Though each candidate faced revealing challenges in the swing state, both won easily · By Lauren Egan and Elena Schneider

Kellyanne Conway advocating for TikTok on Capitol Hill

23K votes, 4.2K comments. 16M subscribers in the technology community. Subreddit dedicated to the news and discussions about the creation and use of…

r/technology on Reddit: Biden backs bill forcing TikTok sale: “If they pass it, I’ll sign it.”

House lawmakers are moving with dizzying speed with a plan that could ban TikTok from the United States. In the span of two days this week, a key House committee introduced and approved a bill targeting TikTok. The full House is set to vote on it as early as next week, and the White House says ...

Wait, is America actually banning TikTok now? | CNN Business

The latest tech industry news and analysis covering AI, biotech and cybersecurity, as well as commentary and reviews on personal technology.

Why Some 20-Somethings Are Saying No to TikTok

The article caught my eye this morning: “US lawmakers vote 50-0 to force sale of TikTok despite angry calls from users” (ArsTechnica, 7 Mar 2024.). It highlights a proposed bill in the US House of Representatives which would require the Chinese government to entirely DIVEST (sell off) TikTok ...

War Over TikTok – Moving at the Speed of Creativity

Read the latest Technology news covering smartphone trends, AI, insights from industry leaders and Personal Tech columnists from the Wall Street Journal.

TikTok Crackdown Shifts Into Overdrive, With Sale or Shutdown on Table

A user revolt has only made Congress more determined to ban TikTok. But it’s not over yet.

Is the new push to ban TikTok for real?

The president’s support adds momentum to a push that could force the Chinese-owned app to be sold or barred from app stores in the United States.

Biden says he’d sign bill that could ban TikTok if Congress passes it

In his final year in office, President Trump signed an executive order attempting to limit TikTok. Now Trump has reversed himself. “If you get rid of TikTok, Facebook and Zuckerschmuck will double their business,” he wrote.

Trump Meets TikTok Investor, Suddenly Doesn’t Want to Ban It

“Shark Tank” investor Kevin O’Leary suggested that he will buy social media platform TikTok if a proposed ban goes ahead Friday. “Not going to get banned, ‘cause I’m gonna buy it,” O’Leary said on Fox News’ “The Story” in an interview with anchor Gillian Turner.

Kevin O’Leary suggests he will buy TikTok if proposed ban advances | The Hill

Get the most recent info and news about TikTok for Business on HackerNoon, where 10k+ technologists publish stories for 4M+ monthly readers.

TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video and our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. The platform is a home for creative expression through videos that create a genuine, inspiring, and joyful experience. TikTok has global offices including Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo. 

TikTok for Business

So far, 800 million people worldwide use the TikTok video streaming app for entertainment and connection, and 12.5% of them, 100 million, are Americans. After President Donald Trump said on July 31 that he planned to bar the Chinese-owned social media app from operating in the US, he reversed course, saying he would allow TikTok to keep operating if it were sold to an American owner. Microsoft is one of the companies most likely to buy the app. The possible acquisition will allow the software company to compete with Facebook and Google-owned YouTube and attract a younger audience. Like many other social media apps, TikTok is not just about entertainment and funny videos. It’s a powerful instrument for influencers, opinion leaders, and enterprises to gain followers and audience loyalty and to broadcast their ideas worldwide. The TikTok optimism helped millions of Americans connect and express themselves during the difficult pandemic times, and now, platform users are to be denied this opportunity. This is why the reaction to the ban was so strong among TikTok users and why people started keeping eye on the acquisition news and searching for possible alternatives. But is it actually possible for other streaming apps to take the place of TikTok? The TikTok secret: The power of zoomer creativity In 2019, TikTok outperformed social media giants such as YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook and became the most downloaded app on the Apple App Store, with more than 33 million downloads. The platform boosts user engagement by launching challenges and providing a wide range of filters and music-syncing options that can be applied to user videos. Furthermore, it uses AI algorithms to optimize content creation, curation, and recommendations. This makes TikTok a mixture of Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook: video content with music that can be improved through filters and has recommendations. According to the information shared by Postoplan , more than 40% of the TikTok audience are zoomers, and the app has the highest average engagement rate (ER) of all studied social media sites, at 14.87%. These facts are interdependent: “The TikTok secret is that it was initially developed for generation Z teenagers. This generation is addicted to mobile devices, lacks offline communication, and yearns for recognition. They use the app multiple times a day and are engaged in new online activities – that’s how the high ER can be explained,” says Postoplan CEO Alex Bozhin. Nevertheless, only 7% of businesses connected to Postoplan started using TikTok for business goals because, for a pretty long time, the app provided limited promotion prospects. However, after the TikTok Ads Manager was launched in Q1 2020, the situation is likely to change. Searching for TikTok alternatives So far, TikTok is available in over 150 countries, with India, China, and the US being the largest markets for the app. In late June 2020, TikTok and 59 other Chinese mobile apps were banned in India. Now the same ban is possible in the United States. The reason for these bans in the two countries is the same: TikTok is accused of illegal personal data usage, which threatens the national security of the respective countries. As TikTok has formed a demand for this type of video-streaming app in the US market, its ban opens up new opportunities for TikTok competitors from the United States or Europe that are unlikely to be banned in the future: byte, Dubsmash, Funimate, Triller, and Instagram Reels. is the second-largest video streaming app in the US, with 27% of the country’s short-form video market share by installs and 100 million users globally, according to . As the platform has always been overshadowed by TikTok, it is commonly considered a ground zero for new influencers and creators. Dubsmash doesn’t have that many stars, and that’s why people feel comfortable when they record and stream videos. Dubsmash App Annie ’s main advantage over TikTok is that it has no restrictions on video styles: slow motion, video compilations, loops, lip-syncing, etc. With 40 million users worldwide, Funimate is often described as a video-editing and -streaming app, and the company focuses on providing users with vast flexibility in creating short videos. The seventh-largest video app in the US, Funimate is widely used just for editing videos, and the content created with this app is then shared on other social media. Funimate Launched in 2015, is an AI-powered video-editing app with 26.5 million users. On Triller, people can film themselves doing different things, and the app will automatically compile the best moments to create a music video. The app focuses on creativity, authenticity, and content creation through remixing – just like TikTok does. But these apps are not the same. On Triller, users can listen to entire music tracks, whereas TikTok users have to put up with a 15-second restriction. Furthermore, Triller is integrated with other music libraries such as Apple Music or Spotify, whereas TikTok has its own library. That means TikTok is much more ambitious in its attempt to disrupt the music industry, whereas Triller collaborates with existing market participants. Triller The is an American social video-streaming platform founded by the co-founder of Vine and described as Vine 2.0. Launched in January 2020, byte got over 1.3 million downloads within the first week, with U.S. users accounting for 70%. Byte is a direct competitor of TikTok with one great advantage: it provides monetization options for creators. The app shares the revenue gained from advertising among the top 100 influencers and creators, and the current TikTok ban has spurred on a popularity increase for byte in the US. byte app This short comparison would not be complete without mentioning , a short video-sharing app by Facebook that was a copycat app of TikTok and was shut down on July 10, 2020. This service was directly competing with TikTok but never gained popularity even though it was launched by a social media giant. The reason Facebook shut down Lasso was to focus on a shift to the feature. This new service was first launched in Brazil and then expanded to France and Germany and now is available in over 50 countries. Its concept is pretty similar to that of Lasso and TikTok: Instagram Reels was launched in the US on August 5, and the possible TikTok ban is likely to work in Reels’ favor. Lasso Instagram Reels In conclusion, the prospect of TikTok being banned is a nightmare scenario for many teens in the US. The possible Microsoft acquisition would grant the software company millions of grateful youth as well as new opportunities on the social media platform market. President Trump said that he will wait until September 15 to take action on TikTok, and the current uncertainty in the video app’s future opens new opportunities for TikTok competitors to seize the moment and scale up their user base.

