The US Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law that will ban TikTok in the United States, potentially denying the video-sharing app to 170 million users in the United States on January 19.
In a major defeat for TikTok, the court ruled that the law does not violate free speech rights and that the US government had demonstrated legitimate national security concerns about a Chinese company owning the app.
United States President-elect Donald Trump is considering using an executive order to prevent the TikTok app from being blocked in the U.S.
The Washington Post reported on Thursday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The order would suspend enforcement of the law, which required TikTok to be either blocked or sold on January 19, for 60 to 90 days.
This will be giving Trump’s administration time to negotiate a sale or find another solution.
However, from a legal perspective, this action is rather disputable, the report said.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden’s outgoing administration is also looking for ways to keep the app available in the U.S., NBC News reported, citing people familiar with the discussions.
The White House is reportedly seeking to apply the law banning TikTok in a way that would allow U.S. users to access the app when the law goes into effect on Sunday.
Earlier this week, The Information news portal reported that TikTok was preparing to shut down its app for U.S. users on Jan. 19.
In April 2024, Biden signed a law forcing TikTok owner ByteDance to find an American owner for the app.
If this does not happen by Jan. 19, the app will be banned in the U,S
However, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to delay the implementation of the ban so that he has time to resolve the dispute after his inauguration on Jan. 20.
This is according to a document obtained by RIA Novosti.
TikTok, launched in 2018, remains under scrutiny by U.S. authorities, who fear the app may be sharing user data with the Chinese government or spreading propaganda.
TikTok has consistently denied the allegations. The app has about 170 million users in the U.S. alone.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has announced his government’s intention to ban TikTok for at least one year starting from January following the death of a schoolboy last month that further fueled fears about the influence of the short video-sharing platform on children.
“We are going to close it for a year, and we are going to start rolling out programs that will serve the education of students and help parents follow their children’s journey,” Mr Rama said during a meeting with teachers, parents and psychologists in Albania’s capital Tirana on Saturday.
Discussions around the negative impact of social media on children were further amplified a couple of weeks ago after a 14-year-old school was killed and another injured in a fight near a school in southern Tirana, with reports suggesting the confrontation began on social media.
“In China, TikTok promotes how students can take courses, how to protect nature, how to keep traditions, but on the TikTok outside China, we see only scum and mud. Why do we need this?” Mr Rama said.
He described TikTok as “the thug of the neighbourhood.”
This is the latest setback in TikTok’s moves to redeem its reputation over threats to national security and harmful influences on children in many countries.
The company said it is seeking urgent clarifications from the Albanian government about the proposed ban.
According to the BBC, TikTok said it found no evidence that the suspect who stabbed the 14-year-old boy or the victim himself had TikTok accounts.
TikTok is already banned in India, Iran, Nepal, Afghanistan and Somalia, with the U.S. moving to join the list after Congress passed a bill to ban the app in the country if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, does not sell the platform by January 19 on national security grounds.
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear last-minute legal arguments from TikTok as to why it should not be banned or sold, with a hearing scheduled for January 10.
Controversial Anambra State-based Prophet, Chukwuemeka Cyril Odumeje better known as Odumeje, has disclosed that the popular video sharing app TikTok suspended his account due to his purportedly “dangerous miracles”.
The cleric in a video that surfaced on social media, also stated that popular social media platforms, such as Facebook and TikTok, rejected his miracles, deeming them unbelievable.
“Even Facebook and other social media platforms are rejecting my dangerous miracles,” he said in the now-viral video.
“They are not accepting it. Because of my dangerous miracles, TikTok rejected me. They disconnected me. They said this miracle is beyond them.”
Recall, in September, Ohanaemere threatened to kill people who use social media to criticize him.
He said : “I tell people I don’t call the police for enemies.When you come out for me on social media, speak against me once, I watch you, look at the weight of your speaking.
“You talk second time, I watch you. Third time, I watch you. Then I see it is no more a joke, it has become a challenge.
“The fourth one, then you speak, I look it again, I say this is a battlefield you set for me. You want to see power.
The Canadian government has mandated the termination of Chinese-owned TikTok’s business in the country, citing national security risks.
The termination means TikTok must close its offices in Toronto and Vancouver.
However, Canadians will retain access to the application, as the government prohibits the company from operating within the nation, this is according to the industry minister, François-Philippe Champagne.
Champagne also notes that the ban addresses risks related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
The statement reads in part, “The government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content. The decision to use a social media application or platform is a personal choice.
“The government is taking action to address the specific national security risks related to ByteDance Ltd’s operations in Canada through the establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.”
The minister said the dissolution order was in accordance with the Investment Canada Act, which allows for the review of foreign investments that may harm Canada’s national security.
He said the decision was based on information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners.
Reacting in a blog post, TikTok said it will challenge the order in court.
“Shutting down TikTok’s Canadian offices and destroying hundreds of well-paying local jobs is not in anyone’s best interest, and today’s shutdown order will do just that,” it added.
Afrobeat star David Adeleke popularly know as Davido has set a new record with Nigerian popular TikTok streamer Habeeb Hamzat known as Peller, after going live on the social media platform to unveil his new song ‘Awuke’.
TheNewsGuru.com(TNG) reports that the ‘Feel’ crooner went live on the streaming app with Jarvis, Peller and content creators to entertain his fans.
The singer had asked fans to share his anticipated TikTok Live with popular streamer Peller on social media which also doubled as the official release party of his song with YG Marley, Awuke.
The live stream was done in Davido’s house.
The TikTok live stream with Peller drew 398.8k viewers with a peak of 164,000 tuning in simultaneously which happens to be the highest number of viewers in Africa.
