Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.

Washington, United States:

TikTok says it will “go dark” in the United States on Sunday unless the government provides assurances a new law calling for its ban won’t be used to punish service providers.

“Unless the Biden Administration immediately provides a definitive statement to satisfy the most critical service providers assuring non-enforcement, unfortunately TikTok will be forced to go dark on January 19,” TikTok said in a statement.

The US Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law supported by President Joe Biden and Congress that requires the app’s owner ByteDance to either sell TikTok or cease US operations by January 19.

“The statements issued today by both the Biden White House and the Department of Justice have failed to provide the necessary clarity and assurance to the service providers that are integral to maintaining TikTok’s availability to over 170 million Americans,” TikTok said following the Supreme Court decision. 

The unanimous ruling, which found the law does not violate free speech rights, dealt a major blow to TikTok and created uncertainty about what will happen when the ban takes effect. The court agreed with the government’s national security concerns about Chinese company ByteDance’s ownership of the app.

ByteDance has firmly rejected selling its US operation, a stance also taken by Beijing, which has denounced the law as theft.

The justices acknowledged that, “for more than 170 million Americans,” the social media giant “offers a distinct and expansive outlet for expression, means of engagement, and source of community.”

But, the court concluded, “Congress has determined that divestiture is necessary to address its well-supported national security concerns regarding TikTok’s data collection practices and relationship with a foreign adversary.”

Even if the ban now stands, the Biden White House said it won’t enforce it, leaving the matter to incoming president Donald Trump.

Trump, who opposes the ban, discussed TikTok with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday.

“The Supreme Court decision was expected, and everyone must respect it,” Trump wrote on Truth Social as he said he would need time to find an alternative to the ban.

The Department of Justice noted that enforcing the law “will be a process that plays out over time,” in a potential sign that it does not intend to carry out the law for now. Despite the court defeat, TikTok chief executive Shou Chew thanked Trump for his “commitment to work with us to find a solution.”

Trump “truly understands our platform,” he added.

TikTok has been lobbying furiously to thwart the law’s implementation with Chew set to attend Trump’s inauguration on Monday.

The law requires Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores, blocking new downloads. The companies could face penalties of up to $5,000 per user who can access the app.

Chew gave no indication on whether TikTok would unilaterally shut down its platform in the United States when the ban kicks in, as reported in US media.

TikTok’s lawyer Noel Francisco had warned it would shut down Sunday in case of a legal defeat.

‘Viable deal’

Trump’s incoming national security advisor Mike Waltz told Fox News the administration would work “to keep TikTok from going dark,” noting the law allows a 90-day delay if the White House can show progress toward “a viable deal.” 

Former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt has expressed interest in leading a purchase of TikTok’s US activity and said he’s “ready to work with the company and President Trump to complete a deal.”

The ban would hugely benefit US-owned rivals Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, but influencers said that TikTok’s unique abilities could not be matched.

“Making videos and reaching people on TikTok is so much easier than a lot of other platforms,” said Nathan Espinoza, who has more than 500,000 followers on TikTok.

Courtney Spritzer, head of digital marketing agency Socialfly, said TikTok creators were in “great uncertainty.” 

Among advertisers, “some are betting there will be a shutdown while others are more optimistic that it will continue to exist after Sunday.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

“I almost, like, don’t know how to define myself without TikTok,” content creator Ayman Chaudhary sighed, reflecting the consternation of millions over US authorities’ scheduled banning Sunday of the hugely popular app.

After months of legal tussles, the US Supreme Court on Friday upheld a law that would ban the video-sharing platform — used by 170 million Americans — in the name of national security, unless its Chinese owners reach an 11th-hour deal to sell it to American buyers.

“I’m more sad than shocked,” the 24-year-old Chaudhary told AFP. “But still, it’s sad and disappointing that the US government has come together to ban an app instead of banding together to adopt a law that matters about health or education.”