A Chance for Emerging Video-Sharing Apps: What Happens If TikTok Is Banned in the US?

Is TikTok safe for businesses to use? Does the platform protect account and user data well enough to be trusted? These questions have been shrouded in heated debate for the past few years. Businesses need to analyze the evidence of security concerns on TikTok as well as some ethical concerns in order to determine whether TikTok is the right platform for connecting with customers. TikTok Security and Privacy Scrutiny TikTok has exploded in popularity since 2020. However, the platform’s focus on massive growth has left many concerned that it is lacking in adequate security and privacy measures. In 2019, the independent security firm, Check Point, revealing numerous concerning security vulnerabilities within the TikTok app. These included the risk of hackers using TikTok to send malicious links to users over SMS, manipulating users’ accounts and posts, revealing personal information tied to TikTok accounts, and uploading videos to users’ TikTok accounts. released a study Accusations like these have by U.S. government officials. The U.S. Army and Navy have both banned the app on government-issued devices. In fact, the Trump Administration did attempt to ban TikTok nationally in 2020 and then shifted to proposing a deal for TikTok to be purchased by Oracle and Walmart and moved to the United States. The primary concern is that TikTok is being used to funnel American data to the Chinese government, posing serious threats to national security. led to calls to ban TikTok What Businesses Should Consider What do these claims mean for businesses? It’s a difficult question, especially considering the amount of mystery still surrounding these security concerns. International technology experts have pointed out that there is significant tech giants, which may be contributing to TikTok security fears. tension between U.S. and Chinese Some American social media platforms, such as , have faced significantly fewer data privacy concerns compared to TikTok. There is also the 'element of the unknown' – TikTok is the first Chinese social media platform to gain international popularity. TikTok’s parent company ByteDance has responded to security concerns with security patches, updates, and reassurances. This does not seem to be effective for quelling security fears, though. Twitter This situation brings up a challenging dilemma: Are TikTok and ByteDance facing security scrutiny because they are based in China, or because of legitimate evidence of untrustworthy practices? TikTok and ByteDance certainly appear to be taking action to reassure U.S. users that the platform is safe. ByteDance quickly rolled out patches to secure the vulnerabilities Check Point identified in 2019. In 2022, TikTok announced that U.S. data would be stored moving forward. In 2019, ByteDance also agreed to for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) on Musical.ly, the older version of TikTok. ByteDance, which bought Musical.ly/TikTok in 2017, also agreed to abide by COPPA regulations after the lawsuit. in the U.S. on Oracle’s servers pay a $5.7 million settlement So, if ByteDance and TikTok are to be taken at face value, the platform is certainly making an effort to improve security and privacy. The risks of data being shared with or being accessed by Chinese government personnel is mainly a threat to individuals, where sensitive personal information is concerned. For businesses, this is somewhat less of a concern. However, by posting content on business TikTok accounts and interacting on the platform, businesses are arguably showing support for TikTok. So, businesses need to consider whether or not they trust TikTok and ByteDance to be truthful about their security efforts. If they do not, businesses should stick to interacting with their customers on less controversial platforms. If businesses are using TikTok to keep up with trends among their customers, there are ways to watch TikTok videos , such as on YouTube. without using the app How TikTok Compares to Other Social Media Platforms When analyzing security and privacy concerns on TikTok, it is worth stepping back and looking at those concerns in the context of other social media platforms. The top three social media platforms in the U.S. are Facebook, , and TikTok. Both Facebook and Instagram are owned by Meta, Facebook’s parent company. by active monthly users Instagram has been the subject of intense scrutiny in recent years over security and privacy concerns. Numerous have found evidence that Meta is using Facebook to collect massive amounts of user data, then selling it and leveraging it without users’ knowledge. Meta investigations over the years Such a stockpile of data poses a serious security concern in the event of a data breach at Meta, which is a real possibility. In 2022, news broke that an undisclosed amount of user data to hackers posing as law enforcement. Cases like this indicate that no social media platform is entirely bulletproof – even domestic, U.S.-based platforms. Meta handed over Should Businesses Use TikTok? Is TikTok a security risk for businesses? Ultimately, businesses need to determine whether they trust ByteDance’s reported security efforts or not. Continuing to use TikTok to connect with customers can indicate a business’s endorsement of the platform, too, which may be an issue if a business is concerned about its customers’ personal data.

