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Trump Gives TikTok and Oracle Deal His ‘Blessing'
Gen Z Is Turning to TikTok as Go-To Search Engine, Claims Google
Kristin Snyder
Kristin Snyder is dot.LA's 2022/23 Editorial Fellow. She previously interned with Tiger Oak Media and led the arts section for UCLA's Daily Bruin.
TikTok has already dominated the social media landscape. Now, its users are helping it become a search engine.
While at Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech conference, Google Senior Vice President Prabhakar Raghavan said internal research indicates that users aged 18 to 24 are forgoing Google Search or Maps and instead sending their inquiries to social media sites. Despite growing concern about misinformation on such platforms, TechCrunch reported that TikTok and Instagram are now steering attention away from the core feature that launched the company into notoriety.
“We keep learning, over and over again, that new internet users don’t have the expectations and the mindset that we have become accustomed to,” Raghavan said at the conference.
Google, for its part, wants to highlight TikTok and Instagram videos in its search engine. Additionally, Raghavan said the search engine is incorporating more visuals while also leaning into voice searches.
As TikTok users film their meals and often add short, quippy reviews, Raghavan said Gen Z is turning to social media apps for their next lunch spot. Many TikTok users turn to influencers for food suggestions, with Los Angeles restaurants like The Red Chickz and Paris Tokyo gaining notoriety on the app.
Users often check the app for a wide range of recommendations. Raghavan’s statements confirm that TikTok users are turning to the video-sharing app for information. Videos under the hashtag for facts, hacks and recommendations, #tiktoktaughtme, have gained a cumulative 8 billion views.
Influencers on TikTok, however, often do not accurately disclose when a video includes sponsored content, as required by the Federal Trade Commission. And marketing companies have shifted to incorporate ideologies, like Urban Legend, an ad-tech startup that recruits social media celebrities from macro to nano to create content around everything from climate change to discouraging mask mandates. Urban Legend’s strategy draws on the idea that users who turn to influencers for recipe recommendations or fashion trends may also trust their opinion on political issues—even if many of the posts were not flagged as sponsored.
TikTok has also come under fire for misinformation—from the potentially harmful abortion tips to international elections to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the app has been criticized for not doing enough to combat it. Google has also been criticized for how its algorithm can highlight misinformation, such as suggesting “fake” abortion clinics.
With TikTok’s growing popularity, Google must contend with how to capture Gen Z’s attention as they try to retain that audience. And TikTok, for all its problems, has helped communities come together to inform people about topics ranging from autism diagnoses for women to astrological terms to LGBTQ+ information. Suggestions get local, too, with Los Angeles residents sharing free things to do downtown, vintage stores to shop at and museums to visit—succinctly providing recommendations with flashy videos.
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Kristin Snyder
Kristin Snyder is dot.LA's 2022/23 Editorial Fellow. She previously interned with Tiger Oak Media and led the arts section for UCLA's Daily Bruin.
https://twitter.com/ksnyder_db
🔦 Spotlight
Happy Friday Los Angeles,
As many of you know, LA Tech Week is right around the corner, kicking off next Monday October 14th bringing together founders, creatives, investors, and engineers for a week of immersive events, panels, and socials across the city. From blockchain and AI to biotech and design, LA Tech Week is a chance to dive into the ideas shaping today’s technology landscape.
What to Look Forward To
Insights from Visionary Leaders: Hear firsthand from industry trailblazers as they share stories, challenges, and key lessons from their experiences. Expect fresh perspectives on AI, venture capital, biotech, and the ethical questions around emerging technologies.
Interactive Panels: This week isn’t about watching from the sidelines; it’s about engaging directly with the tech community. Participate in hands-on panels discussing everything from startup scaling to ethical AI, with honest insights from those actively shaping these fields.
Networking Mixers & Social Events: Meet and connect with founders, VCs, developers, designers, and fellow techies across LA. Rooftop mixers, lunch meetups, and creative gatherings offer the perfect chance to spark ideas and collaborate.
Plan your week with the daily lineup, organized by location for easy navigation:
For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.
Enjoy LA Tech Week 2024!!
🤝 Venture Deals
LA Companies
- Clout Kitchen, a Los Angeles and Manila based startup, has raised $4.45M in seed funding, co-led by a16z SPEEDRUN and Peak XV’s Surge, to develop AI-powered digital twins, which enables gaming creators to produce realistic virtual avatars for content and fan engagement. - learn more
- MeWe, a privacy-focused social media platform, has raised an initial $6M in Series B funding led by McCourt Global to support Web3 integration and expand its decentralized network for 20 millions users. - learn more
- Suma Wealth, a financial platform aimed at empowering Latino entrepreneurs, raised a $7M seed round, with participation from ResilienceVC, Acumen, Commerce Ventures, Ascendo Venture Capital, and Cooley, to enhance its AI-driven financial tools, including the recent acquisition of Mooch, an AI-powered personal finance app that expands its personalized financial management solutions. - learn more
LA Venture Funds
- EGB Capital participated in a $10M Series A funding round for MiLaboratories, which develops software that enables biologists to independently analyze complex genomic data, accelerating research and discovery in fields like drug development. - learn more
- Crosscut Ventures participated in the $13.75M seed round for Airloom Energy, a company focused on developing airborne wind energy technology to harness high-altitude winds, with plans to accelerate a pilot project in Wyoming. - learn more
- Alpha Edison and ICM Partners participated in a $59M Series B round for Q-Ctrl, an Australian quantum infrastructure software provider, bringing its total funding to $113M. - learn more
- Alexandria Venture Investments participated, and TCG co-led, a $100M Series A round for Judo Bio, a biotechnology company pioneering oligonucleotide therapies targeted at kidney delivery. - learn more
- TIME BioVentures participated in a $30M Series C round for Rivermark Medical, a leading provider of minimally invasive solutions for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. - learn more
- Vamos Ventures participated in a $405M Series F round for Form Energy, Inc., a U.S.-based tech company pioneering a cost-effective, multi-day energy storage solution for commercial use. - learn more
- Navitas Capital and Fifth Wall participated in a $21.5M Series B round for Document Crunch, a construction document compliance platform based in Atlanta, GA. - learn more
- Overture VC participated in a $5.5M Seed funding round for Molg Inc., a company developing robotics and software for circular manufacturing, designed to disassemble electronics efficiently and recover valuable materials to reduce e-waste and support sustainable production. - learn more
- Fifth Wall led a $15M funding round for Purpose Green, a Berlin-based climate tech company, bringing its total funding to $18.4M. - learn more
LA Exits
- The Parking Spot, a leading near-airport parking provider, has been acquired by KKR from an affiliate of Green Courte Partners, LLC, enhancing its portfolio in travel-related infrastructure. - learn more
- Options MD, a Los Angeles based telemedicine platform that provides care for people suffering from severe and treatment-resistant mental illness, is set to be acquired by Resilience Lab, an AI-driven provider focused on enhancing mental health care access. - learn more
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LA Tech Week 2024: Saturday-Sunday Event Lineup
07:09 PM | October 10, 2024
tech-week
Here’s what’s happening during the closing weekend (Oct 19 - Oct 20) of LA Tech Week 2024! Events are organized by location so you can easily catch the sessions that interest you most.
