Last year, Tik Tok’s parent company ByteDance and Oracle reached a “technical partnership” for the social media platform’s US operations. The deal was expected to address the national security concerns surrounding TikTok, raised by the Trump Administration.
But now, it would seem that these efforts have been ‘shelved indefinitely’ while US President Joe Biden “undertakes a broad review of his predecessor’s efforts to address potential security risks from Chinese tech companies”.
Spokesperson for the National Security Council, Emily Horne told the Wall Street Journal that “we plan to develop a comprehensive approach to securing US data that addresses the full range of threats we face. This includes the risk posed by Chinese apps and other software that operate in the US. In the coming months, we expect to review specific cases in light of a comprehensive understanding of the risks we face.”
TikTok Launches Android TV App
TikTok has launched an Android TV app, available from the Google Play Store – making it even easier for users to spend hours watching shortform videos.
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According to 9to5Google, the TikTok app works similarly to the regular app where “videos are shown in a feed [and users] can flip through to see more content”.
The difference is that using the Android app, users will see a vertical version of the video with the title, category, and comments off to the side of the screen.
“[Our] shortform videos are fun, genuine and creative. And now, we’re bringing that fun content to your television,” reads an official statement from TikTok.
“Whether you’re a sports fanatic, a pet enthusiast, or just looking for a laugh, there’s something for everyone on TikTok. All you have to do is watch, engage with what you like, skip what you don’t, and you’ll find an endless stream of short videos that feel personalized just for you. All from the comfort of your couch.”
Currently, the TikTok app for Android TV is only available in certain regions – there’s no word yet on when it will be launched worldwide.
Edited by Jenna Delport
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