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Shoe sales on TikTok Shop in the US surged to $447.9 million in the year ending 30 June 2025, up from $158.3 million the previous year, according to Charm.io data. Sneakers led sales at $117.7 million, up 117.9% year-over-year. Slippers followed with $108.3 million, rising 285.4%, whilst sandals and flip-flops reached $105.9 million, up 244.3%. Women's boots and mules and clogs rounded out the top five categories, increasing 144.1% and nearly 180% respectively. Meanwhile, TikTok quietly began testing a paid membership programme called TikTok Shop Plus on 1 June, with monthly fees ranging from $6 to $15. The service targets frequent buyers, similar to Amazon Prime.

The EU has officially decided ChatGPT is a Search Engine. Under this label, European regulators are putting ChatGPT under stricter oversight, along with Reddit and Roblox. By Bruce Gil Published August 31, 2026, 12:25 pm ET Reading time 3 minutes The European Union just put OpenAI's ChatGPT under the same legal designation as Google. That means the AI chatbot will now face greater scrutiny and stricter rules over in Europe. The European Commission announced Monday that ChatGPT is now big enough to be considered a "Very Large Online Search Engine," while Reddit and Roblox have crossed the threshold to be designated "Very Large Online Platforms," under its Digital Services Act (DSA). Online services receive these legal designations once they reach at least 45 million monthly users in the European Union. ChatGPT likely crossed that threshold a while ago given its more than 1 billion weekly users globally. But the European Commission, the E.U.'s executive branch, reportedly struggled with whether to classify the AI chatbot as a search engine or an online platform. The Digital Services Act, passed in 2022, sets rules for large online services to protect users from illegal and harmful content. But it was written before generative AI went fully mainstream and did not clearly spell out how AI services like ChatGPT should be classified. For now, the European Commission has landed on search engine. "These new designations mean that ChatGPT, Reddit and Roblox will now be held to a higher standard of scrutiny and accountability in the European Union, in line with their large impact on our citizens and society," said the Commission's Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen in a press release. "We continue to watch the digital landscape closely and will not hesitate to designate any platform that meets the threshold for enhanced supervision under the Digital Services Act." Before ChatGPT, Google Search and Microsoft's Bing were the only search engines to receive the "very large" designation. The list of Very Large Online Platforms, meanwhile, includes social media services largely built around user-generated content, such as Facebook, Instagram, X, and TikTok, as well as online marketplaces like Amazon and Apple's App Store. ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox will now have to follow the additional rules reserved for these very large services. For instance, they will have to assess systemic risks posed by their services and algorithms and explain how they plan to mitigate them. Those risks include the spread of illegal content, negative effects on minors and users' physical and mental well-being, threats to fundamental rights, and their impacts on elections and public security. The designation also gives the European Commission greater authority to oversee and investigate the services. ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox now have four months to comply with the additional requirements. Companies that violate the DSA can ultimately face fines of up to 6% of their annual worldwide revenue. The Commission has already shown it is willing to use those powers. In December, it slapped Elon Musk's X with a fine of 120 million euros over the platform's "deceptive design" of its blue checkmark verification badges, as well as a lack of transparency around its advertisers. The Commission has also found that TikTok's infinite scroll, autoplay, push notifications, and highly personalized recommendation system likely violate the DSA. "Reddit is committed to complying with the EU Digital Services Act. We've been preparing to meet the VLOP requirements and look forward to coordinating with EU regulators while providing transparency for Reddit users," a Reddit spokesperson told Gizmodo in an emailed statement. OpenAI and Roblox did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

TikTok takes creator content beyond the phone screen. To some parents, TikTok is still a platform that kids and teens are using to watch quick videos on their phones. However, TikTok is going to take that content offline. TikTok is introducing its content to a physical world with its Out of Phone initiative, which enables users to see TikTok videos without needing to use the app. What is TikTok's Out of Phone program? On 17 October 2023, TikTok launched Out of Phone, a solution that enables brands to continue their TikTok campaigns beyond the app and onto digital screens and networks, such as billboards and cinema. The program was created to bring TikTok content to the real world. This doesn't necessarily mean that all creators will be able to have their TikTok streamed on a billboard. Out of Phone delivers its solutions via TikTok's advertising offerings and media partners. Where can TikTok creator content now appear? The program has grown and is continuing to grow. On 25/08/2026, TikTok announced six new partnerships in Europe: Alight Media, DooH it, Powerpill, Zoom Media, Next-Gen Media and C-Screens. The partnerships take Out of Phone to the UK, France, Belgium, Spain and Italy. The partners will help to push content created by creators for TikTok to screens in wellness centres, shopping malls, bars, supermarkets, universities and outdoor TV networks, TikTok said. Additionally, on June 20th, 2024, TikTok released Out of Phone: Mission, which enables brands to boost creator content created with Branded Mission to digital OOH screens including billboards and urban panels. What does this expansion mean for creators? This is another opportunity for creators to get their content in front of audiences other than TikTok. A creator's content can be integrated into campaigns that bring online and real-world experiences together. Creators and brands that are interested in establishing their presence across social media can also avail of the social-media promotion, management and campaign services offered by Ytviews.in on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. How should creators prepare content for bigger screens? Creators need to prioritize visuals, text and storytelling. Material for larger viewing screens should be comprehensible from first glance. However, creators need to keep in mind that appearing on Out of Phone relies on TikTok's campaigns, advertising offerings, and involved partners. Final thoughts. For parents observing the extent to which short-form video has become the way of life, the growth of TikTok is noteworthy. Whereas a video on a phone can get to people in malls, stores, gyms and universities, or any other public space. TikTok is no longer limited to mobile screens and moving onto the real world as well.