It remains uncertain whether TikTok will turn out the lights Sunday — for a single day or forever. Potential buyers exist, though TikTok’s owner, Chinese tech company ByteDance, has systematically refused to part with its crown jewel.

President-elect Donald Trump, just days from his second inauguration, said Friday that he “must have time” to decide whether to enforce the high court’s ruling. He promised a decision “in the not too distant future.”

Until then, Ayman and countless other content creators have been left gloomily contemplating a future without TikTok.

– Mandarin ‘out of spite’? –

“I started five years ago in 2020 during (the Covid-19) quarantine, and I’ve been employed, like, through TikTok, and now it just feels like suddenly I’m unemployed,” said Ayman, an avid reader who offers book recommendations on the platform, earning enough from ads and sponsors to pay her bills.

Like thousands of other worried TikTok users, she has protectively created a profile on Xiaohongshu (“Little Red Book”), a Chinese social media network similar to Instagram.

Nicknamed “Red Note” by its American users, it was the most-downloaded app on the American Apple Store this week.

People are turning to Red Note, Ayman said, as “kind of a protest, because it is a Chinese-owned app, and TikTok is being banned because it’s, like, Chinese-owned.”

The language-teaching app Duolingo made a clear pitch to people looking for life after TikTok.

“Learning Mandarin out of spite? You’re not alone,” Duolingo posted on X. “We’ve seen a 216% growth in new Chinese (Mandarin) learners in the US compared to this time last year.”

On TikTok, many American creators have published videos combining their favorite moments on the app with farewell messages urging fans to follow them to other platforms, including Xiaohongshu — while openly mocking the concerns of American lawmakers.

– ‘Micro-influencers’ –

“Most students don’t buy the narrative that there’s Chinese spies that are controlling the algorithm” on TikTok, said Chris Dier, a history teacher who shares educational videos on TikTok and uses them as well in his classes.

He said students “think that the United States government is not a fan of TikTok because… the government can’t easily control it.”

Xiaohongshu, which is entirely in Mandarin, would not appear to provide a realistic long-term alternative for frustrated American users.

Popular even before the pandemic, TikTok exploded among young people living in quarantine, and became a must-have resource for many small companies and start-ups.

“It’s a scary time for a lot of smaller creators, because I think TikTok is one of the very few platforms on the internet where micro-influencers can really thrive,” said Nathan Espinoza, who has more than 550,000 subscribers on the app.

Indeed, the social network has built its success not so much via personal recommendations as through its ultra-powerful algorithm, which lets it rapidly identify users’ interests and funnel content of particular interest to them.

“I’m a more YouTube-centric creator now,” Espinoza said.

“But I wouldn’t be where I am today without TikTok, because that first viral video showed me that it’s possible, and there’s an audience for the type of videos that I make.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

MEA ‘strongly’ deplores Ayatollah Khamenei’s remark on Indian Muslims 

India on Monday “strongly” deplored Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s comment on the condition of the Muslim community in India. In a statement, Ministry of External Affairs described the comment as “unacceptable” . Earlier Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei included India alongside Gaza Strip and Myanmar as one of the places where Muslims are suffering. In a comment sent out in the social media Ayatollah Khamenei referred to India, Gaza, and Myanmar and said the Islamic world should not remain oblivious to the condition of Muslims in these places.

Supreme Court to hear Kolkata doctor rape, murder case on September 17

The Supreme Court is scheduled on September 17 to hear a suo motu case into the brutal rape and murder of a postgraduate doctor at the R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital even as protests continue unabated in West Bengal.

Mamata meets protesting doctors; Kolkata Police Commissioner, senior health officials to be removed

After a meeting with protesting doctors, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that as demanded by them, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal, the Deputy Commissioner of Kolkata Police, North, and two senior officials of Health Department would be replaced. The meeting started at 6 p.m. and lasted for almost four hours; the doctors emerged from the Chief Minister’s residence just a few minutes before midnight.

