TikTok Surpasses YouTube and Instagram in News Reach

TikTok has officially overtaken YouTube and Instagram as the leading social app for news among young people in 2025. According to fresh Pew Research data, 43% of U.S. adults aged 18–29 now regularly get their news from TikTok, compared to 41% from YouTube and Facebook, and 40% from Instagram.

Key Findings

• TikTok leads the pack: For the first time, TikTok is the top social media platform for news among young Americans.
• Close competition: YouTube and Facebook are tied at 41%, while Instagram follows at 40%.
• Other platforms lag: X (formerly Twitter) sits at 21%, and Reddit at 18%.
• Social media dominance overall: 67% of young adults say they often or sometimes rely on social media for news, compared to 60% who use traditional news websites.

Why TikTok is Winning

• Short-form video appeal: TikTok’s algorithm delivers bite-sized, engaging news clips that match young audiences’ consumption habits.
• Community-driven content: Users often encounter news through creators, commentary, and stitched videos rather than traditional outlets.
• Platform investment: TikTok has rolled out tools for publishers and community fact-checking, making it more credible as a news source.
• Cultural relevance: TikTok’s meme-driven, fast-moving style resonates with younger audiences who prefer conversational and visual formats over long articles.

Risks & Challenges

• Misinformation: TikTok’s viral nature means false or misleading content can spread quickly.
• Algorithmic bias: News exposure depends heavily on TikTok’s recommendation system, which may skew perspectives.
• Credibility gap: While TikTok is popular, traditional outlets still hold more trust among older demographics.
• Regulatory scrutiny: Governments are increasingly concerned about TikTok’s influence on public opinion and its role in shaping political discourse.

Comparison Table

Platform	% of Young Adults (18–29) Using for News	Strengths	Weaknesses
TikTok	43%	Engaging short-form video, cultural relevance, creator-driven	Misinformation risk, algorithm bias
YouTube	41%	Long-form depth, established creators	Less immediacy, slower trend adoption
Facebook	41%	Broad reach, community groups	Declining youth engagement, credibility issues
Instagram	40%	Visual storytelling, lifestyle + news blend	Less focus on hard news
X (Twitter)	21%	Real-time updates, breaking news	Toxic discourse, declining trust
Reddit	18%	Niche communities, in-depth discussion	Fragmented, not mainstream

TikTok’s rise marks a seismic shift in how younger generations consume news — away from traditional outlets and even away from older social platforms, toward algorithm-driven, creator-led ecosystems.

TikTok's Parent ByteDance Challenges Meta with New Mixed Reality Goggles

Chinese tech company ByteDance, which is best known for creating TikTok, the global short-form video platform, is diving back into the mixed reality race with a fresh strategy.

The Beijing headquartered company is developing lightweight mixed reality goggles that overlay digital visuals onto the real world. These goggles are reportedly tethered to a pocketable puck, which likely handles processing and power — similar to Meta’s upcoming “Puffin” headset.

Tech Ambitions

• The goggles aim to minimize latency between physical movement and digital response using specialized chips.
• ByteDance’s hardware division, Pico, is leading the charge. After shelving the Pico 5 VR headset due to weak sales, they’ve pivoted to a long-term project codenamed Swan, focused on more ambitious, lightweight devices.

Why It Matters

This marks a shift from bulky headsets like Meta Quest or Apple Vision Pro toward sleeker, glasses-like wearables. It’s a response to consumer demand for comfort and portability — even if it means sacrificing some functionality.

ByteDance’s upcoming mixed reality goggles — developed under its Pico division — are still in the prototype phase, but here’s what we know so far based on the latest reports:

Design and Form Factor

• Lightweight goggles tethered to a pocket-sized puck for processing and power. 
• Similar in size to the Bigscreen Beyond headset, one of the smallest VR devices available. 
• Designed for comfort and portability, moving away from bulky headsets like Meta Quest or Apple Vision Pro. 

Core Hardware

• Custom chips in development to reduce latency between physical movement and digital response. 
• Likely to include high-resolution passthrough cameras for mixed reality overlays
• Specialized sensors for spatial tracking and environmental mapping

Processing Unit (Puck)

• Expected to house the main processor, battery, and connectivity modules. 
• May support wireless streaming and low-latency interaction with the goggles

Development Status

• Project codenamed Swan, a long-term initiative focused on high-end, lightweight MR devices. 
• Final specs and design are not yet locked, but ByteDance is working with Chinese suppliers to refine the product

Comparison to Meta’s Puffin

• Meta’s Puffin headset (due 2027) also uses a puck-based design and emphasizes eye and hand tracking. 
• ByteDance’s goggles aim for similar compactness but may prioritize cost-efficiency and content integration with platforms like TikTok.

Meta’s Puffin Project

Meta’s Puffin headset, expected in 2027, also emphasizes compact design and controller-free interaction via eye and hand tracking. ByteDance’s goggles are said to resemble the Bigscreen Beyond headset in size — one of the smallest VR devices on the market.

If ByteDance nails the balance between performance and wearability, it could reshape how we think about immersive tech — not just for gaming, but for productivity, entertainment, and even social interaction.

Oracle in Advanced Talk With White House to Take Over TikTok's U.S. Operations

Oracle is currently in advanced discussions with the White House to take over TikTok's U.S. operations. This move is part of ongoing efforts to address national security concerns related to TikTok's Chinese ownership by ByteDance. The proposed deal, referred to as "Project Texas 2.0," aims to store U.S. user data on Oracle's servers in Texas and ensure that ByteDance employees in China cannot access it.

However, there are still concerns about whether this arrangement would fully mitigate security risks, especially since ByteDance might retain control over TikTok's core algorithm. The deal's finalization also depends on approval from the Chinese government, which has been resistant to any forced sale of TikTok.

Oracle's potential acquisition of TikTok's U.S. operations is unique compared to other tech acquisitions due to its focus on addressing national security concerns. Unlike typical acquisitions aimed at expanding market share or technological capabilities, this deal is heavily influenced by geopolitical factors and regulatory scrutiny. The U.S. government is playing a significant role in shaping the terms of the acquisition, which is not common in most tech deals.

For example, in contrast to Oracle's situation, Microsoft's acquisition of LinkedIn in 2016 was primarily a strategic move to integrate professional networking with its enterprise software ecosystem. Similarly, IBM's acquisition of Red Hat in 2019 was aimed at strengthening its position in the cloud computing market. These deals were driven by business synergies rather than external pressures.