The development has sparked reactions from social media users.
The singer and the TikTok streamer reportedly made over 500 million in 20 minutes on the TikTok live.
Peller, the Nigerian online streamer and content creator emerged online around 2021. He is known for his sacarstic manner while streaming.
‘Awuke’ marks Davido’s first official release of the year, following his recent feature on ‘Right Now’, a track by celebrated Nigerian-British rapper and vocalist Darkoo.
The Orodje of Okpe, Gen. Felix Mujakperuo (rtd), CFR, Orhue I, has awarded Miss Merit Otuburu Osolobrughwemaido a scholarship.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that Miss Merit is a teen TikTok influencer, known as Real Okpe Girl.
The Orodje Okpe awarded Miss Merit the scholarship from Senior Secondary School (SSS) 1 to the university level.
The scholarship, according to the Okpe Monarch is in recognition of the tireless efforts of Real Okpe Girl in promoting the Okpe language and teaching it on social media.
@realokpegirl1 wooooow his royal majesty the ORODJE OF OKPE KINGDOM SAID he’s pleased with my work watch this. #everyone #okpe #viralvideo ♬ original sound – real okpe girl
“I am very happy with what you are doing. This will encourage many of our children to learn the Okpe Language. What you are doing, many of our children will emulate it.
“When they see that it is someone of their age who is speaking the language, they will be influenced to also speak it. So, I am very happy,” the Orodje said while announcing the scholarship.
@realokpegirl1 congratulations 🎊 to me the ORODJE of okpe kingdom has awarded me a scholarship to my university level #fyp ♬ original sound – Hvntar 🏹
Nigerian TikToker, Sarah Idaji Ojone, also known as Saida Boj, has lost her TikTok, Facebook and Instagram handles after making controversial statements about men and relationships.
Saida Boj, who was a guest on the Honest Bunch Podcast, said that a man would have to send her N500,000 within 24 hours of ‘Talking stage’, adding that she deserved to be paid for being beautiful.
When confronted with questions about selling her body, Saida Boj maintained that a man who gives her N20million can enter anywhere in her body.
“I don’t have time, life is stressful, if you’re talking to me for morning, I’m already billing you for evening, if you don’t have the money, then you go. You should give me at least 500k. You should pay me for being beautiful, do you know how much skincare cost?
“If you can spend up to N20 million in a week, you can go through anywhere in my body. N20million, N50million, that’s money. If you can’t spend up to N500k, you don’t deserve my WhatsApp number,” she responded spontaneously to her interviewers’ questions.
Some Nigerians on Thursday condemned a ‘24-hour buried alive challenge’ undertaken by a content creator known as Young C.
Young C had embarked on this daring challenge on Wednesday, announcing his intention to be buried alive in a coffin for 24 hours.
At 23 hours, he took to his Instagram page, @youngcentertainment, to give live footage, emphasising that the stunt was genuine and not a hoax.
He also notified his followers that he had exhausted his water and would resort to taking his urine as he was obviously famished.
After being buried alive in a coffin for 24 hours, Young C was successfully exhumed.
He announced this on his Instagram page on Thursday afternoon, accompanied by the revelation that his TikTok account had been suspended.
Some Nigerians, however, took the comment session of his post to condemn the challenge. While some called the attention of the Police to arrest him, others doubted his sanity.
@Soniahappygisttv said, “You for they live video for 24 hours make we for believe you.”
@Jenpearlz wrote: “You don’t care about your family to put them through such nightmare. What are you trying to prove? Imagine the heartache you put them through.”
@Oluwa_tomiie said: “Olobuku you think say I go write RIP for you if you die 😂 Odaju omo wey no pity his parent 🙄 Oloshi oni content isonu.
“We never finish justice for Mohbad ooo, no think say we go do justice for you 😂. Radarada still you no get pass 3k followers omo ale.”
Also, Anuoluuwarpho wrote, “@nigerianpoliceforce this guy needs to be arrested. Please look into this. Thanks.”
@_housemuzic said: “You won’t know when you pass out….get out of there.”
@Cassandra_samuel6 wrote, “You are not fine.”
@Jenny_amama said: “U wan trend by force abi. See u see die…I am just so pained with your challenge 😢.”
@Berrys_hairempire1 wrote: “You should be arrested after this stunt, what are you trying to achieve, is it for likes or what.”
Young C’s attempt is similar to the challenge undertaken by American YouTuber, MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson), who spent 50 hours buried alive two years ago to raise awareness about deforestation.
Recently, MrBeast attempted to surpass his record by spending seven consecutive days buried in a coffin, overcoming physical and mental challenges before being exhumed.
Chinese-owned video sharing platform TikTok announced on Wednesday that it is voluntarily suspending the rewards scheme for its new TikTok Lite app, amid a legal investigation by the European Commission.
The commission had earlier said on Monday that it could order TikTok to suspend the rewards feature unless the company demonstrated within 48 hours that it poses no risk of serious harm.
The commission also said the company had to show that it had complied with risk assessment and mitigation rules for large platforms under the European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA).
TikTok posted on X: “TikTok always seeks to engage constructively with the EU Commission and other regulators. We are therefore voluntarily suspending the rewards functions in TikTok Lite while we address the concerns that they have raised.”
The probe concerns the way TikTok Lite lets users collect points by watching videos and exchange them for things of value, such as Amazon vouchers.
The commission said that it is concerned that the scheme “has been launched without prior diligent assessment of the risks it entails, in particular those related to the addictive effect.”
TikTok Lite, which is similar to the wildly popular TikTok app but uses less memory and bandwidth, had its European launch in Spain and France this month.