Latest news with #algorithm
Phone Arena
2 days ago
- Business
- Phone Arena
TikTok faces shutdown as commerce secretary pressures ByteDance over US control
TikTok is once again the talk of the town and it seems that nobody knows what will happen to some 170 million Americans' favorite app. The possibility of TikTok shutting down in the US is not yet off the table, if ByteDance doesn't hand over control of the app's American operations to US investors. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick made it clear that if China does not approve the proposed deal, TikTok will be forced to stop operating in the United States. – Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, July 2025 The current proposal would create a new, US-based version of TikTok, run and majority-owned by American investors. While ByteDance could retain a small stake, the key point of contention is the algorithm – the software that determines what content users see. Lutnick stressed that the US must not only own the company's infrastructure but also control the algorithm itself. This is not the first time Washington has demanded a TikTok divestiture, as you know by now. A law passed in 2024 required ByteDance to sell or shut down TikTok's US operations by January 19, 2025. President Trump has delayed that deadline three times, most recently granting an extension to September 17. But that flexibility has done little to move the deal had made progress earlier this year, but they stalled after China signaled it would not approve the transaction – especially following Trump's announcement of new tariffs on Chinese imports. Yeah, it's not surprising this didn't have any situation has also drawn legal challenges and political disagreement. Some Democratic lawmakers argue that Trump does not have the authority to keep extending the deadline. They also question whether the proposed deal would meet the legal requirements of the 2024 law. Meanwhile, Attorney General Pam Bondi sent letters to Apple, Google, and other tech firms that host TikTok, assuring them the Justice Department would not pursue legal action if they continued to support the app during the another potential buyer has backed out of the deal, as we told you the other day. Blackstone has withdrawn from a group of investors aiming to take over TikTok's American operations, citing delays tied to US-China trade tensions. I don't think a conclusion will be reached on September 17, the way things are going.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
TikTok will go dark in US without Chinese approval of sale deal, US commerce secretary says
July 24 (Reuters) - U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Thursday that TikTok will have to stop operating in the United States if China does not approve a deal for the sale of the Chinese-owned short video app that is used by some 170 million Americans. Lutnick, speaking on CNBC, also said the United States must control the algorithm that makes the social media platform work. Last month, President Donald Trump extended by 90 days to September 17 a deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest the U.S. assets of TikTok. Trump's action took place despite a 2024 law that mandated a sale or shutdown by January 19 of this year if there had not been significant progress. "China can have a little piece or ByteDance, the current owner, can keep a little piece. But basically, Americans will have control. Americans will own the technology, and Americans will control the algorithm," Lutnick said. "If that deal gets approved, by the Chinese, then that deal will happen. If they don't approve it, then TikTok is going to go dark, and those decisions are coming very soon." TikTok did not immediately comment. A deal had been in the works this spring that would spin off TikTok's U.S. operations into a new U.S.-based firm, majority-owned and operated by U.S. investors. This stalled after China indicated it would not approve it following Trump's announcements of steep tariffs on Chinese goods. Trump has three times granted reprieves from federal enforcement of the law that mandated the sale or shutdown of TikTok that was supposed to take effect in January. Attorney General Pam Bondi sent letters to Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab, Google (GOOGL.O), opens new tab and other companies that provide services or host the TikTok app that were made public this month. The letters said the Justice Department was irrevocably relinquishing any claims against the companies for potential violations of the law, citing Trump's determination that an abrupt shutdown would interfere with his overseeing national security and foreign affairs. Some Democratic lawmakers argue Trump has no legal authority to extend the deadline and suggest the deal under consideration would not meet legal requirements.