Is TikTok a Security Risk for Businesses?

¿TikTok es un riesgo de seguridad para las empresas?

TikTok est-il un risque de sécurité pour les entreprises ?

क्या TikTok व्यवसायों के लिए एक सुरक्षा जोखिम है?

TikTok は企業にとってセキュリティ リスクですか?

O TikTok é um risco de segurança para empresas?

TikTok có phải là rủi ro bảo mật cho doanh nghiệp không?

TikTok 是否对企业构成安全风险？

TikTok Alternatives for Small Businesses: A Comprehensive Guide

Let's learn about via these 60 free stories. They are ordered by most time reading created on HackerNoon. Visit the to find the most read stories about any technology. Personal Data Security /Learn Repo 1. How to Reduce Your Chances of Being a Victim of Identity Theft The major causes of identity theft, along with some simple steps you can take to lower your risk of exposure dramatically. 2. The Best Way to Protect Your Data: Continuous Security Validation Security validation is a cybersecurity method that provides companies with an extensive security report on what could happen if they suffer from a cyberattack. 3. 7 Ways to Improve Cybersecurity when You Travel in 2022 If you travel frequently, you should know how to safeguard your data. Think about these things before taking off on your next vacation. 4. Would You Notice If You Were Hacked? Android Security 5. Cyber Threat From Electric Vehicles Cannot Be Ignored Reduce EV cyber threats by taking care at public charging stations, installing two-factor authentication, getting repairs from authorized mechanics, and more. 6. The Two Best Ways to Scan for PII in Your Data Warehouse Find PII data by scanning column names and/or data in your data warehouse with these two easy to create methods and a step-by-step guide on how to do it. 7. A Simple Cybersecurity Guide for The Hopelessly Confused If you’re one of these three bands, here is a simple, quick cybersecurity guide based on 5 tips that can help you preserve your digital privacy. 8. How To Code To Prevent Sensitive Data Exposure Some tips on how to establish a secure development cycle, covering data-masking and filtering techniques with code examples. 9. 4 Signs You Make it Easy For Someone to Hack You Hacking can happen on any device and to any person—and hackers are only getting smarter by the minute. 10. 5 Reasons to Put Your Crypto Addresses under Real-Time Monitoring If you are fairly consistent in your daily routine, customization features of real-time transaction monitoring services can act as an extra pair of hands. 👆Pic credit: PARSIQ. 11. 2 Ways to Access WhatsApp Conversations In this article, you'll find the best ways to hack WhatsApp chats including syncing the app with the web version or exporting a txt file of the chat. 12. 2 Million Fitbit Accounts Were Exposed by Cybercriminals A user on a well-known hacker community has leaked the emails and passwords of 1,999,999 users of the widely used health and fitness platform Fitbit, famous for its gadgets like smartwatches, and innovative fitness apps that track your training and sleeping patterns (among other things). The platform was recently acquired by Google LLC in a $2.1 billion USD deal. 13. How To Create a Complex Password For almost all the accounts that you create on the Internet, you need to come up with a secure, that is, a complex password. Choosing the most secure password requires the use of unlikely combinations of letters and numbers. Fortunately, creating a complex and at the same time easy to remember password is a task that you can handle. To learn how to create a password correctly, use our tips. 14. Is COVID-19 Turning Into A War On Privacy? The old axiom that one should never waste a good crisis, appears to be the driving force behind one of Big-Tech's biggest rivalries seen in Google and Apple that are now working together in an unorthodox partnership to create the ultimate privacy buster -  a coronavirus tracking app. 15. Proxy Vs. VPN: What Is Better For Data Protection in 2020 If you are alive and functioning as a member of society in 2020, chances are you've used a VPN (Virtual Private Network) or a proxy server in the past. It may have been to stream a sports channel not available in your home country, to gain access to a foreign website, or to overcome the one-vote-per-IP address challenges associated with having multiple people in one household trying to do the same thing online. 16. Privacy Protection: How Secure is Telegram Messenger? Is Telegram messenger secure enough for private messages and group chats? Can Telegram protect the privacy of users? We did research on this. 17. Is TikTok a Security Risk for Businesses? Possible security and ethical concerns on TikTok raise questions about whether businesses should be using the platform. 18. How Machine Learning Prevents Identity Theft With the Big Data gathering precious information, and us leaving our digital footprints all over the internet, it appears that hackers have their hands full. Only in 2018, there were over 3 million identity theft cases in the US. In 25% of them, the amount of money was lost. 19. Is Data Privacy Different in The 21st Century? The digital age brought numerous conveniences that are appreciated to date; however, other concerns arose as the dark side of technology started to show itself. 20. Why We Should All Care About Privacy Online—Interview: Hanna Bozakov I interviewed Hanna Bozakov, Head of Marketing for secure email service Tutanota, about internet security, online privacy, the legality of encryption, and how Tutanota works to protect you. According to their homepage, "Tutanota is the world's most secure email service, easy to use and private by design". 21. Setting Up a Guest Wi-Fi Network Internet Securer It has become quite a ritual among friends to ask for the Wi-Fi
password before even exchanging greetings. The technology has taken made us so much addicted to it. The moment people enter your house, all they want to do is to access your internet to post on social media. Well, you can’t blame them because you do the same when you go to their place! 22. Blueprint of an EFSS Phishing Attack Cybersecurity is a high-stakes game. The effects of a data breach can echo for years, as companies become associated with being poor managers of personal data. In spite of the risks, the benefits of enterprise file sync and sharing (EFSS) services remain clear: enterprise organizations and SMBs alike can use cloud-based solutions to easily synchronize and share documents. 23. What's in Store for Privacy and Personal Data Protection in 2022? 2021 saw many advancements in internet privacy, what does 2022 have in store? 24. How to Keep Your Data More Secure in 2022 🔒 Encrypting online data with Cryptomator before uploading to cloud storage services in 2022. How to protect sensitive online data with file encryption by Louis M 25. Who Will Guard The Guards? In this hyperconnected world we generate data everyday, and anyone who has access to it can be a threat to our privacy and security. Even the government. 26. Handling Sensitive Data: A Primer Properly securing sensitive customer data is more important than ever. 27. The Privacy Paradox: Do We Really Have Nothing to Hide? Privacy is not something we put a lot of attention or effort into keeping, but maybe we should. 28. Here's Your Best Bet at Setting Up a Secure Home IoT System The Internet of Things (IoT) has a growing number of products that can help you have a smarter home. 29. Insiders Breach Your Organization’s Data (Data Tells Us So) Many company executives claim that the biggest threats to their data privacy are external threats, such as hackers or state-funded cyber-threats. However, companies are actually more likely to experience a data breach from an internal source, whether it is malicious or accidental. 30. Salts and Hashes For the time being, I want you p33ps to ignore the general meaning of these words used in daily context and give a new meaning to them for the current time being. 31. How to Avoid Paying Expensive HIPAA Fines For all the different kinds of doctors and medical staff out there, any member of a healthcare business has a relationship with HIPAA. 32. The Future of Identity Management using Blockchain How Secure is Our Personal Data? 33. 10 Cybersecurity Tips Everyone Should Follow In a world where everything is connected to the internet, and yes I mean everything (NSFW), the threat of being hacked is always present. The most recent notable security leak was with Robinhood. 34. The Social Dilemma in 2021: Personal Data Privacy Big organizations and politicians have a structured data table of everyone's info. They often use your data to get more strategic and sell more to us. 35. Configuring Single Sign-On for Zoom With WSO2 Identity Server In the wake of remote working, Zoom has become one of the most