Oracle's involvement also highlights its strategic pivot towards data security and cloud services, as it aims to oversee TikTok's U.S. user data and algorithms. This aligns with Oracle's broader focus on enterprise solutions but adds a layer of complexity due to the political and regulatory challenges involved.

Google's Key Veteran Researcher Joins TikTok Parent ByteDance

Dr. Wu Yonghui, a well-known Google Fellow and former VP of Research at Google DeepMind, has joined ByteDance. He will be heading the Seed Fundamental Research team, focusing on AI for Science. Dr. Yonghui is a renowned "Google Fellow", a prestigious role equivalent to a Vice President (VP), typically awarded to experts who have made exceptional contributions to technology. 

ByteDance has confirmed that Dr. Yonghui, a a 17-year Google veteran, has left Google to join the company. According to reports by media outlets including The Information. Dr. Yonghui is currently serving as the Head of Seed Fundamental Research for ByteDance's large-scale model team, reporting directly to ByteDance CEO Liang Rubo.

Established in late January 2023, the Seed Fundamental Research Team of ByteDance is now being led by Dr. Wu Yonghui. The research team is dedicated to exploring innovative paths to general intelligence. The program focuses on long-term, aggressive, and potentially uncertain AI research projects. It encourages cross-team and cross-modal collaboration, providing an open research environment and dedicated computing resources.

The team aims to push the boundaries of reasoning, perception, scaling, learning paradigms, and model design. They are exploring areas like large-scale reinforcement learning, world modeling, next-generation learning paradigms, and efficient model design tailored to next-generation hardware.

Dr. Wu Yonghui's move to ByteDance is likely to intensify competition in the AI field. His expertise and leadership in AI research could significantly enhance ByteDance's capabilities, making them a stronger competitor against other tech giants like Google, OpenAI, and DeepMind.

ByteDance has already been making strides with models like Goku and OmniHuman-1, which have reportedly surpassed some of OpenAI's models in performance. With Wu on board, ByteDance might accelerate its AI advancements, potentially leading to more innovative and powerful AI solutions.

This could push other companies to invest more in AI research and development to keep up, ultimately benefiting the field with more cutting-edge technologies and applications.

Trump Creates Sovereign Wealth Fund That Could Buy TikTok

President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order to create a U.S. sovereign wealth fund. This fund could potentially be used to purchase Tiktok from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. Trump mentioned that the fund might also be used for other strategic investments and government projects.

It's an interesting move, considering the U.S. typically operates with a budget deficit, unlike many countries with sovereign wealth funds that have budget surpluses.

Trump signed an executive order on February 3, 2025, to create a U.S. sovereign wealth fund. This fund aims to leverage government-owned assets for national wealth generation. Trump mentioned that the fund could be used to purchase Tiktok from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, if a suitable deal is made.

We might put [TikTok] in the sovereign wealth fund, whatever we make or we do a partnership with very wealthy people, a lot of options. But we could put that as an example in the fund — Trump said.

The fund is expected to be operational within the next year. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary-designate Howard Lutnick have been tasked with developing a detailed plan for the fund. The idea is to monetize the assets side of the U.S. balance sheet for the American people.

However, there are questions about how the fund will be financed since the U.S. typically operates with a budget deficit. Trump has suggested that it could be funded through tariffs and other measures, but specifics have not been provided.

The current situation with TikTok in the U.S. is quite dynamic. The short video app voluntarily shut down its services in the U.S. just hours before a ban was set to take effect on January 19, 2025. However, it quickly restored service after President Donald Trump signed an executive order extending the deadline and providing assurances to service providers.

Despite being accessible to users who already have the app installed, TikTok remains unavailable for download in the Apple and Google app stores in the U.S. This means new users cannot easily install the app.

Discussions are ongoing about a potential joint venture where the U.S. could gain partial ownership of TikTok. President Trump has suggested that the U.S. could take a 50% ownership stake in TikTok, but this idea is still under consideration and has not been finalized.

Earlier it was reported that China is reportedly considering selling TikTok's US operations to Elon Musk.

The situation is complicated by legal and political challenges, including concerns about national security due to TikTok's Chinese ownership. The Supreme Court upheld a law requiring ByteDance to divest its U.S. assets or face a ban, but the enforcement of this law has been delayed.

It's a fluid situation, and the future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain.

China in Early Talks to Sell Tiktok US to Elon Musk

China is reportedly considering selling TikTok's US operations to Elon Musk if the platform faces a potential ban in the United States, said a Bloomberg News reported on Monday. The discussions are still in the preliminary stages, and Chinese officials are evaluating various contingency plans.

Summarized Points:

Potential Buyer: Elon Musk, who recently rebranded Twitter as "X," is being considered as a potential buyer.

Reason for Sale: The US government has passed a law requiring TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to either sell the platform or shut it down due to national security concerns.

Geopolitical Factors: The sale is seen as a strategic move to maintain TikTok's presence in the US while navigating complex geopolitical and financial factors.

Musk's Stance: Musk has expressed his opinion that TikTok should remain available in the US, citing freedom of speech and expression.

The situation is still evolving, and it remains to be seen how the negotiations will unfold.

TikTok's presence in the US has been a topic of significant debate and legal scrutiny.

The US government passed a law requiring TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to either sell its US operations or shut down the app due to national security concerns. The law is set to take effect on January 19, 2025.

TikTok has challenged the ban, arguing that it violates the First Amendment's free speech protections. However, the US Supreme Court appears poised to uphold the legislation.

It is to be noted that, TikTok has dismissed reports of a potential sale to Elon Musk as "pure fiction". The company has stated that it cannot comment on speculative discussions.

TikTok has over 170 million users in the US, making it a significant platform for content creators and advertisers.

The potential sale could have broader implications for US-China relations and the global tech industry.

Building Bharat’s TikTok for Games, SimpleViralGames Raises Rs 4 Cr in Pre-Seed Funding

• SimpleViralGames, aka SVG, has raised Rs 4 Cr from WEH Ventures, Eximius Ventures, PointOne Capital, Force Ventures. WEH led the round.
• A few prominent angels including Ankit Agrawal (Founder & CEO of InsuranceDekho), Prashant Sachan (Founder & CEO of AppsForBharat) also participated in the round. 
• The raised funds will be used by SVG to build Bharat’s TikTok for Games via their app named ‘TimePass’ which shall host 100s of fun hyper-casual games on the platform which can be played with a tap of a button without any additional download for each game.

