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TikTok

Latest news and updates on TikTok, the globally popular social media platform. The app, which merged with Musical.ly in 2018, lets users create short videos under a minute long complete with visual effects and background music. It has since come under scrutiny in countries like the US and India because it is owned by a Chinese company. Critics have accused the app of posing a national security risk, a claim that TikTok has repeatedly denied. Known as Douyin in China, the app is owned by Beijing-based startup ByteDance, also behind the Chinese news aggregator Jinri Toutiao.

Chairman / President

Zhang Yiming

CEO / Managing Director

Shou Zi Chew

CFO / Finance Director

Julie Gao

Industry

Social Media

Website

tiktok.com

Headquarters address

Culver City, 5800 Bristol Pkwy, United States

Year founded

2016

The Cyberspace Administration of China says it has removed some 49,000 accounts during its latest enforcement drive. Photo: Reuters

Artificial intelligence

‘Slop’ purge: Chinese watchdog scrubs millions of harmful AI posts

Clampdown sweeps across 2,400 websites and apps as cyberspace watchdog escalates fight against generative tech abuse.

2 Sep 2026 - 5:49PMvideocam

United States

Trump’s North Korea hope, China’s rocket force: 7 global relations reads

1 Sep 2026 - 10:00PM

Singapore

Singapore may require social media firms to set daily time limits for teens

31 Aug 2026 - 5:28PM

The Philippines

Philippine Roblox ban call sparks wider debate over children’s online safety

The online gaming platform has been blamed for the rise in school shootings and child sexual exploitation cases in Southeast Asia.

28 Aug 2026 - 7:26PMvideocam

Get to Know

Who is Stella Lefty’s boyfriend, viral country star Vincent Mason?

Inspired by John Mayer, the rising musician co-wrote ‘Something to Lose’ with Lefty and joined her to perform the track at Lollapalooza 2026.

28 Aug 2026 - 12:40PM

Get to Know

Meet rising Slovak pop star Adéla’s boyfriend, music producer Jackson Shanks

He has been dating the rising Slovak pop star and ‘Ain’t In LA’ singer for a year, having first been spotted together at a Sabrina Carpenter concert last November.

27 Aug 2026 - 4:21PM

China-Latin America relations

Brazil fines TikTok record US$30 million for profiting from children’s data

ByteDance penalised for allegedly collecting data from 1 in 5 Brazilian children and failing to block minors from using TikTok.

26 Aug 2026 - 2:54AMvideocam

TikTok has faced mounting regulatory scrutiny around the world over child safety, age verification and the collection and use of young users’ data. Photo: TNS

Britain

UK police arrest 12 after deadly wrong-way crash that killed 7

Police have denied the collision on Saturday was linked to filming for the TikTok online platform.

24 Aug 2026 - 11:51PM

New Zealand

New Zealand moves to ban social media for under-16s

Wellington is proposing fines of up to 10 per cent of global turnover for tech firms, but a coalition partner has vowed to block the measure.

24 Aug 2026 - 1:14PM

Britain

7 dead in UK after vehicle travelling in wrong direction hits police car

Following recent head-on crashes in Ireland, police have warned that some young people are driving the wrong way ‘for social media ‌likes’.

23 Aug 2026 - 2:39AM

Police officers at the scene of a fatal crash involving a police car and a Volkswagen in South Bank, near Middlesbrough, England, UK on Saturday. Photo: PA via AP

Get to Know

Meet Jonathan Daviss, the Outer Banks actor who will play Snoop Dogg next

As the Netflix hit draws to a close, the actor playing the brains of the Pogues bids an emotional farewell to co-stars Madelyn Cline, Chase Stokes and more.

22 Aug 2026 - 2:00PM

Jonathan Daviss attends a fan event for Netflix’s Outer Banks Season 5 in Los Angeles on August 15. Photo: EPA

US-China relations

TikTok, ByteDance agree to US$400 million settlement with US government

TikTok will pay US$300 million immediately and an additional US$100 million after entering an order vacating a prior consent decree.

22 Aug 2026 - 7:01AMvideocam

Get to Know

Who is The Rizzler? Meet the viral 10-year-old Christian Joseph

The viral internet meme personality, who rose to fame after wearing a Black Panther costume, has appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s show and met John Cena.

19 Aug 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

Get to Know

Meet Hayes Warner, the pop singer who plays Debbie in The Shards

Known for her TikTok hit ‘Breadcrumbs’, she stars in the erotic thriller adapted by Ryan Murphy, alongside Kaia Gerber and Evan Rachel Wood.

