft also announced that they were in talks to acquire the company. What was interesting is that Oracle, typically seen as a tech company aimed more at enterprise users, threw their hat into the ring as well.
One of the reasons why companies acquire other companies is for their technology. However, it seems that whoever acquires TikTok might actually end up getting the short end of the stick because according to a report from the South China Morning Post, ByteDance is willing to sell TikTok, but not its source code.
Earlier reports had indicated that if TikTok wanted to keep operating in the US, they would need to sell themselves off to a US company. The app is currently owned by China company ByteDance, although they do have a US base of operations. However, it seems that China is not too pleased with the idea.
As many of you have heard by now, TikTok could be in trouble if they do not find a buyer for the company. This is due to the US government essentially threatening to ban the app if they are not acquired by a US company over national security concerns as TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a company based in China.
The US government has given TikTok until the middle of the month to find itself a buyer if they hope to continue operating in the country. Of course, given how successful TikTok is, it doesn’t come as a surprise to learn that China has introduced a new rule regarding the export of technology to other countries, which in turn could throw a wrench in the US government’s plans.
TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is currently racing against the clock where they need to find a buyer for TikTok’s US operations by the 15th of September or risk getting banned. Microsoft is currently the favorite to acquire the company, but with all deals, there is always a chance that it might fail and fall through.
Unless TikTok can find a US buyer for the company, it faces the possibility of being banned outright. To date, Microsoft is the frontrunner in a bid to acquire the company, but it seems that Walmart is now interested as well, although in this case, they might actually want to work with Microsoft to acquire the company.
In order to remain operational in the US and to avoid a potential lengthy and drawn out lawsuit, TikTok’s owner ByteDance will most likely have to sell off the company. To date, Microsoft is the only company that has publicly expressed their interest in the platform, although last we heard, Twitter had also expressed some interest.
The argument that the US government is using in their bid to ban TikTok is that they claim that the app collects data on US citizens, which they believe poses a risk to national security. It seems that whatever excuses TikTok is making to defend itself might be moot, especially with a recent discovery.