Govt, BJP plan events to mark NDA’s 100 days in office

The NDA government and the BJP have planned events across the country including a blood donation camp in the national capital to mark the new dispensation’s 100 days in office on Tuesday (September 17, 2024).

Arvind Kejriwal’s search for a loyal replacement in Delhi is a political gamble 

Two days after he came out of jail on bail in the Delhi excise policy case, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal declared that he would be quitting the top post, having resolutely refused to do so while behind bars.

Meta bans RT and other Russian state media networks

Facebook owner Meta said on Monday (September 17,2024) it was banning RT, Rossiya Segodnya and other Russian state media networks, alleging the outlets used deceptive tactics to carry out influence operations while evading detection on the social media company’s platforms.

India, U.S. discuss Indo-Pacific and Gaza matters in Intersessional Dialogue

Indian and American officials held the U.S.-India 2+2 Intersessional Dialogue on Monday (September 16, 2024) during which they discussed matters related to the Indo-Pacific region, Ukraine and Gaza, the State Department said in Washington.

After prolonged negotiations, BJP concedes chair of four Parliamentary Standing Committees to Congress

After prolonged negotiations, the Bharatiya Janata Party has conceded the chair of Department-related Standing Committees on External Affairs, Agriculture, Rural Development and Education to the Congress. A notification is expected shortly. In 2014, with the Congress tally at just 44 MPs, the party held the chair of parliamentary panels on External Affairs and Finance. External Affairs was then headed by senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor and Finance by Veerappa Moily. Both sides have ceded space.

Tensions simmering in Manipur since March 2023, we kept the troops ready even before May 3: former Assam Rifles D-G 

Former Director-General of the Assam Rifles, Lieutenant-General Pradeep Chandran Nair (retd), said the only sincere attempt for a dialogue between the Kuki-Zo and Meitei communities in Manipur last year was derailed, when a video of two Kuki-Zo women being stripped and paraded by a mob surfaced on social media on July 19. In an interview with The Hindu, Lt.-General Nair said though the violence erupted around 2.30 p.m. on May 3, 2023, the State government requisitioned the deployment of Assam Rifles only at 8.30 p.m. as “they were still trying to figure out whether they can handle it [violence] on their own”.

Supreme Court to examine suggestions to stop ‘bulldozer justice’

The Supreme Court will examine suggestions from petitioners seeking relief from States bulldozing homes and private properties of undertrials, and frame pan-India guidelines. A Bench headed by Justice B.R. Gavai had made it clear that the law did not permit retributory demolition of the properties of accused, who were still awaiting trial, or their immediate families.

Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls: Multi-tier security arrangements put up for first phase

Multi-tier security arrangements have been put in place to ensure free and fair Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, a senior police official said. Elections in Jammu and Kashmir are being held in three phases. Voting for 24 seats will be held in the first phase on Wednesday (September 18, 2024), followed by polling for 26 seats in the second phase on September 25. The voting for 40 seats in third phase will be held on October 1 while counting of votes will be held on October 8.

Ball in BJP’s court to hold early polls in Delhi, no decision yet on next CM: AAP

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party said it has put the ball in BJP’s court by demanding early elections in Delhi in November, and now it is up to the Opposition party to decide whether it was prepared to face CM Arvind Kejriwal. Mr. Kejriwal will tender his resignation as chief minister on Tuesday and the process to choose his replacement will start after that, Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said, adding that there has been no discussion on who the next chief minister will be.

Adani Group says press release in circulation on its Kenya projects is fake

The Adani Group categorically stated that neither the Group nor any of its companies or subsidiaries have issued any press statements related to its ongoing projects and presence in Kenya. An Adani Group spokesperson asserted that certain “vested interests with malicious intent” are circulating “multiple fraudulent press releases”, including one titled “Adani Group Denounces Baseless Accusations and Threats”, related to the Group’s presence in Kenya.