Simple Viral Games aka SVG, a hyper-casual mobile gaming platform, today announced raising Rs 4 Cr (500,000 USD) in a pre-seed round led by WEH Ventures. The round also saw participation from Eximius Ventures, PointOne Capital, Force Ventures & a few angels including Ankit Agrawal (Founder & CEO of InsuranceDekho), Prashant Sachan (Founder & CEO of AppsForBharat).

Founded in December 2022 by Rahul KR & Sourav Badami, SVG is focused on giving the best mobile gaming experience to Bharat. This hyper-casual gaming platform shall serve users from all age groups & make playing fun games a part of everyone’s daily routine. On their app named TimePass, users can discover & play lots of games without any additional download for each game. Simply swipe up to see a new game reel!

(L-R) - Sourav Badami and Rahul K R

Rahul K R is an IIT Madras Alumnus and ex- Lead Product Manager at Khatabook & Apna. He was first Product Manager at Khatabook. While, Sourav Badami is an ex- Engineering Manager at Gojek. 

Speaking of the platform, the founders said “We are making Bharat discover and play the world's best, most simple, fun and innovative games! Imagine a video game arcade, which has 1000s of games to choose from & you can start playing with a single tap, all in one single app.”

Currently, the app has over 20 games & is adding new games every week. The company has started working with game developers & studios as well to on-board their games onto the TimePass app.

“Our goal is to become a TikTok like platform for hyper-casual/casual games & empower game developers and studios to publish their instant games on our platform & get distribution right away & earn with the revenue share. In next 3-5 years we wish to have over 100M monthly active gamers on out platform. Built in India, Built for Bharat” said the founders.

Speaking on the investment, Rohit Krishna, General Partner, WEH Ventures said “Except gaming, almost all other content categories have platforms that focus on personalized, infinite scrolls. We think Rahul and Sourav have great chemistry and complementary skills to build a ‘TikTok for gaming’ platform for Bharat”

Launched in 2017, WEH Ventures is a sector-agnostic early-stage venture fund with a primary focus on startups solving India-first problems. The fund is very often the first institutional investor in a company and aims to support it through the early years and beyond.  In its six year journey, the fund has already backed several category-leading companies such as smallcase, Jar, Masterchow, Appsforbharat and Pratilipi which have been subsequently backed by top tier institutional investors.

Facebook Launches 'BARS' - A TikTok-like App for Creating, Sharing Raps

To take on Chinese short-video platform TikTok, Facebook has launched a new content creation app called 'BARS', specifically designed for budding rappers. 

However unlike TikTok, BARS app does not focus on transitions and lip-syncing to make content. The new app designed by the social networking giant’s New Product Experimentation (NPE) R&D team allows budding rappers to focus on the lyrics rather than investing their time on expensive equipment, studio bookings etc.

Currently under closed beta testing, the BARS app is currently available only in the Apple App Store in the US region only and makes it easy to create and share raps so that rappers can focus on and experiment with the content, "rather than investing heavily in equipment and production".

"Audio production tools can be complicated, expensive and difficult to use. With BARS, you can select one of our professionally-created beats, write lyrics and record yourself dropping bars," Facebook said in a statement on Friday.

"BARS auto-suggests rhymes as you're writing to keep your flow going. You can also jump into Challenge mode and freestyle with auto-suggested word cues. Choose from a variety of audio and visual filters to take your creations to the next level," the company added.

TikTok And Kuaishou Rival, Lomotif, Sells To ZASH

Lomotif Platform is One of the Top Worldwide Social Video-Sharing Apps Today

Definitive Agreement Gives ZASH Majority Controlling Interest

BETHLEHEM, Pa. and SINGAPORE, Feb. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vinco Ventures, Inc. (NASDAQ:BBIG) -- ZASH Global Media and Entertainment Corporation ("ZASH"), the entertainment industry disrupter led by co-founders Ted Farnsworth, financier and former MoviePass Chairman, early Musical.ly (now TikTok) investor Jaeson Ma, and early Triller visionary and board member, Vincent Butta, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a majority controlling interest in Lomotif Private Limited ("Lomotif"), the Singapore-based top video-sharing social networking platform and budding rival to TikTok, and Kuaishou (1024.HK on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange). 

The closing of the Lomotif acquisition by ZASH is scheduled to occur concurrently with the closing of ZASH's merger and business combination with Vinco Ventures, Inc. ("Vinco"), which was previously announced in a joint press release in January 2021. The closing of the Lomotif acquisition is subject to certain customary conditions to closing as described in the definitive acquisition agreement.

Upon completion of the merger between ZASH and Vinco, ZASH will become a public company and controlling shareholder of Vinco, making Lomotif one of the top global, pure play video-sharing social networking platforms to be owned by a US publicly traded company, competing with TikTok and Kuaishou in the space.

ZASH believes that Lomotif is one of the fastest growing video-sharing social networking platforms in its category over the last three years and in Asia, Europe and South America, Lomotif has increased its average monthly community by over 400 percent in this time span. Historically over 10 billion atomic clips (User Generated Content (UGC)) have been used to create more than 740+ million videos on the platform since its launch.

The following additional data further shows the Lomotif platform's dominant, global user traction and reach that ZASH believes demonstrates massive untapped value and Lomotif's potential growth:

• 10+ billion Lomotif video atomic clips
• 740+ million video super-clips created to date
• 225+ million installations globally (in 200+ countries in 300+ languages)
• 210+ million lifetime community
• 160+ million total lifetime viewers (iOS/Android)
• 120+ million total lifetime creators
• 300+ million videos watched on the platform per month
• 90+ minutes of engagement on average with core users

Lomotif Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Paul Yang, will continue to lead Lomotif upon completion of the acquisition. "With the partnerships ZASH has in place and has planned," said Yang, "we're a natural fit. As an emerging player in user generated video creation, we are excited to be part of ZASH's overall content and distribution plans and strategies and are looking forward to accelerating growth and adoption of Lomotif worldwide."

"Lomotif is the key piece of the ZASH strategy to merge the best-in-class media, entertainment and content-focused technology companies globally," said Ted Farnsworth. "The platform is fun and engaging and its features are unique and innovative. We look forward to expanding the platform in the US market and around the rest of the world."