essential tools for video conferencing. This blog discusses how you can
configure single sign-on (SSO) for Zoom with WSO2 Identity Server. 36. Black Hat Hacking Forums Get Hacked: Possibly a LulzSec Attack Presently, the world of black hat forums appears to be engulfed in a series of cyberattacks. According to a Telegram channel, on 18th June 2019 it was reported that three leading black hat hacking forums were reportedly exploited, affecting an aggregate of over 260,000 hackers. From the disclosed data, it appears as though the creator of the aforementioned Telegram Channel has access to certain Ukrainian police files which may have led to the leak. 37. Using Unmasked Production Data For Testing Leaves Your At Risk For Data Breaches If you don’t want to risk data breaches and the associated fines & image damage, don’t use unmasked production data for testing. 38. How Should Companies Build a Robust Cybersecurity Culture? In the modern age of information and technology, there’s not a single individual or organization that would object to the tightening of cybersecurity within an enterprise. 39. Newest Malware from China “I think malware is a significant threat because the mitigation, like antivirus software, hasn’t evolved to a point to mitigate the risk to a reasonable degree.” Kevin Mitnick 40. Best Practises For Protecting Your Email Ever get a Microsoft security alert email? One out of every 412 emails contains a malware attack. It doesn’t matter if you’re just a person sitting comfortably at home or a dedicated worker pushing one email after the other with short breaks of sweet old coffee. Every one of us is susceptible to these attacks and in a slightly twisted way we should all expect them. They could come in all shapes or sizes, and if you don’t want to lose a speech for your “Dyno week” conference that you spent a 100 hours writing maybe you shouldn’t let your friend open an email link with the subject line “Nude pictures of Anna Kournikova.” 41. Healthcare in Blockchain - An Evolution? 42. What Are The Cybersecurity Risks Associated With Personal Devices? Let's look at some of the most significant risks posed by your personal digital devices, and what we can do to boost your security. 43. How Decentralized Identifiers Will Shape the Future of Identity Exploring the W3C DID specification to enable Web3.0 identity solutions... 44. 5 Best Anonymous Browsers: How To Stay Protected Online In 2019 our devices know us better than close friends and relatives. Browsers, messengers, social media trackers analyse the actions you do online and your interactions with content to expand their manipulation. The history of browsing is used to target ads and create more triggering banners for you exclusively. These technological advancements might look smart and comfortable, but the invasion of privacy has gone too far. 45. What Are Keyloggers and Why Do You Need Them This article will explain keylogging software and why people might want to install it on their laptops. 46. Public Computers Safety Tips: Interview with Cybersecurity Expert Ravi Bahethi With the amazing advances in cloud computing, many of us are finding that it is efficient to use a public or shared computer from time to time to check in on work and personal projects. Staying safe on a public computer is essential in keeping your data secure from cybercriminals. In this article, systems engineer and cybersecurity specialist Ravi Bahethi focuses on five tips to help you stay safe while using public computers. 47. Hybrid-Working & Online Security: 7 Ways to Combat Threats in 2022 Hybrid working model is the new norm and with its rise there is a dire need to keep your digital identity secure with some tested tips backed by research. 48. Are Smart Devices Worth the Privacy Risk? Smart devices are great. They help you search the internet with only your voice, allow you to order essentials without using your phone or computer, and let you see who's at the door. But they also do one other thing. They are listening, all the time. While Alexa is best known for this morally dubious listening, it's not just them. Google has just been shown to do the same. It seems like every smart device is listening in to your conversations. Let's talk about potential concerns and why these companies are doing this. 49. How To Protect Your Data While Working Remotely As the Coronavirus is disrupting the day-to-day lives of billions of people around the world, businesses are in the middle of what Time Magazine describes as the “world’s largest work-from-home experiment.” 50. Data Loss Prevention: What is it, and Do You Need it? Data Loss Prevention is a set of tools and practices geared towards protecting your data from loss and leak. Even though the name has only the loss part, in actuality, it's as much about the leak protection as it is about the loss protection. Basically, DLP, as a notion, encompasses all the security practices around protecting your company data. 51. Need for an Identity Theft Protection Identity theft is a blanket term that covers fraudulent and even suspicious action through bank accounts and criminal databases. It is a violation of getting the financial or personal data of a person with the sole objective of feigning that person's name or identity to make purchases or transactions. 52. Combat Online Vaccine Registration Scams With Better Cybersecurity Measures Hackers are targeting the online vaccine supply chain and are setting up malicious attacks to have unauthorized access to the organization’s vaccine information 53. How to Defend Your Smart Home Against Hackers Of course, we love hackers here at Hacker Noon. It’s right there in the name. 54. Top 4 Free Parental Control Tools The most appropriate parental control tools that you can use to keep your child safe from harmful content when they are online. 55. 13 Smart Ways to Secure Your WordPress Website A lot of website owners are concerned about online security. 56. Getting Started With Digital Forensics Using the Sleuth Kit Based on an Interpol review due to the popularity of IoT devices and an increase in cyber attacks, the digital forensics market is expected to grow to USD 9.68 billion by 2022 57. How to Scan Your Systems for Personal Data Learn the many different ways you can scan for personal data across your organisation's customer-facing online systems in this practical, how-to guide. 58. Top 11 Powerful Keyloggers for Windows Source: Pexels 59. Privacy In The Time of Coronavirus Asymbol of American prosperity was obliterated on September 11, 2001, along with more than 3,000 innocent American lives. It is a day (in the words of President Roosevelt after the attack on Pearl Harbor) that will live in infamy. 60. 13 Best Proxy Servers Review [Update Apr'22] - Top Proxy Service in 2021 [Free and Paid] Today, cybersecurity assumes bigger importance. In order to surf the Internet anonymously and safely, I have prepared the top best proxy servers in 2021. Thank you for checking out the 60 most read stories about Personal Data Security on HackerNoon. to find the most read stories about any technology. Visit the /Learn Repo