19 Aug 2026 - 2:49PM

Kaia Gerber and Hayes Warner (right) attend a launch party for FX’s The Shards in Glendale, California, on August 5. Photo: Getty Images/AFP

Fame and celebrity

Meet Jenna Ortega’s supportive sister Aliyah, who’s a nursing student

The Wednesday actress recently drew concern over her physique, and her younger sibling commented on a fan’s Instagram post defending the star.

18 Aug 2026 - 1:07PMvideocam

Jenna Ortega (left) and her younger sister Aliyah. Photos: @jennaortega/Instagram; @aliyah.ortega/Instagram

Social media

Chinamaxxing: is it really about China or Gen Z fleeing Western fatigue?

From viral candy wrappers to hot water routines, Western Gen Z appears obsessed with all things China. But is it true love?

18 Aug 2026 - 2:01AMvideocam

Britain

UK PM Andy Burnham shifts focus to TikTok and podcasts

The British prime minister is bypassing traditional outlets with deft digital strategy, sparking praise from young voters and pushback from legacy media.

16 Aug 2026 - 3:59PM

US-China relations

From TikTok to war weariness, a new generation of Americans’ view of China

On US college campuses, a generation shaped by China’s rise is challenging the assumptions behind Washington’s approach to Beijing.

15 Aug 2026 - 10:00AMvideocam

Students on US university campuses are increasingly questioning the long-held assumptions behind Washington’s China policy, according to their professors. Photo: TNS

Get to Know

Meet Sienna Spiro, the 20-year-old British singer likened to Adele and Lana Del Rey

The Gen-Z songstress’ father is famed jeweller Glenn Spiro, who crafted the controversial Iranian artefact earrings Zendaya wore to an event for The Odyssey.

15 Aug 2026 - 6:00AM

Food and Drinks

Interview: Nick and Henry Burch on Butter Baby’s mad, whimsical universe

Founded by the American fashion designer’s twin sons, the Jakarta doughnut phenomenon counts Jackson Wang and North West among its fans.

13 Aug 2026 - 3:00PM

US-China relations

US lifts TikTok ban on government devices after ByteDance restructuring

Justice Department says the app’s new US joint venture is no longer covered by the 2022 prohibition targeting app’s Chinese parent company.

12 Aug 2026 - 5:52AMvideocam

The restructuring saved TikTok from a US ban imposed over concerns about American user data and its ties to China. Photo: AFP

United States

US court rules tech firms must face lawsuits over social media addiction

The lawsuits allege that companies including TikTok and Meta intentionally addicted young users, contributing to a ⁠mental health crisis.

11 Aug 2026 - 3:28AMvideocam

TikTok is among the tech firms facing lawsuits over social media addiction in the US. Photo: AFP

Wellness

What’s really in your menstrual products – and should you be worried?

TikTok exposed Always for chemicals and mould concerns, but newer brands like Rael and Thinx are proving the period aisle can do better.

10 Aug 2026 - 8:00AM

China exports

How China’s brands are thriving in the US despite rising geopolitical tensions

Chinese brands like Pop Mart are winning over American consumers by projecting a global image and targeting niche markets.

18 Aug 2026 - 1:10PM

United States

Meta ordered in US to pay US$567 million to address child safety harms

Company says it will appeal after a New Mexico judge directs funds to youth mental health programmes and orders app changes.

7 Aug 2026 - 10:12AM

An art installation in Los Angeles highlights the dangers young people face online. Meta has been ordered by a US judge to pay US$567 million over child safety harms. Photo: AFP

Get to Know

All about the parents of celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton

The media personality recently moved back to his hometown, Miami, to be closer to his mother, affectionately known as Momma Perez.

6 Aug 2026 - 7:00PM

Celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton has a close relationship with his mother, Teresita Lavandeira. Photo: Getty Images

US-China relations

Trump nominee vows to sharpen US media challenge to China

Sarah Rogers says Asia would remain a priority for US-funded broadcasters, despite continuing turmoil and reduced operations at the agency.

31 Jul 2026 - 6:47AMvideocam

Artificial intelligence

ByteDance sharpens AI focus as annualised revenue reaches US$4b

Company’s projected annual AI revenue is the largest known to the public among Chinese rivals, but still far behind US AI firms.

30 Jul 2026 - 8:30PM

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