"Having had experience building another video-sharing social networking platform, it became quickly apparent that Lomotif's patented technology for mixing and video editing is second to none." said Vince Butta. "ZASH will focus Lomotif on an advertising model going forward, as well as other means of monetization over the next several months."

"Lomotif is a global platform with tremendous following in Asia and Latin America and together with ZASH, it will replicate that success in the US and other markets," said Jaeson Ma. "In today's world of mass consumption of short-form content, we see Lomotif's addition to the ZASH family as an incredible opportunity to leverage our content in all formats and broaden our distribution platform worldwide."

Investment bank BTIG represented ZASH on the buy side of the transaction. Palladium Capital served as advisor on the capital raise to fund the transaction. The media and entertainment team led by Tom K. Ara and including Patrick Anding at law firm DLA Piper LLP negotiated and advised ZASH on the Lomotif deal and are also advising ZASH in its merger with Vinco. Cooley LLP represented Lomotif in the transaction.

For more information about ZASH's proposed merger with Vinco, please see the press release (https://investors.vincoventures.com/press-releases/detail/78/musical-ly-tiktok-triller-and-moviepass-innovators-unite) and Vinco's 8-K filed on January 19, 2021 (https://sec.report/Document/0001493152-21-001470/).

About ZASH Global Media and Entertainment Corporation

ZASH Global Media and Entertainment Corporation is an evolving network of synergetic companies working together to disrupt the media and entertainment industry as we know it today. The ZASH team is managed by a group of smart, if not somewhat brazen, consummate disrupters. ZASH believes its management team has an exceptional and unparalleled ability to pivot because their knowledge and experience is steadfast and unyielding. For additional information about ZASH Global Media and Entertainment Corporation, please visit ZASH's website at www.zash.global.

About Lomotif

Lomotif is the leading video-sharing social networking platform that is democratizing video creation. Since the company was co-founded by video enthusiast Paul Yang in 2014, Lomotif has been granted three technology patents uniquely focused on empowering creators to share and watch short videos with ease through remix and collaboration. Yang's bold vision is to build the world's largest video vocabulary to accelerate the world's transition to video-first expression. Lomotif, available in the Apple and Google stores, is a breakthrough downloadable app for hip hop, rap, and urban culture across the United States and Latin America. Lomotif is one of five partners selected by Snapchat for a bi-directional integration for posting stories between the two platforms. For additional information about Lomotif Private Limited, please visit Lomotif's website at www.lomotif.com.

About Vinco Ventures, Inc.

Vinco Ventures, Inc. (NASDAQ: BBIG) is a mergers and acquisition company focused on digital commerce and consumer brands. Vinco's B.I.G. (Buy. Innovate. Grow.) strategy will seek out acquisition opportunities that are poised for scale and grow said acquisitions through targeted traffic and content campaigns. For more information, please view Vinco's investor presentation or visit Investors.vincoventures.com.

Forward-Looking Statements and Disclaimers

This press release contains "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements include, among others, statements concerning or implying future financial performance, anticipated product performance and functionality of ZASH's products or products incorporating ZASH's products, and industry trends and growth opportunities affecting ZASH. Such information are based upon beliefs of, and information currently available to, ZASH management as well as estimates and assumptions made by ZASH's management. These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historic or current facts. When used in this presentation the words "estimate," "expect," intend," believe," plan," "anticipate," "projected" and other words or the negative of these terms and similar expressions as they relate to ZASH or ZASH's management identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding the potential business synergies resulting from ZASH's acquisition of Lomotif and ZASH's proposed merger with Vinco, the potential market for ZASH's and Lomotif's product offerings, customer adoption and use of the Lomotif platform, and the ability of ZASH to monetize product offerings, including the Lomotif platform. Such statements and the other forward-looking statements in this press release reflect the current view of ZASH with respect to future events and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors relating to ZASH and Lomotif's industries, operations and results of operations and any businesses that may be acquired by ZASH. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or the underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may differ significantly from those anticipated, believed, estimated, expected, intended, or planned. Although ZASH believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee future results, performance, or achievements. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. ZASH is providing this information as of the date of this release and does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained in this release as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

Media Contacts

Dennis Dembia / R&CPMK
Dennis.dembia@rogersandcowanpmk.com
+1 310 854 8114

Jason Magner / R&CPMK
Jason.magner@rogersandcowanpmk.com
+1 310 854 8128











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Changa App Is Set to Be the Next Choice for Indian Influencers After the Ban on Snack Video

In yet another shocking incident, a ban was imposed on Snack Video. The video creation app was able to register 35 Million downloads in India within just a few days of its launch and had outperformed a lot of its competitors. A lot of people already saw that coming as bans were imposed on Chinese apps time and again in recent months and a lot of Indian good players have emerged in the market including the Changa app. When TikTok got banned, Changa became an immediate life saviour that brought about unique features like TikTok integration, WhatsApp story feature, and whatnot to the users. It is now being anticipated as to what Changa will bring to the table after the Snack video has left the market and how interesting things can get.
 
Of course, the majority of the focus has been shifted to all of the “Made in India'' apps and how we can secure the user data without really compromising the personal details. People showed mixed responses after the TikTok ban but were soon flooded with a lot of its alternatives that were made in India like MX Takatak, Moj, Changa, Josh and many more. Out of these, only a few were able to see the light of the day. 
 
Changa is one such application that has been winning the hearts of the young talents. Currently, topping the charts and being considered as the top alternative for TikTok, Changa is all set to welcome users from all the different platforms. With its great features and usability, Changa has never failed to woo its customers and unlike Snack and TikTok, it is also made in India making it more loved by the audience. Considering this situation, a lot of popular TikTok & Snack Video influencers have joined the Changa app. The app has a strong 5 Million user base and is constantly growing to become the most trustworthy application.
 
With all of its new updates, it sees a new range of audiences signing up that loves to make creative videos on the application. After its successful TikTok feature that lets you import your TikTok videos and even get verified if you had 100K followers, the app gained popularity and also gained some loyal user base. It recently launched a WhatsApp story feature that allows users to make videos of their birthday celebrations, parties, and other events and post it directly on WhatsApp status for their friends and family to view conveniently. Some of the features were not seen in the Chinese apps, which makes the application even more special.
 
The Changa app really outdid itself by recently introducing the ‘verify badge’ feature. Who doesn’t want to have a verified account? It boosts your motivation and encourages you to make even more videos. In this digital world, having a verified account means a lot as it directly shows the result of your hard work. Even TikTok boasted about the verified accounts and influencers would go to the ends of the world to get verified. Now, the Changa app has been targeting the right features and is properly aligning with the needs and requirements of the audience.