SATURDAY EVENTS
BEVERLY HILLS
12:00 PM
- BIG Showcase (Invite Only):
BIG Showcase (Invite Only)
2:00 PM
- AI, Media & Conscious Leadership: Upleveling Humanity Together:See Details Here
Light Dao
- LA Tech Week Wind Down Party:See Details Here
Struck Capital, Seahorse Express
EAGLE ROCK
12:00 PM
- Shopify Fall Shop & Stroll:See Details
Sunrise Integration, Shopify
EL SEGUNDO
9:00 PM
- "Fix the Timeline" Gundo x LA Tech Week Party:See Details
Administratum, Valar Atomics
HOLLYWOOD
10:00 AM
- LA Tech Week 2024 Hackathon:See Details
Passes
MALIBU
6:00 PM
- Malibu Beachfront Investors Networking & Wine Tasting:See Details
Gaya Ventures
MARINA DEL RAY
6:00 PM
Sagos Distro, Alma Wellness
SANTA MONICA
7:00 AM
- Founders Running Club: See Details
Founders Running Club
8:30 AM
- Morning Bike Ride: See Details
Techstars
9:00 AM
- Magic Mornings Yoga Club: See Details
Magic Mind
- Investment Week 2024: See Details
StartupStarter, Inc., City of Santa Monica
10:00 AM
- Founder + Funder Power Walk: See Details
Gen She
- AI LA Life Summit : See Details
AI LA
- Innovation that HIITs: See Details
Crea, Barry's, Unsubscribe
10:30 AM
- Experiential Beauty Activation: See Details
Plantologist
11:30 AM
- Pickleball Palooza (Invite Only)
YouTube
1:00 PM
- Realfren Games: From strangers to an inner Realfren within 52 weekends: See Details
Office for Humanity and Circuit Works
- Talking blockchain technology with special guests: See Details
LadyDayDao
5:00 PM
- Dorm Rooms to Boardrooms: See Details
KARD, What's Plots
THE VALLEY
7:00 AM
- The Other LA Startup Community: See Details
Camino5
VENICE
9:00 AM
- Beach Yoga & Meditation: See Details
Westside Yogis
11:00 AM
- Open x LA Tech Week: See Details
Open App
1:00 PM
- The Gear Down: Sauna + Ice + Workshop: See Details
Ripe and Teddy's Hot House
4:00 PM
- Fashion Forward: How AI is Redefining the Fashion Industry: See Details
VIAVIA, BNTO.RENT, ALMA.AI
VIRTUAL
11:00 AM
- Virtual Team Immersion In The Creator Economy: See Details
BLCK UNICRN
WEST HOLLYWOOD
7:00 PM
- Next Sequence: AI x Bio: See Details
Next Sequence
SUNDAY EVENTS
INGLEWOOD
12:00 PM
- SOFI VIP BOX SUITES: RAMS vs RAIDERS Game: See Details
Entrepreneur Ventures, VCPE GROUPS
PLAYA DEL RAY
2:00 PM
- Cerebral Beach LA Tech Week Recovery: See Details
AI LA, DELL, NVIDIA
SANTA MONICA
10:00 AM
- Women Founders, Cold Brew & Beach View, Rooftop: See Details
Clutch Talent
11:00 AM
- Beach Cleanup with Less Litter Foundation: See Details
11DollarSunglasses.com, Less Litter Foundation
12:00 PM
- Data in LA Meet Up Mixer: See Details
Data in LA, Amplitude
12:30 AM
- Impact Investment Lunch: See Details
New Moon, Warner UK Innovations
TOPANGA CANYON
3:00 PM
- Dreamore Tech Week Hike Party and Picnic: See Details
Dreamore
VENICE
8:00 AM
- Surf session with founders, investors, creators: See Details
Surfed Club, Bow Shock
12:00 PM
- Podcast Panel and Brunch: LA Tech Community Builders: See Details
WeAreLATech.com, Blankspaces.com
VIRTUAL
2:00 PM
- Build A Custom Immersive Experience: See Details
BLCK UNICRN
For updates or more event information, visit the official Tech Week calendar.
Enjoy LA Tech Week 2024!
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