‘One nation, one election’ not possible under present Constitution: Chidambaram

Congress leader P. Chidambaram lashed out at the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre over the ‘one nation, one election’ issue, saying it is not possible under the present Constitution and requires at least five Constitutional amendments. Replying to a question on reports that the BJP-led NDA government would implement ‘one nation, one election’ within its current tenure, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi does not have the numbers to place those constitutional amendments either in the Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha.

Typhoon Bebinca, the strongest storm to hit Shanghai since 1949, shuts down megacity

Tens of millions of people in Shanghai and across China’s densely populated east coast hunkered indoors as the strongest storm to hit since 1949 swept in, downing trees and disrupting transport across the region. Typhoon Bebinca landed early Monday morning in the city’s eastern coastal area, with wind speeds of up to 151 kilometres per hour (94 miles per hour), state media said. It is the strongest storm to hit Shanghai since Typhoon Gloria in 1949, state broadcaster CCTV said shortly after Bebinca made landfall.

Man suspected in apparent assassination attempt on Trump charged with federal gun crimes

A man suspected in an apparent assassination attempt targeting former President Donald Trump was charged with federal gun crimes, making his first court appearance in the final weeks of a White House race already touched by violence. Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, faces charges of possessing a firearm despite being a convicted felon and possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number. Additional and more serious charges are possible as the investigation continues and prosecutors seek an indictment from a grand jury.

TikTok heads to court over U.S. law that could lead to a ban on the popular platform

The U.S. government and TikTok will go head-to-head in federal court as oral arguments begin in a consequential legal case that will determine if – or how — a popular social media platform used by nearly half of all Americans will continue to operate in the country. Attorneys for the two sides will appear before a panel of judges at the federal appeals court in Washington. TikTok and its China-based parent company, ByteDance, are challenging a U.S. law that requires them to break ties or face a ban in the U.S. by mid-January. The legal battle is expected to reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

Apple rolls out iOS with more customisation and control features

Apple has started rolling out its iOS 18 globally. Unveiled at WWDC earlier in June this year, the latest operating system has introduced a bunch of new features and tools including more control over the Home Screen and Control Center and a more intelligent Siri. While Apple hasn’t confirmed when the update will be available to install, it is estimated that it could drop at 10 30 PM IST for the eligible older generation models. Meanwhile, the new iPhone 16 series will be preloaded with the iOS 18 and will be available from September 20.

Emmys 2024: ‘Shogun’ makes history as first non-English language series to win Drama Series with a record-breaking 18 total wins

Shogun made history at the 2024 Emmys by becoming the first majority non-English language series to win Best Drama Series. The historical epic set in feudal Japan took home a total of 18 Emmys, the most ever for a single season of television. Anna Sawai, who won the award for Lead Actress in a Drama Series, made history as the first Asian winner in the category.

Washington:

TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance sued in U.S. federal court on Tuesday seeking to block a law signed by President Joe Biden that would force the divestiture of the short video app used by 170 million Americans or ban its use.

The companies filed their lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, arguing that the law violates the U.S. Constitution on a number of grounds including running afoul of First Amendment free speech protections. The law, signed by Biden on April 24, gives ByteDance until Jan. 19 to sell TikTok or face a ban.

“For the first time in history, Congress has enacted a law that subjects a single, named speech platform to a permanent, nationwide ban,” the companies said in the lawsuit.

The White House and U.S. Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The lawsuit said the divestiture “is simply not possible: not commercially, not technologically, not legally. … There is no question: the Act (law) will force a shutdown of TikTok by January 19, 2025, silencing the 170 million Americans who use the platform to communicate in ways that cannot be replicated elsewhere.”

The lawsuit is the latest move by TikTok to keep ahead of efforts to shut it down in the United States as companies such as Snap and Meta look to capitalize on TikTok’s political uncertainty to take away advertising dollars from their rival.