Oracle to Take a 12.5% Stake in TikTok Global

Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) announced today that it was chosen to become TikTok's secure cloud technology provider. This technical decision by TikTok was heavily influenced by Zoom's recent success in moving a large portion of its video conferencing capacity to the Oracle Public Cloud.

"TikTok picked Oracle's new Generation 2 Cloud infrastructure because it's much faster, more reliable, and more secure than the first generation technology currently offered by all the other major cloud providers," said Oracle Chief Technology Officer Larry Ellison. "In the 2020 Industry CloudPath survey that IDC recently released where it surveyed 935 Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) customers on their satisfaction with the top IaaS vendors including Oracle, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, IBM and Google Cloud .... Oracle IaaS received the highest satisfaction score." 

"As a part of this agreement, TikTok will run on the Oracle Cloud and Oracle will become a minority investor in TikTok Global," said Oracle CEO Safra Catz. "Oracle will quickly deploy, rapidly scale, and operate TikTok systems in the Oracle Cloud. We are a hundred percent confident in our ability to deliver a highly secure environment to TikTok and ensure data privacy to TikTok's American users, and users throughout the world. This greatly improved security and guaranteed privacy will enable the continued rapid growth of the TikTok user community to benefit all stakeholders."

Based on decades of experience securing the world's most sensitive data, the Oracle Generation 2 cloud was built from the ground up to fully isolate running applications and autonomously respond to security threats. Oracle will combine its secure cloud technology with continuous code reviews, monitoring, and auditing to provide unprecedented assurance that U.S. TikTok user data is private and secure.

About Oracle

The Oracle Cloud offers a complete suite of integrated applications for Sales, Service, Marketing, Human Resources, Finance, Supply Chain and Manufacturing, plus Highly Automated and Secure Generation 2 Infrastructure featuring the Oracle Autonomous Database. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit us at www.oracle.com.

TikTok's New CEO is Ex-Chief of Disney's Streaming Services

Kevin Mayer, who was the top executive at The Walt Disney Co.'s streaming services, will leave the entertainment and theme parks giant to become the CEO of TikTok, the popular video app owned by China’s ByteDance Technology Co.

In March this year, ByteDance has already launched a new music streaming service 'Resso' in India to take on local competitors like Gaana, JioSaavn and Spotify. Resso, which calls itself the world's first social music streaming app, is also looking at expanding its service to Indonesia in the the next few months.

Mayer led Disney’s Direct-to-Consumer and International segment since its founding in 2018 and oversaw the successful launches of ESPN+ and Disney+ and the integration of Hulu.

Mayer’s appointment will be effective June 1, when he will also become chief operating officer (COO) of ByteDance, the parent firm of TikTok.

Meanwhile, The Walt Disney Company had also announced that Josh D’Amaro has been named Chairman, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, and Rebecca Campbell has been named Chairman, Direct-to-Consumer and International. Mr. D’Amaro and Ms. Campbell will report to Mr. Chapek.

According to ByteDance’s press release, Mayer will be responsible for “driving the global development of ByteDance, as well as overseeing corporate functions including corporate development, sales, marketing, public affairs, security, moderation, and legal."

Prior to his stint at the Disney, Mayer was the senior executive vice president and chief strategy officer of Disney where he managed their acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel Entertainment, Lucasfilm, and 21st Century Fox. He had also spent time at Miramax and ABC Radio.

TikTok parent ByteDance Launches Music Streaming Service Resso

ByteDance, which runs short-video platform TikTok, has launched a new music streaming service 'Resso' to take on competitors like Gaana, JioSaavn and Spotify in the Indian market.

Resso, which calls itself the world's first social music streaming app, is also looking at expanding its service to Indonesia in the the next few months.

"India is the first market where we are rolling out. The app is targeted at 18-24 year olds. It includes many exclusive and easy-to-use social features that will enable these Gen Z users to instantly connect with a larger community," Resso India Head of Music Content and Partnership Hari Nair told PTI.

He added that the company is working on expanding to Indonesia over the next few months.

For accessing features like downloadable content, unlimited skips and high-quality audio, users will need to upgrade to a monthly premium subscription of Rs 99 for Android and Rs 119 for iOS. The basic app is free for users.

Nair said the company's initial focus is on getting more users onboard but declined to comment on specific numbers.

Noting that the company has partnered with local and international players, Nair said Resso has also inked deals with labels like Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, Merlin and Beggars Group, T-Series, Saregama, Zee Music, YRF Music, Lahiri Music, Divo and Muzik 247, among others.

Resso, which allows users to generate content for the 'Vibes' feature, has set up a content moderation team to ensure that that inappropriate content is put up.

The app has a scroll format (similar to TikTok) and allows users to discover music content as soon as they open the app.

"Gen Z and millennials are at the core of our offering and both music and social networking are central to their daily lives. The relationship between music and the listener is currently passive but with Vibes, comments and other features, Resso aims to transform this through a new and compelling music streaming experience," Nair said.

With increasing availability of affordable smartphones and cheap data plans, India is the largest mobile data consumer market globally -- an opportunity that global tech companies are vying to tap into.

TikTok, which is part of China's ByteDance, has seen strong growth in its userbase in India. The platform, which allows users to create 30-second videos, has seen content being generated across categories like education, entertainment and food. It has over 200 million users in the country. PTI SR

TikTok Expands Community Guidelines for Greater Transparency

TikTok on Wednesday said it will remove content that threatens violence or depicts harm to individuals/groups based on attributes including religion, immigration status and national origin.

The short-video platform, which has now expanded its community guidelines to bring greater transparency to the existing rules, said it will also remove underage account holders (below 13 years of age) from the platform.

"We want to be sure users understand TikTok's guidelines, including when and why we place some restrictions on what is or isn't allowed on the app...The Community Guidelines we've published today give users far more detail than previous versions," TikTok said in a blogpsot.

It added that users will begin receiving notifications of the updated guidelines starting on Wednesday.

The platform, which is extremely popular among youngsters globally, including India, said country teams localise and implement these guidelines in accordance with local laws and norms.

Content that violates these guidelines are removed, and accounts involved in severe or repeated violations are suspended or banned.

"Under certain circumstances, we will go one step further and report the accounts to relevant legal authorities to keep our community safe," it noted.

