TikTok is a short-form mobile video platform that allows users to create, discover, and share vertical videos. The app uses an algorithmic feed to surface content personalized to each user, while advertisers can run in-feed ads, branded hashtags, and sponsored challenges, with a Business Center to plan and measure campaigns. The platform differs from competitors through a large global creator community, integrated marketing tools, and rapid trend cycles that drive high engagement. Its goal is to inspire creativity and bring joy by helping people express themselves and giving brands a direct way to reach a broad audience.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
Grant
Total Funding
$740K
Headquarters
Santa Monica, California
Founded
2016
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U.S. judge signals rejection of part of TikTok $400 million privacy settlement. Advertisements The TikTok logo appears on a smartphone screen against an abstract background in the app's colors. The European Commission formally accuses TikTok of violating the Digital Services Act (DSA) due to its design, which it considers addictive, and considers heavy fines if changes are not made in Creteil, France, on February 10, 2026. (Photo by Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto via Getty Images) Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images TikTok and ByteDance's proposed $400 million settlement with the U.S. Justice Department hit a hurdle on Friday after a federal judge indicated he would reject part of the agreement. TikTok and its Chinese parent company agreed in August to settle allegations that the short-video app violated U.S. children's online privacy laws. Under the deal, TikTok agreed to pay $300 million immediately and a further $100 million if a court terminated a 2019 consent decree imposed by the Federal Trade Commission on TikTok's predecessor, Musical.ly. But U.S. District Judge George H. Wu in Los Angeles said he was inclined to reject the request to end the consent decree and scheduled a hearing for Monday. Without further details, the court "cannot determine that it constitutes a durable remedy or that termination is suitably tailored to the asserted change in circumstance," Wu said in tentatively rejecting the bid to end the decree. The FTC said in 2019 that Musical.ly, later folded into TikTok, knew young children were using the app but failed to obtain parental consent before collecting names, email addresses and other personal information. Musical.ly paid a $5.7 million fine to settle the allegations. The consent decree requires TikTok to maintain certain reporting and record-keeping obligations through 2029. TikTok and the Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Saturday. The $400 million settlement stems from a Justice Department lawsuit filed in 2024 accusing TikTok and ByteDance of failing to protect children's privacy and illegally collecting their personal information. The companies were accused of violating a law requiring online services aimed at children to obtain parental consent before collecting information from users under 13. The government said TikTok had undergone significant changes since the lawsuit was filed, including to its ownership structure, management, compliance functions and privacy practices. In January, ByteDance agreed to establish a majority American-owned joint venture aimed at safeguarding U.S. user data and averting a U.S. ban on an app used by more than 200 million Americans. The TikTok U.S. joint venture said in a court filing that it requires all users to enter their date of birth to use the site and added that it developed sophisticated age-moderation systems that identify children under 13 who misrepresented their age. Choose CNBC as your preferred source on Google and never miss a moment from the most trusted name in business news.
TikTok removes 2.8 million violating videos in Saudi Arabia in 3 months Wissam Al-Muqrin, Raneem Al-Osaimi, Riyadh The "TikTok" platform removed more than 2.8 million videos in Saudi Arabia during the first quarter of 2026 for violating community guidelines, with 98.2% of them deleted proactively, according to what Malak Al-Jaafar, director of awareness and partnerships for the Middle East and North Africa and Turkey region at "TikTok," told "Al-Eqtisadiah." Al-Jaafar said, during the "Family Academy" event hosted by the platform in Riyadh, that "TikTok" removed globally about 25.7 million accounts during the first three months of the year, on suspicion that their owners are under 13 years old, which is the minimum age allowed to use the platform. More than 50 parental control tools Al-Jaafar explained that the "Family Academy" aims to strengthen dialogue between parents and teenagers about digital safety, by introducing families to tools that help them understand their children's experience on the platform and strengthen trust and communication with them. The "Family Pairing" feature provides more than 50 tools and settings, allowing parents to manage multiple aspects of teenagers' experience on "TikTok," including privacy settings, interactions, and screen time. Wed, 26 2026 The platform applies a set of safety measures designated for teenagers, including making accounts private, imposing restrictions on content, in addition to setting a default daily screen time of 60 minutes The event included interactive sessions addressing the nature of the relationship between parents and teenagers in the digital environment, with the participation of digital safety specialists and civil society organizations. The experience gap between parents and teenagers For her part, Linda Al-Faisal, host and founder of the "Linda and Vision 2030" podcast, said that the difference in experiences between parents and teenagers requires enhancing mutual listening, amid the expanding presence of technology in daily life. She pointed out that younger generations may believe, due to their continuous interaction with technology, that they are more knowledgeable about its tools, but parents' experience remains an important factor in recognizing risks and practices that may cause harm. She added that social media platforms have become a major part of daily life, which raises the level of users' responsibility toward the content they provide, especially young people, stressing the importance of producing content with a positive impact that encourages others to gain new expertise and experiences. The "Family Academy" comes within "TikTok" initiatives aimed at raising awareness of digital safety, by combining technical protection tools and promoting dialogue within the family, helping teenagers develop more balanced and safer digital habits.