Driven by worries among U.S. lawmakers that China could access data on Americans or spy on them with the app, the measure was passed overwhelmingly in Congress just weeks after being introduced. TikTok has denied that it has or ever would share U.S. user data, accusing American lawmakers in the lawsuit of advancing “speculative” concerns

The law prohibits app stores from offering TikTok and bars internet hosting services from supporting TikTok unless ByteDance divests TikTok by Jan. 19.

The suit said the Chinese government “has made clear that it would not permit a divestment of the recommendation engine that is a key to the success of TikTok in the United States.” The companies asked the D.C. Circuit to block U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland from enforcing the law and says “prospective injunctive relief” is warranted.

TikTok has spent $2 billion to implement measures to protect the data of U.S. users and made additional commitments in a 90-page draft National Security Agreement developed through negotiations with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), according to the lawsuit.

That pact included TikTok agreeing to a “shut-down option” that would give the U.S. government the authority to suspend TikTok in the United States if it violates some obligations, according to the suit.

In August 2022, according to the lawsuit, CFIUS stopped engaging in meaningful discussions about the agreement, and in March 2023 CFIUS “insisted that ByteDance would be required to divest the U.S. TikTok business.” CFIUS is an interagency committee, chaired by the U.S. Treasury Department, that reviews foreign investments in American businesses and real estate that implicate national security concerns.

Biden could extend the Jan. 19 deadline by three months if he determines ByteDance is making progress.

In 2020, then-President Donald Trump was blocked by the courts in his bid to ban TikTok and Chinese-owned WeChat, a unit of Tencent, in the United States. Trump, the Republican candidate challenging the Democrat Biden in the Nov. 5 U.S. election, has since reversed course, saying he does not support a ban but that security concerns need to be addressed.

Many experts have questioned whether any potential buyer possesses the financial resources to buy TikTok and if China and U.S. government agencies would approve a sale.

To move the TikTok source code to the United States “would take years for an entirely new set of engineers to gain sufficient familiarity,” according to the lawsuit.

The four-year battle over TikTok is a significant front in the ongoing conflict over the internet and technology between the United States and China. In April, Apple said China had ordered it to remove Meta Platforms’ WhatsApp and Threads from its App Store in China over Chinese national security concerns.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The U.S. Senate set up a likely court showdown over the scope of TikTok’s free speech protections under the U.S. Constitution when it approved a bill on Tuesday to ban the social media platform from app stores unless its Chinese owner sells it.

While the bill itself does not say anything about speech, the proposal has alarmed civil rights advocates, TikTok and users of the app, all of whom could sue if President Joe Biden signs it into law as expected.

Legal experts said opponents of the law could argue it infringes free speech by preventing users from expressing themselves and businesses from using the app to promote products.

TikTok has already beaten a similar attempt to ban its use in the U.S. state of Montana, although the state is appealing that ruling.

Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute, called the U.S. legislative effort “censorship – plain and simple” in a letter that his group and others sent to lawmakers in March.

A court that agrees with that assessment would apply strict scrutiny, meaning the government would have to prove it has not violated speech rights under the Constitution’s First Amendment and that there are no lesser ways to achieve the government’s national security goals.

The bill’s promoters have argued it has nothing to do with speech but merely regulates a commercial activity by requiring TikTok’s Beijing-based owner ByteDance to sell the U.S. operations within about a year, denying China easy access to users’ data.

The bill sets the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit as the venue for any legal challenges. TikTok could ask the court to preliminarily bar enforcement of the law while it pursues a case contending the measure is unlawful and should be struck down.

Legal experts said if the government winds up fighting a First Amendment case under the strict scrutiny standard, it must prove national security or some other compelling government interest is at stake. It will also have to prove the law was “narrowly tailored” to address that particular issue.

Critics spot a weakness in the government’s potential case on this point: Washington thus far has seemed unconcerned about abuse of users’ data by other social media platforms.