TikTok said the platform will not allow content such as spamming, impersonation and disinformation campaigns, which is intended to deceive or mislead users.

"We do not permit misinformation that could cause harm to our community or the larger public. While we encourage our users to have respectful conversations about the subjects that matter to them, we remove misinformation that could cause harm to an individual's health or wider public safety," it pointed out.

It added that content distributed by disinformation campaigns will be removed, and urged users to not post content that misleads community members about elections or other civic processes.

The company said it does not allow dangerous individuals or organisations to use the platform to promote terrorism, crime, or other types of behaviour that could cause harm.

It asserted that "educational, historical, satirical, artistic, and other content that can be clearly identified as counterspeech" will be exempted.

TikTok, which is owned by China-based ByteDance, has about 200 million users in India.

Interestingly, India made the highest number of requests for user information and content removal on TikTok in the first half of 2019, according to the company's first transparency report unveiled recently.

TikTok said it had received 107 total requests (99 legal and 8 emergency) for 143 user accounts between January and June 2019 from India.

In addition, it received 11 government requests for 9 accounts, following which 8 accounts and 4 pieces of content were removed or restricted.

The new guidelines introduced on Wednesday also bar content that reveals or threatens to reveal personally identifiable information like residential address, email address, phone number, bank statement, social security number, or passport number as well as sexual imagery or non-consensual intimate imagery.

TikTok also spelt out that it will not allow users to publish or distribute content that infringes someone else's intellectual property rights. The guidelines also include rules around minor safety, harassment and bullying, and content around suicide and self-harm. PTI SR

India made Highest number of Requests to TikTok for User Info, Content Removal in H1 2019

India made the highest number of requests for user information and content removal on short-video platform TikTok in the first half of 2019, ahead of countries like the US and Japan.

According to the company's first transparency report, TikTok received 107 total requests (99 legal and 8 emergency) for 143 user accounts between January and June 2019 from India.

It added that 47 per cent of requests saw some information being produced.

In addition, TikTok received 11 government requests for 9 accounts, following which 8 accounts and 4 pieces of content were removed or restricted.

After India, the US made 79 total requests in the first half of 2019 (for 255 user accounts), of which 68 were legal and 11 were emergency requests. TikTok received six government requests in the US and total accounts specified stood at seven in the said period.

TikTok said like other tech companies, it was occasionally presented with requests from various official bodies, such as government agencies or law enforcement officials.

"These include requests to take down content deemed to be in violation of local laws, or to provide information related to accounts under certain defined circumstances, such as to assist in a criminal investigation or emergency request," it added.

Over the past few years, global tech giants like Facebook, Twitter and Google have started bringing out transparency reports that share details on government and legal requests for user information.

TikTok said any such request it receives is reviewed for legal sufficiency, to determine whether, for example, the requesting entity is authorised to gather evidence in connection with a law enforcement investigation or to investigate an emergency involving imminent harm.

TikTok also reviews content removal requests from governments closely and evaluates the specified content in accordance with its community guidelines and local laws, it added.

TikTok, which is owned by China-based ByteDance, is extremely popular among youngsters in India. However, it has had its share of troubles in the Indian market where it has 200 million users.

Last year, the Madras High Court had directed the Centre to ban TikTok app, saying it was evident from media reports that pornography and inappropriate content were made available through such mobile apps. The order was later lifted and the app was back on app stores.

Later, the Indian government issued notices to TikTok (and group company, Helo) along with a set of 24 questions regarding the alleged misuse of their platforms for "anti-national activities" in India. The company had responded to the notice. PTI SR MBI

Graphic India launches Tiktok Motion Comics and Garners Over 20 Mn Views In India

Graphic India, India’s leading character entertainment creator for original superheroes and TikTok, the world’s leading short video platform, launched short-form comic book - 18 Days: The Mahabharata, and Graphic’s female super-heroine series, DEVI on TikTok. The graphic books garnered a phenomenal 20 million views in 30 days on the platform.   

The 18 Days: The Mahabharata series is based on 18 Days graphic novels created by legendary comic book writer Grant Morrison with featuring art by Graphic India’s EVP Creative, Jeevan J Kang. Reinventing the epic Mahabharata, the series on the platform is developed with a  visually appealing storyline in a powerful format that has never been explored before on mobile devices. 



“TikTok is one of the most innovative and engaging platforms globally and we are thrilled to be working with them to redefine the comic book experience for millions of Indians across the country,” commented, Sharad Devarajan, Co-Founder and CEO of Graphic India. “Graphic India will soon be reaching over 50 million views a month of our digital comics and characters in India through partners like TikTok, bringing these great stories to everyone with a mobile phone and sparking a new creative revolution in comic book storytelling for a generation.”

Karan Grover, Senior Director, Entertainment and Partnerships, Asia and MENA, ByteDance said, “At TikTok we have successfully partnered with various brands to present consumers with diverse content that is compelling and engaging. Our partnership with Graphic India is to reinforce our commitment on creating novel and unique experiences in a new engaging format. We are glad that the users have enjoyed these unique stories and we look forward to bringing more such innovative content on our platform. “

Graphic India is now expanding their Motion Comics and Audio Comics offering on TikTok to include new languages beyond English and Hindi. Graphic India will also be launching new comics including; BAAHUBALI: RISE OF THE KALAKEYA: An original short form “Audio Comic” series based on the acclaimed ‘Baahubali’ films which will be available in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and English; as well as Motion Comics based on Stan Lee’s CHAKRA THE INVINCIBLE, the original Indian superhero character created by the legendary Spider-Man and The Avengers co-creator and Graphic India founder, Sharad Devarajan.

For more visit Graphic India’s TikTok “Gods and Legends” page: https://www.tiktok.com/@godsandlegends 

ABOUT GRAPHIC INDIA

GRAPHIC INDIA is one of India’s leading character entertainment companies focused on creating superheroes, comics and stories through mobile and digital platforms.  Led by media entrepreneur Sharad Devarajan, Graphic India is owned by U.S. comic book Company, Liquid Comics, CA Media LP, the Asian investment arm of The Chernin Group, LLC (TCG) and Start Media LLC. The company’s partners and investors bring together decades of experience in building businesses in character entertainment, media and India. Graphic believes that India is home to some of the most creative talent in the world, with more than 600 million people under the age of 25 and more than 850 million mobile phone users in the country. The Company’s mission is to create enduring stories and heroes that foster the imaginations and fuel the inspirations of a new globalized generation of youth in both India and around the world.

