First it was 90 days, then an additional 15, and then the forced TikTok sale faded from national consciousness as the presidential election altered the priorities of the country and the Trump administration. Now the Biden administration appears to be hitting the brakes. In court filings, government lawyers filed an uncontested motion to postpone the cases related to a potential ban of the popular social media app.
The request also suggests status reports at 60-day intervals, and states the administration plans to conduct its own evaluation of the matter.
<p>
"The government will then be better positioned to determine whether the national security threat described in (President Trump's executive orders)...continue to warrant the identified prohibitions," the filing reads.
</p><p>
Joe Biden has previously <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-28/this-is-what-biden-s-said-on-major-u-s-flashpoints-with-china?sref=4Kf8RwDw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">raised concerns</a> over how the Chinese government may access data that TikTok collects and discussions have reportedly continued between TikTok-owner ByteDance and U.S. security officials.
</p><p>
In an interview with CBS' "Face the Nation" this past Sunday, Biden said China should expect "extreme competition" from the U.S., but that he will not necessarily pursue an adversarial relationship in the way that his predecessor did.
</p><p>
In August last year, President Trump issued a pair of executive orders that would <a href="https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2020/09/commerce-department-prohibits-wechat-and-tiktok-transactions-protect" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">forbid American companies from transacting with ByteDance-owned companies</a> and force ByteDance to divest of its TikTok operations in the U.S. <a href="https://dot.la/is-tiktok-getting-banned-2649422152.html" target="_self">Microsoft, Oracle and Walmart emerged as potential new owners</a>.
</p><p>
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/29/technology/china-tiktok-export-controls.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Chinese government retaliated by issuing new rules</a> banning exportation by Chinese companies of certain technologies, which would include TikTok's lauded "For You" algorithm. TikTok also <a href="https://newsroom.tiktok.com/en-us/tiktok-files-lawsuit" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sued the Trump administration</a>.
</p><p>
In mid-September, <a href="https://dot.la/oracle-wins-bid-for-tiktok-2647641268/a-tiktok-timeline-the-rise-and-pause-of-a-social-video-giant" target="_self">Oracle confirmed it had been selected by ByteDance to become TikTok's "trusted technology provider,</a>" and then-Treasury Secretary <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/09/14/tiktok-us-headquarters-oracle/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Steven Mnuchin said the arrangement would bring 20,000 new jobs to the U.S.</a>
</p><p>
A series of deadline extensions and waivers from U.S. government agencies and courts ensued and <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/tiktok-download-ban-is-blocked-by-second-judge-11607390564?mod=article_inline" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">multiple federal judges ruled Trump's TikTok ban illegitimate</a>.
</p><p>
On February 18, the U.S. government is due to issue its formal response to TikTok's court challenge against the ban.
</p><p>
In the absence of a ban, ByteDance could still sell TikTok, but anyone negotiating to acquire the company valued at approximately $180 billion, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-11-05/bytedance-seeks-funds-at-180-billion-value-before-ipo-of-assets?sref=QjdS4d5U" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Bloomberg,</a> would no longer have the same leverage.<br/>
</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="45b0450d1ac204efb79aa1eea88d5724"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qyY0rZdSoPw?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Why is TikTok Facing a Ban? And What May Lie Ahead!</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qyY0rZdSoPw&feature=emb_title" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p><p> <em>This story has been updated.</em></p>
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Universal Music Group has provided TikTok rights to its extensive music catalog in an agreement announced Monday that gives more muscle to the short-form video app that's been selling itself as a tool of music discovery.
One of the world's most popular social media apps, TikTok has catapulted artists like Lil Nas X Olivia Rodrigo into the mainstream. Under the agreement, the company has pledged to work with the UMG to build new features including "A&R insights and models" that will presumably help to identify songs and artists poised to break out.