Going live is easy, making money from it is not - TikTok introduce Creator Networks. TikTok's Creator Networks programme aims to help creators sharpen their livestreaming skills, build audiences and develop potential income streams. September 18, 2026 * TikTok's Creator Networks programme offers personalised coaching and support to help creators improve livestreaming skills and build additional income streams. * TikTok's new AI assistant, LIVE Bax, helps Creator Networks analyse performance data and streamline daily tasks for better creator support. Making money by going live on a social media platform is not as easy as it sounds - even if you're selling killer products. For aspiring content creators and online entrepreneurs, attracting viewers, keeping them engaged and turning that attention into income requires more than simply going live and promoting a product. With rising living costs and economic pressures, some Malaysians are turning to content creation and online businesses as alternative income streams. However, not everyone has the skills or confidence to promote products or services to an online audience. Creator Networks offer A helping hand. TikTok says its Creator Networks programme under TikTok LIVE is designed to help creators overcome these challenges through guidance and support from third-party agencies working with the platform. The networks provide personalised one-to-one coaching, advice and feedback to help creators improve their content and livestreaming skills. They can also advise creators on ways to increase viewership, identify suitable times to go LIVE, build communities and improve overall livestreaming performance. Creators can also exchange knowledge and experiences with others within the Creator Networks ecosystem. The programme was highlighted during TikTok's Global Creator Networks Summit at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok on Sept 15. No promise of instant cash. TikTok stressed that Creator Networks do not guarantee a sudden increase in income. Instead, the programme focuses on improving content quality, boosting audience engagement and helping creators develop potential additional income streams. The programme is also not limited to established creators or online sellers, with TikTok saying individuals looking to generate income, including single mothers, can seek guidance from Creator Networks. Meet LIVE Bax, the AI assistant. TikTok also introduced LIVE Bax, an operational platform designed to help Creator Networks record and analyse creators' performance. TikTok Head of LIVE Creator Networks, Product and Strategy, Claire Li, said the AI-powered assistant helps Creator Networks teams obtain information and data about creators' content while streamlining their daily tasks. TikTok said livestreaming's interactive nature is also driving its popularity among creators and consumers. Unlike conventional online shopping, LIVE allows viewers to interact directly with sellers and creators through comments, likes and virtual gifts while getting immediate answers to questions about products. For example, shoppers can ask a clothing seller about sizing during a livestream and receive an immediate response instead of waiting for a reply. 240 million creators went LIVE. Li said more than 240 million content creators worldwide went LIVE on TikTok in 2025, almost double the number recorded in 2024. TikTok also expects the global livestream entertainment market to surpass US$200 billion (about RM576.86 billion) by 2030. In Malaysia, W Talent is among the agencies working with TikTok LIVE under its Creator Networks programme to support and develop local creators. The agency regularly shares tips and strategies to help creators grow their brands on their official TikTok account.
UK agency Nest Commerce has partnered with TikTok to launch Hummingbird, an AI creative and performance platform, on TikTok on 23 September. TikTok provided Nest with a technology grant to develop the platform. Hummingbird analyses how brands' advertising performs in real time, identifies creative elements resonating with audiences, and uses those insights to inform the next generation of assets. The platform can produce creative variations across static, motion and UGC-style formats whilst monitoring live campaigns for signs of creative fatigue. Nest's creative experts remain at the centre of the process, using AI to increase the speed and scale at which teams can test, learn and create. The platform is designed to help brands produce fresh, varied creative content, testing different formats, messages and ideas.
TikTok launches AI initiative literacy. 16.09.2026 11:34 TikTok has expanded its educational materials on artificial intelligence (AI) and launched guidance on the responsible use of AI-generated content. Kazakhstani content creators participated in the initiative, El.kz reports. Educational videos for users were produced by Gennady Zakharov and Asset Murzabayev. Zakharov explained how users can manage the amount of AI-generated content displayed in their recommendation feeds, while Murzabayev discussed how to identify such content and why it should be appropriately labelled. The platform has also developed guidance on the use of AI tools in cooperation with the National Association for Media Literacy Education (NAMLE) and expert Henry Ajder. In addition, TikTok is working with NoFiltr and the Raspberry Pi Foundation, organizations engaged in promoting digital literacy and developing educational resources on artificial intelligence. According to the company, educational content produced as part of the programme launched in November 2025 has generated more than 200 million views. TikTok has allocated more than 4 million dollars to support the initiative. At the same time, the platform is strengthening measures to address AI-generated spam. TikTok is testing systems designed to identify accounts that publish large volumes of generated content, including content concerning sensitive topics such as politics, financial advice and healthcare. In the first quarter of 2026, TikTok removed more than 86 million fake accounts worldwide. During the same period, the platform removed 1.28 million videos in Kazakhstan for violations of its Community Guidelines. A separate area of work focuses on the labelling of AI-generated content. According to TikTok, as of July 2026, more than 3 billion videos on the platform had received relevant labels through Content Credentials, creator disclosure tools and invisible digital watermarks. TikTok has also joined the steering committee of the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA), which develops standards for establishing the provenance and authenticity of digital content. In parallel, the company is developing the Smart Split and AI Outline tools and testing the Manage Topics feature, which enables users to regulate the proportion of AI-generated content in their recommendation feeds.