TikTok Democratizes eLearning with the Launch of the #EduTok Program

TikTok, the world's leading destination for short-form video content, today announced the launch of the #EduTok Program, a multi-phased integrated initiative aligned with the wider objective of democratizing learning for the Indian digital community on the platform.

#EduTok has witnessed a great user response since its inception. To date, over 10 million pieces of content were created and shared using the #EduTok hashtag, which have garnered over 48 billion views and have been shared 1.8 billion times on TikTok.

Keeping in mind the larger benefits of Digital Learning, #EduTok is an effort to further highlight TikTok’s commitment to propel India’s creative economy and its contribution in the lives of digital natives.

Taking learning online to offline with the #EduTok Mentorship Program

Through this initiative, TikTok forges a collaboration with leading social enterprises, Josh Talks and The/Nudge Foundation to launch a mentorship program. The program is aimed at supporting first-time internet users to gain knowledge by giving them access to high-quality educational content created by TikTok creators and educational organizations for millions of TikTok’s users who are willing to learn.

As part of this mentorship program, Josh Talks will organise 25 #EduTok workshops where 5,000 creative individuals will be shortlisted and invited to attend a hands-on learning workshop delivered by an existing and popular #EduTok Creator. For the workshops, The/Nudge Foundation will also tailor-make content for these young individuals covering critical topics such as Soft Skills, Skill Development, Identity Building, Job Readiness and Career Planning. The workshops will be organized over six months starting from October 2019 until March 2020.

The workshops will be held across six states that include Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Jammu. Each workshop will accommodate up to 200 users and will be conducted in the states’ regional languages with popular TikTok creators who have impressed the audience with their inspiring content around motivation, language skills, health and fitness, respectively.

Exchanging perspectives on the future of learning in the age of Digital India.



TikTok unveiled the #EduTok Program at an event in New Delhi today, to highlight and discuss the relevance of learning in the age of smartphones. Experts participating in this shift also came together to discuss the increasing appetite for online educational content. Participants included the following representatives:

• Aveg Agarwal, Senior Vice President, Toppr


• Supriya Paul, Co-founder and Director, Josh Talks


• Sophie Choudry, Actor and Fitness Icon


• Saurabh Adeeb, Head of Programs and Initiatives, The Nudge/Foundation


• Dr. Animesh, Popular #EduTok Creator

Together they spoke about the current landscape, different formats in education, benefits of online learning, the flexibility that comes along with eLearning and how this shift is helping mentors in reaching students at the grassroot level.

Nitin Saluja, Director, Public Policy, TikTok India said, “Education is meant to involve a process of collaboration and co-creation. As TikTok’s most impactful campaign in India to date, #EduTok has enabled an active exchange of knowledge and skills, which has brought about a shift in the consumption of educational content online. The #EduTok Program is TikTok’s effort in bringing innovation in the education industry by democratising learning. The #EduTok Mentorship program is aimed at leveraging TikTok’s reach across 6 states with the lower literacy rates. We are thankful to our partners who have joined hands with us in this mission and are excited to make #EduTok a phenomenon in the world of education.”

Atul Satija, Founder & CEO, The/Nudge Foundation said, “Digital education is becoming a critical tool in the overall education framework to support new learning approaches, and to bridge the gap between industry demand and the skill ecosystem. A platform such as TikTok effectively optimizes learning opportunities, as it offers access to a variety of tools, all under one roof, therefore providing a fulfilling learning experience. The motivation behind the Mentorship Program is to equip our future workforce with relevant and cutting-edge ideas to drive lasting, widespread change. We are very excited to get an opportunity to collaborate with TikTok and Josh Talks on driving this initiative forward.”

Promoting e-Learning on TikTok through Strategic Partnerships

Along with the mentorship program, key educational technology companies such as Toppr, Made Easy and GradeUp have also joined TikTok to deliver subject-focussed content for the platform. This collaboration will further give TikTok’s community of over 200 million users an opportunity to learn and grow as individuals and benefit from educational content available on the platform, in various formats, across categories and languages.

Aveg Agarwal, Senior Vice President at Toppr said, “It is encouraging to see that organizations are harnessing digital tools to transform India's education industry. Toppr is happy to collaborate with campaigns such as #EduTok and do meaningful additions that can help students learn better. Partnering with TikTok is our effort to continuously improve pedagogy and democratize the access to better learning."

Gunjan Taneja, popular fitness creator on TikTok said, “Campaigns such as #EduTok shine a spotlight on how one should never give up the quest to learn and how one can succeed if they have the grit and determination to work towards their goals. We are very excited as well as humbled to be a part of the #EduTok Program. My fellow creators and I are looking forward to training young brilliant minds and motivating them to work towards their passion with utmost dedication.”

TikTok Shines a Light on Suicide Prevention, Encourages Users to become ‘Gatekeepers’

In collaboration with Suicide Prevention India Foundation (SPIF) TikTok aims to spread awareness and acceptance of mental illnesses in India 

• Promoting the concept of ‘Gatekeepers’, the campaign #YourLifeMatters encourages the community to spot suicidal tendencies in their loved ones and encourage them to share and overcome their worst fears 

India, September 09, 2019: In observance of World Suicide Prevention Day, TikTok, the world's leading short video platform, has collaborated with Suicide Prevention India Foundation (SPIF) to launch #YourLifeMatters, a campaign to spread awareness around the importance of mental health.

The in-app campaign encourages everyone to prioritize self-care, practice self-compassion, debunk stigmas attached to mental health issues and seek professional help if required.

According to World Health Organization, India comes in the top 25 countries with the highest suicidal cases. The partnership between TikTok and SPIF aims to curb the increasing suicide rates in India by viewing it as public health issue, and by leveraging the power of the community, as we believe that everyone has a role to play help battle it.

In line with this, TikTok along with SPIF has launched a campaign called #YourLifeMatters. As part of this initiative, SPIF has been sharing short and relatable videos through their TikTok profile (@spif_in) to empower TikTok users with the necessary know-how to essay the role as ‘Gatekeepers’ . A ‘Gatekeeper’ could be any individual who is trained to be able to spot someone with suicidal tendencies, be of assistance to such individuals and refer them to a mental health professional. Since nearly 8 out of 10 people contemplating suicide, give out verbal or nonverbal signs, trained Gatekeepers can play a major role in helping save lives.