60 Stories To Learn About Personal Data Security

Hi everyone! I'm Irina Heinz, Content Strategist at Checkaso , and I've compiled some major stories of the month for you. Well, I mean news. If there will be enough likes, shares, and views, we'll keep it up. Okay then, what all the buzz in mobile is about in July? TikTok’s tough month: the ban, problems with the US, and Instagram playing dirty and 58 other Chinese apps. Instagram is then (apparently) happy to Reels — a TikTok-like feature — in India. The US (with 19% of the installs worldwide) add fuel to the fire by to ban TikTok too. They suspect the app of transferring data to China. In the meantime, TikTok launches and an for business. India bans TikTok launch threatening Gamified Branded Effects ad credits program Apple & Google’s duopoly + Huawei to fund an alternative app store Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram, scolds Apple and Google for 30% commission fee. He blames the tech giants for forcing app developers to accept unfavorable terms. Being his usual self, he, of course, calls for the fight against injustice — and offers to use the as a weapon. Meanwhile, Huawei keeps investing in AppGallery, an alternative app store, and $1M contest for the best HMS apps and games. law announces a new iOS14 exposes data collecting apps Bad news, — iOS 14 will make it way harder to track clicks and analyze the audience. This is all, again, for privacy. The system will have a feature that can warn users if an app copies their clipboard data. Because of it, confidential information. Apple advertisers Linkedin has been accused of collecting EU to regulate app stores and Google Play to update its policy The European Union is now and app developers. It calls for transparency of ratings, app removals, data collection, and connections with big players. Transparency seems to be a new trend. Google Play is (starting August 12) for greater privacy, ethics, and transparency. now have 30 days to fix it. Maybe we're on the verge of some great migration. keeping an eye on app stores updating its policy For whoever is wondering, apps in the wrong category Facebook burns out, users are angry, apps crash, Spotify expands its presence made iOS apps crash all over the world. Oops. Authentication issues prevented users from logging into Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Tinder, Viber and — ironically — Facebook itself. Angry users reinstalled the apps and typed their fingers sore with angry comments (probably). For example, Spotify received in Europe. At least, Spotify has some good news as well — , including Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine. Facebook SDK over 10,000 complaints it is now available in 13 more countries New features for Instagram, WhatsApp, and Google Instagram , a fundraising tool, and the to replace Activity (that with all the likes). for businesses that start a chat with a seller. Google , a video shopping app with videos up to 90 seconds long. And for the best mobile shopping experience. By the way, after it has been blocked in the US, the number of new stores on Shopify increased by 62%. is testing Personal Fundraiser Shops tab WhatsApp introduces QR codes launches Shoploop Shopify integrates with Hero App Store bug: +90 broken «keywords» by 90+ popular keywords in different locales. Tricky thing: Apple Search ads campaigns can be launched, but if there is no search result, there are no ads then. Some keywords gradually come to life. We recommend you to check the . The App Store stopped showing apps list P.S. More news and helpful articles you can find in . Welcome! Checkaso blog

