Tag: tiktok

Meta developing new social networking app to compete with Twitter

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is developing a standalone text-based social network app that could potentially compete with both Twitter and its decentralised rival, Mastodon.

According to reports, Meta is exploring the creation of a decentralised social network for sharing text updates, providing a separate space where public figures and creators can share timely updates about their interests.

Meta’s Twitter-like app would allow the company to take advantage of the current confusion at Twitter, where cost-cutting has been widespread ever since Elon Musk’s takeover of the platform late last year. Companies have withdrawn their spending following Twitter’s restoration of suspended accounts and release of a paid account verification that resulted in scammers impersonating firms.

The new app, codenamed P92, will allow users to log in using their existing Instagram credentials and will be based on a similar framework to Mastodon, a Twitter-like service launched in 2016.

The decentralised platform cannot be run at the whim of a single entity and cannot be bought or sold. Meta’s plans come at a time when Facebook, its largest platform, is struggling to capture the attention of younger audiences. In addition, the company has invested heavily in the metaverse, a virtual world where users interact and work, which has yet to come to fruition.

Instagram, its video-sharing app, is also facing tough competition as content creators or hit influencers abandon the platform in favour of TikTok. It is currently unclear when Meta will launch the new app.

March 11, 2023
TikTok will set a 60 minute screen time limit for users under 18

After consistent criticism against social media apps on the harmful impact they have on underage users, TikTok has announced measures to tackle the problem. On Wednesday, Tik Tok revealed that users under the age of 18 will now have their usage restricted to a one hour time limit.
Once the 60 minutes limit has been reached, users will have to type in a passcode to continue, a move which will allow them to make an active decision to continue using the app.
Cormac Keena, the head of trust and safety at Tik Tok, wrote a blog post where he revealed that the company had consulted experts and researchers from the Digital Wellness Lab at Boston’s Childrens Hospital about how to help teenagers limit their online activity.
“While there’s no collectively-endorsed position on how much screen time is ‘too much’, or even the impact of screen time more broadly, we recognize that teens typically require extra support as they start to explore the online world independently,” Keenan wrote.
Keenan also revealed that a new update will be added to Tik Tok’s Family Pairing feature, which will allow a parent or guardian to link their account to their child’s and set controls like filtering words or hashtags they don’t want their minor to come across, or even set a custom daily screen time limit.

March 3, 2023
Pakistan will never shut down social media sites again, IT Minister promises

Speaking at the ‘Accelerating US Investments in Pakistan’ event in Karachi, Federal IT and Telecommunication Minister Aminul Haq said that closing social media sites and applications is not the solution to the problem, and Pakistan has decided that no website or app will be closed in any case.

Pakistan has a history of banning social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and most recently, Wikipedia. However, Haq emphasized that “banning can never be a solution.” Haq’s statement is a significant departure from Pakistan’s previous actions, and he promised that any such action would go through the IT ministry, where there will be no ban from now on.

Despite bureaucratic hurdles at the Finance Division, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Haq’s ministry has been persistent and able to get many things done, such as allowing IT export companies to retain 35% of dollars in their accounts.

During the event, Haq praised Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for supporting the Digital Pakistan vision despite all the bureaucratic hurdles.

February 18, 2023
YouTube to launch free ad-supported TV channels

YouTube is testing new content on its platform with a hub of ad-supported TV streaming channels. The company is actively working with various companies in order to bring TV shows and movies to the platform. While it is currently just being trialed, there is the possibility that it could be offered to the public for free at a later date.

A YouTube spokesperson corroborated the report with The Wall Street Journal, stating that “a small experiment that lets a subset of viewers watch free, ad-supported channels” is currently in progress and that it is “using it to gauge viewer interest.” The addition of free and ad-supported channels could be a big one, adding to the already large amount of revenue that the platform generates from ads.