<p>The news comes days after <a href="https://dot.la/triller-universal-music-2650335521.html?utm_campaign=RebelMouse&share_id=6255897&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_content=dot.LA" target="_self">the music group pulled its entire catalog from Triller</a>, a TikTok competitor, citing Triller's withholding of payments and refusal to negotiate a renewed deal. That means that, at least for now, while TikTok users will be able to make videos with songs by UMG's entire roster of artists – which includes superstars Drake, Eminem and Arianna Grande among numerous others – Triller users will not.</p><p>The agreement also has the potential to offer UMG valuable insights into the role social media is playing in promoting its artists. The deal covers songs associated with performing artists from UMG as well as songwriters from Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG). </p><p>"This alliance sets an industrywide example of social media companies acknowledging, respecting and compensating the music creators whose songs are instrumental to their platforms," said UMPG chief operating officer Marc Cimino in a statement. </p><p>David Israelite, head of the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA, of which Universal is a member), an advocacy group for music publishers and songwriters, said, "We've been pleased that with TikTok, they've made broad licensing deals with the music community, including an <a href="https://dot.la/tiktok-creator-fund-2646706624.html" target="_self">NMPA-brokered deal that involved a settlement looking backward</a>. With Triller, it remains a company that is largely unlicensed as of today." </p><p>Triller claimed last week that it didn't need a deal with UMG, but Israelite disagreed.</p><p>"Social media companies like TikTok and Triller absolutely need the permission and licenses of the copyright owners of the music that they use to build their businesses," he said. "What's been disappointing among many social media companies is that they will focus on building their business first and worry about licensing their music later, which is not a good way to do it." </p>
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TikTok is moving to beef up its appeal to brands, as TikTok creators become increasingly important to advertisers.
The short-form social video app has partnered with advertising behemoth WPP, the companies announced Monday.
The move gives the London-based WPP, whose subsidiaries include marketing agency Oglivy and media-buyer GroupM, early access to TikTok's oncoming ad products, such as API integrations and augmented reality. WPP will also be able to offer its clients — who include Walmart, Adidas and other retail giants — exclusive collaborations with a network of TikTok creators.
<p>The move comes as <a href="https://dot.la/influencer-marketing-2648899321/how-influencers-change-what-we-buy-and-what-they-make" target="_self"><u>brands increasingly turn to influencer marketing</u></a> and social media to sell their products. </p><p>"Our clients want new and innovative ways to reach consumers," WPP chief executive officer Mark Read said in announcing the deal.</p><p>One of the world's most popular social media apps, TikTok boasts over 1 billion users worldwide. As part of the agreement, the two companies will build new APIs that link TikTok's stars to brands, meant to provide deeper insights into influencers' audiences and past marketing campaign performances.</p><p>Bringing in WPP, valued at $13 billion, could further cement TikTok's role in the growing influencer economy. </p><p>"The ecosystem benefits from having more dollars and brands flow through it. When any of the big six holding companies jump into a platform, it will drive more content creators to focus on the platform," said Ryan Detert, CEO of L.A.-based influencer marketing agency Influential.</p><p>One focus of the new partnership will be to help TikTok provide advertisers more "brand safety," so that companies can feel comfortable with how their messaging appears on the platform. </p><p>Although the influencer economy is expanding, marketing agencies report that some brands remain fearful about ceding control of their advertising to influencers. </p><p>The two companies plan to conduct joint research "to guide brands on TikTok best practices and assist them with employing data-informed strategies for driving engagement on the platform." Additionally, they will be developing a training and accreditation program for WPP agencies, meant to signal those agencies as leading resources for TikTok marketing solutions.</p><p>TikTok has been steadily building up a stable of creators through its Creator Fund, the company's pledge to dole out $300 million over the next three years to TikTok creators with high-performing videos. The statement did not indicate whether the influencers that TikTok will connect to WPP are linked to the Creator Fund. </p><p>Snap joined the creator-incentive battle <a data-linked-post="2649022645" href="https://dot.la/snap-spotlight-2649022645.html" target="_blank">with its own version of a creator fund</a>, distributing $1 million a day to top performers on its TikTok-esque Spotlight feature, which it launched in November. </p><p>TikTok's WPP partnership looks poised to accelerate that arms race. </p>
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