Plenty of companies such as Meta Platforms’ Facebook collect, store and share users’ data, but the government has never treated that activity as a national security threat or enacted data protections.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation’s David Greene said that if the U.S. were really concerned about China and data privacy, it would push legislation that applies to all social media companies, not just TikTok.

The government would need to convince a court the measure is not a limitation on speech but a regulation of a commercial transaction and a way to protect national security.

The government would argue that TikTok could continue to operate and U.S. users continue to use it, just not under Chinese ownership, so the law’s effect on speech was “incidental” and permitted.

In November, a U.S. federal judge in Montana blocked Montana’s effort to ban TikTok within the state. TikTok and some users filed a pair of First Amendment lawsuits challenging the proposed ban, which had been set to take effect in January.

U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy issued a preliminary injunction halting the state’s ban, saying it “violates the Constitution in more ways than one” and “oversteps state power.” Montana, backed by Virginia and 18 other states, is challenging the order on appeal.

“The law is not narrowly tailored, nor does it leave open any alternative channels for targeted communication of information,” Molloy wrote.

TikTok is due to respond to the Montana appeal by April 29.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

Lawmakers in the US House of Representatives on Saturday quickly passed two key aid bills to counter China and bolster Taiwan while also threatening a ban on TikTok if it fails to divest from Beijing.

Voting on major bills on Ukraine and Israel was yet to come.

Lawmakers began voting on the foreign aid and arms bills, totaling some $95 billion, at 1:00 pm (1700 GMT), and embattled Republican Speaker Mike Johnson was forced to rely on Democratic votes for passage.

The bills are the product of months of acrimonious negotiations, pressure from US allies and repeated pleas for assistance from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Spending bills cost the last Republican speaker of the House his job, and funding for Ukraine has been at the heart of the partisan squabbling.

At the request of President Joe Biden, some $8 billion would be used to counter China through investment in submarine infrastructure and boosting competition with Beijing on projects built in developing countries.

Several billion dollars would be devoted to weapons for Taiwan, the self-ruled island that is claimed by China.

Another provision would force TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or face a nationwide ban in the United States, where it has around 170 million users.

Western officials have voiced alarm over the popularity of TikTok with young people, alleging that it is subservient to Beijing and a conduit to spread propaganda — claims denied by the company.

In a statement on Friday, the White House said it “strongly supports” the legislation.

The United States has been the chief military backer of Ukraine in its war against Russia, but Congress has not approved large-scale funding for its ally for nearly a year and a half, mainly because of the bickering across the political aisle.

President Joe Biden and Democratic lawmakers in Congress have been pushing for a major new weapons package for Ukraine for months.

But Republicans, influenced by the party’s presidential candidate Donald Trump, are reluctant to provide funding to Kyiv for the drawn-out conflict.

The financing of the war has become a point of contention ahead of a presidential election in November that is expected to pit Biden against Trump once again.

Johnson, after months of hesitation, finally threw his support behind a $61 billion package for Ukraine that includes economic assistance and weapons.

The bill also allows Biden to confiscate and sell Russian assets and provide the money to Ukraine to finance reconstruction, a move that has been embraced by other G7 nations.

“To put it bluntly, I’d rather send bullets to Ukraine than American boys,” Johnson said.

If the bill passes the House, the upper chamber could take it on as early as Tuesday, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said.

A total of $13 billion in military assistance has been allocated for America’s historic ally Israel in its war against Hamas in Gaza.

The money will essentially be used to reinforce Israel’s Iron Dome air defenses.

More than $9 billion will be earmarked to address “the dire need for humanitarian assistance for Gaza as well as other vulnerable populations around the world,” the legislation says.

“The world is watching what the Congress does,” the White House said earlier, adding that Biden would sign the various bills as soon as they were passed by both chambers of Congress.

US allies are expected to warmly welcome passage of the bills in the House, but it could cost the Republican House speaker his job.

A handful of far-right isolationist Republican lawmakers have warned they may oust Johnson for supporting the bills.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)