Similar to its agreement with content creators on its platform, YouTube is seeking to collect a 45 per cent cut of the ad revenue while talks are still in progress. Despite the fact that this would be an uncharted area for YouTube, businesses like Roku, Samsung, and others have long provided free, ad-supported TV channels through their own platforms. The ability for YouTube to seamlessly provide consumers with simple access to a range of other material on its platform might differentiate the user experience.

The recent multi-year agreement that was signed to provide NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels starting in 2023 is just one example of the extensive work that YouTube has done in recent years to enhance its content.

Additionally, the company has grown by introducing YouTube TV, a distinct online TV streaming service that offers over a hundred TV channels much like your local cable or satellite provider. The platform has expanded to include short-form user-created videos in addition to more traditional user-generated content.

It launched Shorts last year in an effort to take on TikTok, and it appears to be succeeding. As YouTube has begun the process of sharing ad revenue with Shorts producers by altering the conditions of its YouTube Partner Program, this year might be even better. This might be a significant step over the coming year that puts TikTok and its neck and neck. Things might get hotter for YouTube in 2023 if it is successful in integrating free ad-supported channels into its platform.

January 15, 2023
Samsung introduces AI-powered fridge with 32-inch smart touchscreen

Samsung has launched the “Bespoke Refrigerator Family Hub Plus,” its latest fridge with a built-in 32-inch HD touchscreen display.

Its display, which can be used to watch films, prepare digital shopping lists for Amazon delivery, and operate SmartThings-compatible smart home gadgets, is substantially bigger at 32 inches than the 21.5-inch screen featured on earlier versions of Samsung Family Hub refrigerators.

The Family Hub Plus, which was unveiled in a press release in Korean, comes with the free Samsung TV Plus service, which enables customers to view 190 TV channels in the US or about 80 stations in South Korea via the Samsung TV Plus app.

The vertical orientation of the display also makes it ideal for viewing social media content like TikTok videos and YouTube Shorts. It also has a picture-in-picture (PIP) mode that allows you to watch films in a floating window while using the rest of the screen for other purposes.

Along with the OneDrive integration that was previously present on Samsung’s Family Hub refrigerators, Google Photos users may now share material made on the Family Hub to any mobile device thanks to Samsung’s addition of support for the Google Photos cloud.

The Family Hub Plus allows for the download and display of images from Google Photos. If you prefer to exhibit artwork and paintings rather than family photos, the Family Hub Plus now supports Samsung’s Bespoke Atelier app.

The integrated SmartThings hub offers six SmartThings Home Life services: Air Care, Home Care, Pet Care, Clothing Care, Energy, and Cooking. It may be used to control and monitor various SmartThings devices.

Other details (such the display refresh rate or resolution) as well as the cost and release date of Samsung’s new Family Hub refrigerator have not been made public.

January 3, 2023
You won’t be able to guess which Pakistani politicians are on TikTok

TikTok isn’t only popular among the general public but also among Pakistani politicians too. Many leaders from across the political spectrum are now officially present on the video-sharing app.

Despite being banned several times in the country, TikTok remains one of the most popular social media apps among internet users. It’s no surprise then that our politicians are making their way to the wildly popular app. Any guess, who do we have on the first spot?

1- President Dr Arif Alvi

President Dr Arif Alvi has a verified account on TikTok with 10,000 plus followers. The president’s account handle is @dr.arifalvi.

2- Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari

Foreign Minister (FM) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has recently joined TikTok and managed to gain 2500 plus followers so far. His account handle is @bbzppp.

3- Zulfi Bukhari

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Zulfi Bukhari, with a verified account, has 7000 plus followers. He goes by the handle of @sayedzbukhari

4- Hina Parvez Butt

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Member of the Provincial Assembly (MPA) Hina Parvez Butt has a following of 120,000 plus people. Her account handle is @hinaparvezbutt.

5- Fayaz ul Hassan Chohan

PTI’s Fayaz ul Hassan Chohan has more than 130,000 followers on Tiktok. His account handle is @fayazulhassanchohan.