The July Tech Stories That Dominated Our Mobile Newsfeeds

Over the last few decades webinars have been growing in popularity, but with the rise of pandemic - when traditional face-to-face tools are unavailable and more and more people work remotely - they became a crucial part that fills the gap between offline and online business communication. Small and large businesses alike use webinars to increase brand awareness and fill the existing pipeline. Customer engagement is now more  important than ever as it helps gain valuable market share and attention - and webinars help fill this gap. What is Lead Gen? Lead gen (or lead generation) is essentially a process of collecting personal data of your potential customers (or leads). This valuable information is usually collected via lead from where visitor has to enter all kinds of data - from name and email to job title and company name. Usually this information is entered in return for some bonus - such as participation in webinar, getting some free online tools or valuable informational resources. How to Boost Your Webinar Lead Generation 1. Define ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) and Buyer Persona An ideal customer profile (ICP)  is a marketing term for a generalized representation of a company that could potentially buy your product or service. You can easily identify your basic ICP buy using such metrics: Company size Company industry Company location Annual revenue Technologies in use Company industry Please keep in mind that in most cases you will have not one, but at least 2-3 ICPs (e.g. - different industries) - depending on your product specifics. is an essential mix of characteristics of a person who will most likely be your customer - based on demographics, job titles, goals and challenges they have. Buyer persona Based on this segmentation, you will have an ICP and a few types of buyer personas - this structure will help define your targeting. 2. Define Best Placements Where Your Buyer Personas Can Be Targeted The next step will empower your lead generation in selecting the right mix of advertising platforms to place your ads at. I usually make a draft media plan that contains the recommended platforms and the selection depends on the ICP. If your webinar is aimed at a younger audience you may rightfully choose TikTok and Instagram, while for mature business audiences LinkedIn might be your tool of choice. 3. Define Clear and Consistent Messaging Since you are attracting webinar leads, your message has to be clear and concise, as it has to be used all through your creative assets, landing pages, email newsletters, etc. Because attention span tends to get shorter and shorter, it’s important to use only essential content, like webinar description, speakers information, date and time, CTA (call to action). Call to action should containing words aiming to increase urgency - like “register now”, although you can test multiple variations that can work best for you. 4. Create Clear Creatives With Relevant Graphics Or Images You will need a lot of creative materials for webinar promotion - like landing page, banners for ads or social groups, banners for emails, etc. As we know, ads convert best after multiple “touches” with the audience - so as best practice, you should plan that your buyer persona will see information about your webinar from different sources. And this is why your visuals should be are the same (or contain a strong and recognizable pattern) across all platforms - website, ads, social groups, messaging, etc. It will make them more memorable and convert better. 5. Experiment With Targetings So many platforms give us so many possibilities to experiment with different targetings. The more options you try, the better the chances of improving your lead gen are. For example, in you can choose between company sizes, while on you can play with interests. Some platforms are exceptionally good for generating awareness (like Google display network). LinkedIn Facebook Don’t be afraid and remember that part of your success depends on the number of a/b tests or number of different targetings you have tested. 6. Define Clear and Consistent Landing Page Landing pages can be different but what’s essential is that they are a crucial part of webinar lead gen success. Over the number of years I have found some useful elements that can be used on a highly converting landing page. Among them are: Clear CTA (call to action) Speakers' photo + bio Webinar benefits (what visitor will get as a “benefit” - knowledge, secret bonus, etc.) Lead form in a properly visible space, with email filed Clearly visible date and time of the webinar Relevant language (depending on the webinar region) Webinar lead generation requires time, patience and creativeness. Combined with the steps above you are sure to hit big and hack those lead gen targets!