Zawya
3 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
TikTok must exit China control and US to control algorithm, Commerce Secretary Lutnick says
U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick told CNBC on Thursday that TikTok must be taken out of Chinese control and that Washington should oversee the social media platform's algorithm. (Reporting by Jaspreet Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Tasim Zahid)
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Khruangbin, again? I quit Spotify for a month to escape samey algorithms – this is what I learned
If you use music to set or fix your mood, Spotify is a tantalising tool. Feeling sad? Cry to your personalised 'Depress Sesh Mix'. In a romantic crisis? Stew in your own 'Situationship Mix'. As I write this, I'm listening to Spotify's Daylist, a mix that refreshes every few hours based on my own listening habits. Today's vibe is 'funky beats roller skating tuesday early morning mix'. At 120bpm, the algorithm knows I need some energetic house to roll from my bed to my desk. The problem with this listening experience isn't just the creepy AI-driven intimacy of it all, more that the same songs are recycled in a predictable loop. Spotify's algorithm has anaesthetised artists I once enjoyed. Every time I hear the slippery psychedelic bass of Khruangbin slinking into one of my playlists, or flow in seamlessly from another artist's radio, I violently hit skip. A decade ago, Spotify favoured human-curated playlists made by artists, celebrities and music aficionados. But in 2021, the streaming company pivoted towards machine learning, feeding 'nearly half a trillion events' into computer models every day. Now, user data – chiefly our listening history, interactions with Spotify's user interface and the time of day – is packaged into a mixtape for every micro-occasion. Advocates argue this is a chance to democratise music promotion, neatly matching artists with their audiences. Critics suggest this ultra-subjective experience limits musical discovery to the already familiar – and the less it's challenged, the more my music taste narrows. So as a test, I quit Spotify for a month, to bring some soul back into the way I find music. First, I consulted people who had never used streaming services, like my dad, who grew up in 1970s London in the heyday of punk and glam rock. Hunched in a booth in his local record shop, he would listen to a sample and take a punt on what vinyl to buy – A-side or B-side. Some albums apparently missed the mark, and others, like Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, transported him to a different universe. He insisted I start with my favourite artists, and listen to every album front to back, as if reading a story. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Inspired, I bought a $30 record player in an op-shop and hunted for vinyls. Late to the record renaissance, it was slim pickings – Australian pub classics, Christian country or Christmas hits. But when a friend pointed out my new turntable was missing a needle, it became a dusty but decorative addition to my living room. My 20-year-old neighbour had another suggestion: a diamante-encrusted iPod, which she produced in a ziplock bag like a hallowed artefact. Found for $200 on Facebook Marketplace, plugging in wired earplugs and hitting shuffle was a nostalgic throwback. But this romance was short-lived: the iPod was incompatible with my Bluetooth speaker and demanded hours of admin to upload music. The biggest challenge came when driving my old silver Subaru, as I was stranded with only a single CD, a flimsy aux cord and my thoughts. Stuck with silence, I wondered what the new grinding noise was – until I discovered my local community broadcaster, Vox FM 106.9. More than 5 million Australians listen to community radio every week, for 17 hours on average – and now, I can see why. The station prides itself on 'real music' and even has the tagline 'You never know what you like until you try it'. Just what I needed! And it's true, I had forgotten how good it feels to wind down the windows and blast Push the Button by the Sugababes, and then to roll them up again when a classical German song, a mystery even to Shazam, comes on. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion I contacted Justin Moon, who runs a popular underground radio station and record shop in Newcastle. He sources music from record fairs, friends, and Bandcamp – distributing interesting sounds as a conduit, or Hermes figure, to lay (or lazy) people like me. Moon is noticing that his customers are searching for a more 'active' listening experience. 'It's not this kind of passive wash-over-you rubbish that you make your two-minute noodles to and forget all about 10 seconds later,' he says. Music – like film, TV, and food – is now served to us effortlessly, instantly. But this has caused the way we consume music to be more siloed. Spending a month hunting for new music myself, rather than relying on an algorithm, made me feel more connected to my parents, friends, radio presenters and even complete strangers. Their recommendations – whether to my taste or not – came with a part of themselves, a memory, or a shared interest. After my month's Spotify hiatus, my algorithm hasn't been cleansed. Over the course of writing this piece, my daylist has evolved into 'french indietronica swimming pool tuesday afternoon', whatever that means. There are two Khruangbin songs on there. It's safe to say I would rather play roulette with the radio.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
X slams French criminal probe over alleged algorithm ‘manipulation'
Elon Musk's X has attacked a French criminal probe over 'the alleged manipulation of its algorithm', calling it politically motivated and a