This initiative is aimed to mobilize the online community to play a part in preventing individuals from doing self harm. Additionally, the videos also have suicide survivors sharing their personal stories and motivating users to not lose hope and find the strength to overcome their struggles.

“In today’s age, one of the most powerful ways to bring about social change is to mobilize a community. We adhere to a similar mission at TikTok, as we want to use our platform to make a difference on issues that remain unvoiced and nudge the social consciousness of our users. Through this initiative, we are hopeful to take initial steps to encourage the dialogue on mental health and reiterate to the community of how everyone’s life matters. By partnering with SPIF, we are delighted to be making these life-saving skills available to more and more communities,” said Nitin Saluja, Director, Public Policy (India), TikTok. 

Nelson Vinod Moses, Founder, Suicide Prevention India Foundation added , "There is a pertinent need for society to come together to break the stigma associated with depression and other mental health issues. SPIF believes that everyone should be involved in fighting this battle; in their individual capacity and help people suffering from depression. Collaborating with TikTok will boost our mission of educating people and equipping them to assume the role of “Gatekeeper” when it comes to suicide prevention. The platform will help us reiterate the message of how prevention of suicide is every individual’s responsibility."

As part of #YourLifeMatters campaign, SPIF will also conduct offline events in schools and colleges such as talks, workshops, debates, plays to encourage conversation on mental health. The campaign will cover 30 colleges in 10 cities over September, October and November. This partnership is a part of TikTok For Good, a long-term initiative launched by TikTok to underscore the platform’s commitment and contribution as a content platform for social good.

TikTok ties with Vedantu, Vidya Guru, other Indian eLearning Platforms to Encourage Digital Learning

TikTok, the world's leading short video platform, has partnered with key educational technology companies - Vedantu, Vidya Guru, Hello English, CETKing and Testbook in an effort to encourage subject focussed content creation and learning as part of its ongoing knowledge based campaign #EduTok. The aim of the partnership is to give over 200 million TikTok users an opportunity to learn and grow as individuals by partnering with industry leaders to create educational content in various formats and languages.

As part of the partnership, the EdTech companies have joined the platform and are creating content videos on various subjects that can enable personalized learning for TikTok users. Apart from subjects such as Social Sciences, English, Mathematics, Hindi, Biology, Chemistry, the online learning platforms are also creating videos that will share information about Current Affairs, Vocabulary and post-graduate programs such as MBA, under #EduTok.

Sachin Sharma, Director, Sales and Partnerships, TikTok India said, “Digital evolution and the boom in smartphone adoption is redefining the learning patterns of the digital community at large. With these partnerships, we are building an education ecosystem that gives learners the opportunities to thrive in their respective careers and subjects and help solve their challenges with ease, while using a platform that they love. We are very happy to have established education partners joining us in our mission, and we look forward to seeing our audience benefit from the content.”

Anand Prakash, Co-Founder, Vedantu said, “At Vedantu, we aim to bridge the gap and ensure quality education across rural and urban India is available, resulting in equal opportunity. Collaborating with TikTok has supplemented our mission as it allows us to reach the farthest corners in India and share knowledge and information with users from Tier 2 and 3 cities, while making learning fun and engaging. Campaigns such as #EduTok equip us with additional tools to significantly increase the quality of learning experience and provide access to education across the country.”

Sonia Grover Kalra, Director, Vidya Guru Institute said, “Technological innovation in Education has allowed us to scale individualized learning to an effective level. We at Vidya Guru are always looking out for innovative models that allow us to deliver subject knowledge in interesting formats. TikTok empowers us to do so and we are thrilled to be a part of its #EduTok campaign that is inspiring, engaging, and motivating the student community.”

Jinisha Jain, Business Development-Strategic Partnerships Manager, Hello English said, “TikTok with its campaigns has brought forward innovative methods to teach as well as consume educational content. We have seen phenomenal user appetite with individuals coming forward and showing enthusiasm to learn different languages. #EduTok is playing the role of empowering individuals; creators for sharing their knowledge and building an identity while individuals being encouraged to never give up the quest for learning. Partnering with TikTok has enabled us to contribute to the larger purpose of building the knowledge economy of the country.”

#EduTok is an effort to further highlight TikTok’s commitment to propel India’s creative economy and its contribution in the lives of digital natives. The videos created as part of the campaign, which has garnered over 37 billion views, showcases the spirit of TikTok creators and partners who use the platform to bring a change in the society by sharing their knowledge with the larger community.

To Promote Online Safety, TikTok partners with Indian Institute of Mass Communication

New Delhi, Aug 26 (PTI) Chinese short-form video platform TikTok on Monday said it has partnered with the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) to train budding media professionals on existing industry-wide challenges faced due to evolving social media landscape in India.

Under the partnership, TikTok and the IIMC will organise a series of workshops with students and professors of the educational institute across its six regional campuses over the next two months, starting August 26, a statement said.

These workshops will be implemented by Youth Ki Awaaz, an online community for social issues. The workshops will feature a curriculum that incorporates insights and learnings shared by thought leaders from new media, internet-based companies and educational institutional community.

The workshops will focus on aspects like responsible and safe use of the internet, combating misinformation on the internet and the role that can be played in creating a positive online environment.

The initiative is part of TikTok's '#WaitASecToReflect' ongoing campaign to promote responsible online conduct among India's netizens.

"We believe that as the media landscape evolves, there is a need to equip, and educate aspiring media professionals about their role as enablers of positive impact on society," IIMC Director General KS Dhatwalia said.

Through this academic partnership, the aim is to train the next generation of media professionals about various nuances of news and information consumption on digital platforms, he added.

"We believe in building relationships that would help further develop and support this industry-wide mission to actively train young professionals to help them become more informed digital citizens and promote online safety," TikTok Director of Public Policy (India) Nitin Saluja said.

Previously, TikTok had announced partnerships with Uttarakhand Police Department and Kerala Police to help these organisations connect better with citizens.

TikTok, which allows people to create short videos and share them, had its share of troubles in the Indian market where it has 200 million users.

Last month, the Indian government had issued notices to TikTok and Helo along with a set of 24 questions regarding the alleged misuse of their platforms for "anti-national activities" in India. The company had responded to the notice.

In April, the Madras High Court had directed the Centre to ban TikTok app, saying it was evident from media reports that pornography and inappropriate content were made available through such mobile apps. The order was later lifted and the app was back on app stores. PTI SR