6 Steps to Enhance Your Webinar Lead Generation

According to the Hootsuite Digital report for 2021, with 689 million active users worldwide as of January 2021, TikTok is the 7th most popular social network in the world. TikTok's audience is projected to grow to 1.2 billion monthly active users in 2021! is a great example of how the latest artificial intelligence developments are affecting our purchasing habits. Similar to how e-commerce sites implement user-centric algorithms to recommend what to buy, the TikTok platform relies on its users to promote the growth of specific sorts of content. TikTok Why is TikTok so popular? In 2018, TikTok bought out the popular music service Musical.ly. Therefore, the application has added about 150 million users and significantly increased the audience coverage in a very short time. According to experts, the reason for the popularity of the service is based on: simplicity and variety of functionality, great multimedia potential, wide opportunities for launching interactive challenges. The crazy popularity of the TikTok application is that it combines the most popular trends and content formats. It is a combination of stories, short funny sketches, filters, and masks in the package of a simple and convenient video editor. TikTok has very competent algorithms that allow novice bloggers to organically gain millions of views. “TikTok attracts these users in so many ways... they are using advanced AI algorithms to learn user preferences and then provide customized video feeds to their users.” - Kenny Trinh, the managing editor of Netbooknews. TikTok is a key marketing medium for global companies With the growing popularity of TikTok, many global companies have begun to actively use the app for promotion. Today, some companies use the app to increase brand awareness and reach a new audience, while others actively create advertising content on TikTok, increasing traffic on the brand's website and mobile application. TikTok provides a level playing field for businesses to gain and increase reach and interaction. Unlike social networks like Instagram or YouTube, TikTok accounts with no followers can get millions of views on a single video due to the algorithm's viral nature. TikTok and AI algorithms The explosive popularity of TikTok was possible thanks to advanced AI algorithms developed at ByteDance. This technology optimizes the creation, curation, and recommendation of content. Artificial intelligence algorithms examine a huge amount of video content and decide what to show to each user. In fact, TikTok uses artificial intelligence technology in two ways. Both from the consumer and producer perspectives. Consumer side During registration, TikTok does not ask the new user to select categories and subcategories of videos that may be interesting for them. Also, TikTok does not offer to subscribe to any of the popular TikTokers. These are some of the main innovations of the service. AI algorithms analyze the user's preferences, tracking their likes, comments, collections, sharing and even the duration of watching each video. Analyzing the user's behavior, in a very short time, algorithms create a database that helps to accurately predict what the user may like. Producer side Artificial intelligence algorithms evaluate and support content creators. Algorithms pay attention to: What happens in the frame: what people do and say, what objects are around. How the video was made: shot on a phone or laptop camera. How the video was edited: in the TikTok editor or another, whether filters, masks and other special effects were used. What kind of music is in the background: how popular is it and where is it taken from - the TikTok library or from your own. Video description: what words and hashtags are used. Copyright compliance: whether there are fragments of other people's videos. For the algorithms to like the video, they must go through a multi-stage analysis. The AI system analyzes the video during shooting: some filters on TikTok record changes in facial expressions and body movements. Accordingly, on the TikTok app. image recognition is implemented Additionally, AI algorithms offer improvements in components such as music, hashtags and filters, which are trending or have proved their popularity depending on the category. How do AI algorithms make you obsessed? The recommendation engine is still one of the popular AI systems, which has the widest implementation in almost all online applications and platforms. Only one video is displayed on the TikTok homepage. The mechanism of the service is similar to an endless feed, but in fact, each video has its own page. While one is playing, the others are loading in the background. This method allows the application to analyze the relationship to a specific video. According to TikTok: “The system recommends content by ranking videos based on a combination of factors — starting from interests you express as a new user and adjusting for things you indicate you’re not interested in, too”. Each action is a signal for the system: If the user did not watch the video and moved on to the next one, it means that he did not like it. Repeated playback, interest in the musical accompaniment, or the decision to share indicate a passion. Visiting the author's page and subscribing - it’s a signal of high interest. According to the TikTok report, company ByteDance regularly maintains the recommendation engine system to avoid the risk of a homogeneous video stream, which is sometimes called a "filter bubble". As a result, the TikTok user does not need to search for what they want to watch. With a simple click, a personalized feed will be provided. This type of endless fast scrolling makes it difficult for users to stop searching on TikTok. Top factors that influence AI algorithms Hashtags - The right hashtags help users discover content and inform the TikTok algorithm about what you are doing. TikTok captions - The ideal TikTok caption is short and contains the relevant hashtags. As a result, artificial intelligence algorithms display user's content in trends. Trending song - Using a popular song at the right time means a rapid growth in likes and views, even if there are no subscribers. Cases of promoting global brands on TikTok in 2021 Here are some examples of how multinational companies are using TikTok as a means of promoting brand awareness. Ryanair got millions of views with their hashtag #ryanair Ryanair created its account on TikTok in the midst of the pandemic and was able to gain a large number of followers and views very quickly. Using an effective way to promote on TikTok, with the help of the hashtag #Ryanair, the airline has collected 90.7 million views! Their content is based on what is currently trending and includes clips from their planes and behind-the-scenes footage. Yahoo and its political news on TikTok Yahoo is gaining millions of views on its account thanks to content related to US politics and important dates in the US. The company actively interacts with subscribers, mainly Generation Z, asking their thoughts on certain topics by using trending duets on TikTok. Yahoo has increased its awareness due to its journalist, who regularly appears on their page and is positioned as the face of Yahoo News on TikTok. Key takeaways AI algorithms are one of the reasons for the global success of TikTok. The trend of optimizing users through data processing opens the door to further processing opportunities and additional marketing growth.

