During the holiday season, TikTok, a popular mobile video-sharing site, reported that it lost hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue as users stopped posting videos. The company said the losses were due to security problems and said it would need to shed staff to deal with the fallout. It added that it will continue to focus on the Latin American market, where it is growing rapidly. However, the company has been criticized for its links to China, which has been accused of being behind many cybersecurity attacks.
Amazon employee ban on TikTok
Earlier this week, Amazon sent out an email to all of its employees asking them to stop using TikTok. TikTok is a popular video sharing app that is owned by a Chinese company. However, Amazon is the second largest U.S. private employer after Walmart, which is also a TikTok competitor.
According to reports, Amazon had security concerns about TikTok. However, a TikTok spokesperson told CNBC that the company values privacy and the security of its users. It did not immediately respond to a BuzzFeed News request for comment.
TikTok, a video sharing app owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is a hit among teenagers in the U.S. It stores American users’ data on servers in Singapore and the U.S. It also claims that it has never been asked by the Chinese government for user data. However, critics have questioned whether TikTok’s data could be turned over to the Chinese government.
Amazon’s decision could lay the groundwork for other US tech giants to follow suit. If the company follows through with its announcement, it could escalate the pressure on TikTok, which is already under fire for its links to the Chinese government.
Amazon also asked employees to remove TikTok from their computers and mobile devices to maintain access to their work email. However, it did not specify if this meant employees would need to delete the app, or just disable it altogether.
TikTok has been on the receiving end of criticism for its links to China and its inability to censor content. However, it has been trying to distance itself from its Chinese roots by hiring an American CEO and suspending its Chinese moderators. It recently announced that it would no longer require employees to have Chinese IDs.
Chinese tech company’s alleged links to Beijing
Several foreign news organizations have reported that the Chinese government has been pressuring tech firms to provide them with a direct stake in the company’s management. Beijing’s strategy is to increase its political influence over the private sector.
As Beijing tightens its grip on the tech industry, the lines between public and private have become increasingly blurred. For example, China’s state-run companies have invested more in private companies in recent years. These companies are also facing increased scrutiny from the government over their data security practices.
Beijing has also introduced a series of sweeping data security laws and rules that will require major firms to rethink their business models. This is part of a wider effort to rein in Chinese technology firms. The government is also taking a hard look at major internet company IPOs and is pushing to prevent foreign domination of the industry.
The CCP is also working to boost its influence over the private industry. As part of its multi-pronged effort, Beijing has introduced sweeping data security laws and has proposed a number of broad restrictions on overseas public listings. These rules will effectively block foreign semiconductor manufacturers from using U.S. machines and software to build products.
The Chinese government is also targeting other industries, such as education and tutoring. Beijing has also banned private tutoring companies from turning a profit. These companies are also prohibited from raising funds on the stock market. These rules are part of a wider effort to redistribute wealth.
The Chinese government has also been investigating a number of Chinese tech companies for anticompetitive behaviors. Some of these firms include Pinduoduo and Didi. Both companies were investigated for anticompetitive practices. Earlier this year, Didi was barred from the U.S. app store and was placed on the watchlist of the Cyberspace Administration of China.
Threats to national security
Several senior federal officials have raised concerns over TikTok, a Chinese-owned video-sharing app. Those concerns range from the risks it poses to individual privacy to how it could be used by the Chinese government.
TikTok is owned by Beijing-based company ByteDance, which has been compelled to cooperate with the Chinese government under domestic law. It has also been reported that the company’s servers are accessible to Chinese officials for intelligence purposes.
Several security researchers have discovered several vulnerabilities in the TikTok app, including one that could have allowed attackers to gain access to users’ accounts. An unpatched vulnerability would allow attackers to change their privacy settings on TikTok videos, which could then be uploaded without their consent.
TikTok also stores user data on servers in the U.S., and has acknowledged that its user data was accessible to Chinese employees. But the company has also said that it would never do misinformation campaigns.
In January, a team of security researchers announced that they had found several vulnerabilities in the TikTok app. It was also reported that leaked audio of internal company meetings instructed moderators to keep Tiananmen Square off of the platform.
Several prominent critics have also raised concerns about TikTok. They include Dr. Willam Pefrey Jr., a professor of information at the University of Michigan, and Dr. Clifford Lampe, a professor of information at the University Of Michigan.
TikTok has also been subject to scrutiny by the Treasury Department’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS), which examines the national security risks of foreign investments in American companies.
Senators and members of Congress have also raised concerns about TikTok. In a recent hearing, FBI director Christopher Wray stated that TikTok poses a threat to national security. Several members of Congress have called for a national ban on the app.
Rapid growth in Latin America
Throughout the past year, TikTok has experienced an explosive growth in Latin America. The app and website had 15.8 million unique visitors in January 2020. This was up 91.2 percent from the same period last year. By the end of the year, TikTok will have more than 100 million users in Latin America. In addition, the app will be 3.5 times the size of Snapchat.
The platform competes directly with YouTube and Instagram. In the Middle East & North Africa, the audience increased by triple digits. In Asia Pacific, audience growth was also high, reaching triple digits.
TikTok’s popularity is evident in Latin America, where it ranked third in audience growth. In Mexico, TikTok use increased by more than 50 percent in Q3 2021. In Argentina, TikTok usage rose from 25 percent in Q1 2021 to 38 percent in Q3 2021.
In Colombia, Teleperformance is one of the largest private employers in the country, employing more than 42,000 workers. Utraclaro, a Colombian IT and call center worker organization, has been trying to organize Teleperformance’s staff for two years.
In Brazil, TikTok’s growth has been particularly impressive, with an increase of nearly 40 percent in users over the past year. By the end of the year, nearly 40 percent of the country’s total TikTok users will be in Brazil.
TikTok will also see an increase in users in Mexico, which will account for one fifth of the region’s total users. TikTok has also been targeting a larger European audience with a sponsorship deal for Euro 2020.
TikTok has also recently announced advertising partnership options, as well as branded content options. This is a big step forward for the platform, which is moving quickly to monetise its audience. The company’s Dynamic Scene machine-learning tool will automate TikTok’s ad-creation process. This will enable businesses to reach a wider audience.
AI expertise only goes so far
Despite the fact that the United States is still the top destination for AI graduates, there are many countries that have implemented more transparent pathways to bring in the best and the brightest. In fact, many countries are competing to recruit the world’s top talent to use AI to their advantage.
There is a lot of hype around AI, but it is not only useful in computer science, it can be applied to a wide range of disciplines. It has helped fuel an explosion of efficiency. It can also help turn data into actionable information.
However, there are still a few key factors to consider before jumping into the AI fray. For example, there is no shortage of information about how to get a high-paying job with AI, but few resources about how to get a visa to do so. Moreover, the O-1 visa requirements are not a great fit for people who already excel in their field.
One of the most important factors is whether the AI expertise is being acquired through an internal source, such as a team of PhD-level researchers, or through an external source, such as a cloud AI company. For example, while most of the aforementioned technologies are available at enterprise software companies, cloud AI companies are bringing them to market faster and at lower cost.
In addition to the obvious omissions, the USCIS should re-evaluate its AI-related policies and update its Policy Manual to provide clearer guideposts for AI professionals. It would also help to update the Schedule A list to include AI professionals.
The most efficient way to get an AI expert to the United States is to create a more streamlined immigration pathway. The O-1 is a temporary visa, but a more flexible route may be in order for AI professionals coming from China or India.
