Here is the result in plain text:
Russia fined TikTok for not removing prohibited content. The results of a presidential election in Romania were thrown out over concerns the app had been used to spread foreign influence. Albania banned TikTok for a year following the stabbing death of a teenager by another one after the two quarreled online. “Either TikTok protects the children of Albania, or Albania will protect its children from TikTok,” the prime minister, Edi Rama, said.
TikTok has confronted legal and political scrutiny around the world in recent years, facing outright or partial bans in at least 20 countries, as governments have grown alarmed by its ties to China and its wide influence, especially among young people.
Despite the mounting scrutiny, TikTok remains incredibly popular worldwide. More than a billion people use the app every month.
Officials from Montana to New Zealand have warned that TikTok could be used to incite violence, spread false information and worsen mental health. Lawmakers also worry TikTok could share user data like location and browsing history with the Chinese government.
TikTok has insisted that the concerns are overblown. It has teams dedicated to combating influence operations, whose work it makes public, the company said. TikTok’s algorithm, which it aims to “maintain content neutrality,” ranks content based on what users express interest in, the company said.
TikTok has said ByteDance is majority-owned by global investors. At the same time, the Chinese government has claimed authority to oppose any sale.
Here is how governments have gone after TikTok. Total ban: India and Nepal. Fines and forced local tie-ups: Russia and Indonesia. Blocked on government devices: Taiwan, Britain, Canada and others.
Source link