Hacking Your Mind with AI: The Case of Addictive TikTok

When Instagram initially launched Reels in 2019, it appeared that they were attempting to compete with the ever-growing TikTok. And indeed, both platforms have very similar interfaces on the surface. But once you break it down, the two platforms offer very different experiences both for businesses and consumers. While Reels and TikTok are both highly useful content creation platforms in their own right, choosing which one to focus on in your marketing efforts will depend on your goals, audience, and your brand. Read on to find out more about the key differences between the two platforms, to help inform your decision on which to focus on in your business’s social media strategy. What’s the difference between TikTok and Reels’ video editing options? With both platforms providing in-house content creation capabilities, before you get started it’s important to know the differences between the two, so you can properly use all of TikTok’s and Reels’ best features. Video length The first key difference is video length. On TikTok, videos can be up to 60 seconds in length. On Instagram Reels, videos can only be half of this, with a 30-second limit. So, depending on what content you have in mind, Reels’ upper limit might be a bit lower than you’d like. However, this 30-second window still allows plenty of time for creativity. Music options Instagram does not allow business profiles to use artists’ music tracks on their Reels. If you’re planning on using original audio, this may not be a deal-breaker, but it is worth considering. Meanwhile, TikTok allows all users access to their Sound library. This includes artists’ music tracks, as well as original audio tracks created by other TikTok users. The Sound Library and the ease with which you can use other people’s audio (and they can use yours) means that it’s easy to participate in or start viral trends. Reposting content When you save an Instagram Reel to your camera roll, the video will save without music and a Reels watermark. TikTok videos save with both the music and the watermark. So, you are wanting to showcase your videos on other platforms, TikTok may be the better choice. that they will not promote any reels that have a TikTok watermark on them, so transferring content from TikTok to Reels would be an unwise choice. This thinking likely plays a role in their removal of audio from Reels downloads, to stop users uploading Reels to TikTok. Instagram has revealed Video editing features While the two platforms’ editing options might appear very similar, there are a few important differences. Filters: on Instagram, filters and video effects must be selected before you film each video clip. TikTok allows users to choose from their filters and effects after filming, allowing for easier and more versatile post-production touch-ups. Voice effects: while you can record a voiceover on Reels, TikTok has the additional option to add special effects to your voiceover. Interactive options: TikTok’s real unique selling point is its Duet and Stitch features. Both allow users to interact with others in their community, extending their reach and reacting creatively to viral videos. Stitch enables users to trim and edit other users’ video clips into their own. “a way to reinterpret and add to another user's content, building on their stories, tutorials, recipes, math lessons, and more”. TikTok calls it Duet allows users to react to other users’ videos in a split-screen format. How can you reach your customers on TikTok and Reels? Now that you’re all set to create unique content on both TikTok and Reels, it’s worth thinking about how either platform enables you to reach your customers. Social media algorithms are never easy to pin down. Even when platforms give some insight into how their algorithms work, this is always subject to change and we can never be completely sure how they work. However, there are some things that we know factor into the success of a Reel versus a TikTok video. Generating leads For one, Reels is an extension of your main Instagram account. Algorithm aside, if your Reel goes viral, the video links back to your profile which will (hopefully) contain business links, e-commerce, and a feed full of brand information. More than this, Reels can be shared to your Instagram Stories or your main Instagram feed, allowing for more channels of exposure. So while you can have a link to your business’ website on your TikTok account, it may be easier to attract leads through Reels. Going viral Having said that, it might be easier to go viral on TikTok. This is because TikTok does not factor in your number of followers or the performance of your previous videos when promoting your posts. Meanwhile, Instagram’s Explore page favors accounts with a larger following and better post performance. It can’t be said for certain whether this is true for Reels’ Explore page, but there are many examples of users going viral on TikTok without any previous success or a large following. for generating business leads through TikTok. Check out these tips Explore pages that its ‘For You’ page is customized to a user’s interests based on a few different factors. These include: TikTok has revealed this includes videos that users like, comment on, or share, accounts that they follow and the type of content they create themselves. User interactions: this includes more specific details, like captions, sounds, and hashtags. Video information: Their recommendation system then processes these factors, weighting them based on their value to a user. This means that the ‘For You’ page is highly tailored to individual users, potentially making it easier to reach customers who are interested in your business. Instagram is less transparent when it comes to its algorithm. Aside from demoting content with TikTok watermarks, they also , such as those that are blurry due to low resolution. demote low-quality videos They also to be labeled as “Featured” on their Explore page. However, it’s unclear exactly how Instagram goes about selecting “Featured” videos - whether it is purely decided based on likes, or whether other factors like follower counts and video content also factor in. select high-performing videos Which platform is best for business marketing? So, both platforms offer a range of easy-to-use features for content creation, and both algorithms allow you to reach your target audience in different ways. However, there are a few crucial differences between TikTok and Reels’ potential for business marketing. E-commerce Instagram is increasingly moving towards e-commerce, recently introducing a ‘Shop’ tab to their homepage. Businesses can tag featured products in Reels, allowing viewers to learn more about products, or save them to view later. Meanwhile, TikTok has linked up with Shopify, creating what they have called a . They will be testing new commerce features together in due course. So while Instagram has greater e-commerce options right now, TikTok may soon challenge this. ‘first-of-its-kind commerce partnership’ Paid adverts TikTok offers a range of paid adverts via ‘TikTok for Business’ including: these appear in a user’s ‘For You’ feed alongside non-sponsored content. In-Feed Ads: Brand Takeovers: these adverts appear when a user enters the app, presenting a full-screen video. These come at a higher cost because they are more effective at capturing a user’s attention. In-feed ads that appear as the first post on a user’s ‘For You’ page. TopView: Branded hashtag challenges: videos that call users to participate in trends using a custom hashtag related to your brand. these are custom filters that creators can use in videos, featuring brand-specific information. Branded Effects: Reels currently does not offer paid advertising options. However, influencer marketing deals are a highly popular method of marketing through the platform, with Instagram influencer marketing being $1.7 billion as of 2019. worth Target Audience With all of this information in mind, your decision between the two platforms may boil down to the most important aspect of all marketing - your target audience. While both platforms offer similar types of content on the surface, this content is consumed by two very different audiences. TikTok is well known for , with The proportion of young users may be even higher than this, but most demographic studies do not consider users under the age of 18. Meanwhile, 25-34-year-olds are the , closely followed by the 18-24-year-old age category. These help to further break down the demographics of either app's users. catering to Gen Z 26% of UK users being aged 18-24. largest audience on Instagram handy infographics So, your decision on which platform to focus on may depend upon the core age group you are trying to target. Content style You likely associate Instagram with posts that are polished, fitting within an aesthetically pleasing and themed profile. In contrast, TikTok users tend to be less concerned with having a cohesive ‘look’ to their profile. Instead, the platform’s content tends to focus on the everyday reality of users’ life. With a wider variety of content on the platform, brands can assert their images. This means the platform has already like The Washington Post and the NBA. attracted high-profile brands This isn’t to say that one is better than the other. Both types of content can be invaluable to business marketing, and the type which will best fit your brand is down to you. This is why it’s important to create a for your business, to help you decide which platforms are worth investing time in. marketing strategy We hope that this guide has helped you learn the differences between Reels and TikTok, and work out which will better suit your business’ marketing strategy. There are so many ways to create unique content and reach your audience on either one, the best thing you can do is start experimenting and see what gets you results!

TIKTOK FOR BUSINESS

tiktok.com

10K+ employees

Since 2003

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TIKTOK FOR BUSINESS

EVERGREEN INDEX #38

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TIKTOK FOR BUSINESS

tiktok.com

10K+ employees

Since 2003

COMPANY RANKING

TIKTOK FOR BUSINESS

EVERGREEN INDEX #38

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