6- Mian Muhammad Aslam Iqbal

PTI’s Mian Aslam Iqbal has the most followers among politicians with 180,000 plus TikTokers following him. He uses the handle @mmaslamiqbal on TikTok.

So, when are you making your account on TikTok?

December 16, 2022
TikTok is willing to open offices in Pakistan: IT minister

Federal Information Technology (IT) Minister Syed Aminul Haque stated on Wednesday that popular social media platform TikTok is interested in opening offices in Islamabad after discussions were successful. He also hinted that another significant social media platform was also open to coming to the country.

On Wednesday, he made this statement while speaking at an event in Islamabad.

He noted that the government wanted social media businesses to establish offices in the nation and stated that TikTok was one with which effective negotiations had taken place. The platform may soon establish headquarters in Islamabad, he added.

TikTok does not belong to a group of regional social media sites that have resisted government attempts in recent years to exert more direct control over what is posted on the site.

He made a suggestion that a significant social media site that is a part of the collective has stated a willingness to establish offices in Pakistan.

November 23, 2022
Jannat Mirza breaks silence over alleged break-up with Umer Butt

Popular TikToker Jannat Mirza is generating negative comments for her series of posts about her relationship with TikToker fiance Umer Butt.

The Tere Bajray Di Raakhi recently announced that she has ended her relationship with Butt. In an Instagarm story, she stated, “I am not in a relationship anymore, I am single, don’t ask me why?”

This generated a lot of attention on social media. Here are both her post and her fiance’s posts.

When people were on the verge of accepting the rumor, Jannat and Umer corrected it and said that the status was made in jest because Jannat had rejected Umer Butt’s decision to go clean-shaven, which led to the sarcastic status.

Mirza further clarified her relationship with Umer.

Netizens trolled the duo for their ‘immature’ gimmick.

November 18, 2022
TikTok steals around 70% profit from online donations for Syrians: report

According to a BBC investigation, families in Syrian displacement camps that ask for donations on TikTok only receive less than 30% of the money given for them. However, according to TikTok, the company’s commission is smaller than the 70 per cent the refugees do not receive, the BBC was told.

According to the BBC, streams were apparently making up to $1,000 each hour, which is a small portion of what the family in front of the camera makes.

Many of these live streams have children who spend hours saying, “Please like, share, and please give a gift.”

The BBC discovered that the “TikTok middlemen” who gave families the phones and equipment to go live were facilitating the trend in the camps in north-western Syria.

The middlemen claimed to have relationships with TikTok-related organisations in China and the Middle East who provided the families with access to their TikTok accounts. These firms are a part of TikTok’s global recruitment campaign for live streamers, which aims to increase app usage.

The BBC constructed a computer software to collect data from 30 TikTok accounts broadcasting live from Syrian refugee camps for five months. The software revealed that viewers were frequently giving each account digital gifts valued up to $1,000 per hour.
However, families in the camps claimed they were only getting a small portion of these sums.

October 13, 2022
Twitter plans to launch a TikTok-like video feature

The video scrolling feature seen on TikTok will be quite similar to a new feature that Twitter is currently working on. This format for videos already exists on platforms like Instagram and YouTube, and it appears that Twitter is the most recent to follow suit.

On its most recent application release, the social media behemoth is now testing the new functionality. With just one click, viewers may play videos in full screen mode, providing a simple and engaging viewing experience. You only need to launch the Twitter app and press on the search button at the bottom if you want to try it out. From here, you can scroll down to see the section labelled ‘Videos For You’.

When you choose this, a full-screen Immersive Video mode will open, allowing you to scroll up and down to see videos one after the other. Based on your followers as well as those you might not follow, videos will be shown to you. However, the decision will probably be made based on the material you’ve lately viewed. This functionality is now only available to Android users, but it should soon be available to iOS users as well.

The content that is displayed in the “Videos For You” section will also indicate how many views each video has received. Additionally, the tweets will display Tweets and trends that users may find interesting. The new video option is currently only accessible in a few countries where Twitter is used in English.

October 1, 2022