Supreme Court to Decide Fate of TikTok in the US

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Supreme Court to Decide Fate of TikTok in the US
The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear arguments on January 10 over TikTok's effort to block a federal ban on the platform if it's not sold by Jan. 19.

Why is TikTok at Risk?

  • The Biden administration and lawmakers say the Chinese government's ability to collect data from TikTok poses a significant national security risk
  • TikTok and its Chinese parent company ByteDance argue that the law is unconstitutional

What Happens Next?

  • The Supreme Court will hear arguments in January and decide the fate of TikTok in the US.

Is TikTok getting banned in the US?*

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Albania has decided to ban TikTok for a year, following a fatal stabbing at a school. The ban is part of the government's plan to make schools safer and promote healthier social media use among children. The decision comes after several European countries and Australia imposed restrictions on social media use for minors.

Prime Minister Edi Rama blamed TikTok for fuelling violence among youths in and outside schools. The ban is expected to come into effect early next year and will also include measures to help parents monitor their children's online activities.

Prince Andrew's 'Close Confidant' Linked to Chinese Spy Scandal: Summary

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Prince Andrew's 'Close Confidant' Linked to Chinese Spy Scandal
Prince Andrew has 'ceased all contact' with a businessman accused of being a Chinese spy, after receiving advice from the government. The 'close confidant' lost an appeal over a decision to bar him from entering the UK on national security grounds. The man, known only as H6, was first excluded from entering the country in 2023 over national security fears. Judges upheld the ban on H6 entering the country on Thursday, arguing the Duke of York could have been made 'vulnerable' by his influence. The Duke of York met the individual through 'official channels' with 'nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed'.

ROMANIA'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION SHAKEUP: Can TikTok Decide the Outcome?

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Romania's presidential election has been shaken up** after the top court annulled the results due to security concerns over a pro-Russia campaign on TikTok and Telegram. The first round saw an outsider, Calin Georgescu, emerge as the frontrunner, despite having no declared campaign spending. The court has ordered a rerun of the election, causing uncertainty in the Eastern European nation. With TikTok being a major platform for political campaigns, the question remains: Can social media decide the outcome of elections?

Under-16s Social Media Ban: No Need for Personal ID, Assures Minister

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Reddit Outage: What You Need to Know

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Reddit Outage: What You Need to Know
Reddit, the social media platform, is having some serious technical difficulties today. As of this writing, over 51,000 users have reported problems on Downdetector.com, with many unable to access the website or app.

  • The outage appears to be due to an HTTP Error.
  • Reddit confirmed the issue and is currently investigating.
  • Users are seeing a black screen with the message: 'Upstream connect error or disconnect/reset before headers. Reset reason: connection failure.'
  • The issue has been ongoing since at least 7 a.m. PT.

This is the second outage in as many days, with the first one happening yesterday afternoon. TechCrunch has reached out to the company for comment.

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Bluesky is blazing a trail in the social media world.** The Twitter-like service has surpassed 16 million users, with many flocking from X over its right-wing leanings and controversial changes. Meanwhile, X is still the top dog in monthly active users, but Threads is hot on its heels. And let's not forget about Bluesky's indie rival, Mastodon. But what sets Bluesky apart? It's all about putting users in control with its decentralized approach and federation. **Here's the lowdown on the social media showdown:

Social Media Giants Face Strict Age Limit in Australia

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AI-driven bots are trying to sway the 2024 US election in favor of Donald Trump.** Open source intelligence researcher Elise Thomas discovered a large bot network on social media platform X, formerly Twitter, promoting Trump. The bots are using generative artificial intelligence to create posts, and many of them have blue tick verified accounts. However, the bots are giving themselves away with old hashtags and inconsistent behavior. The network could be the work of one person or a group, and it's not the first time AI bot networks have targeted US elections. While the network isn't generating much authentic engagement, as AI gets more sophisticated, bot networks might be harder to spot. **Is AI taking over the 2024 US election?

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TikTok Faces Lawsuits Over Children's Mental Health**: More than a dozen states and the District of Columbia have filed lawsuits against TikTok, alleging the app is addictive and harmful to kids. Key Concerns: The lawsuits focus on TikTok's algorithm and features that keep kids glued to their screens and expose them to potential harm. TikTok's Response: TikTok maintains that it restricts underage users and complies with US laws. What's Next: The lawsuits could lead to changes in TikTok's practices and policies to better protect kids' mental health. Impact: This action highlights growing concerns about the impact of social media on young users, potentially sparking similar actions against other platforms.

Perceived Politicization of Supreme Court Prompts Alarming Threats Against Justices

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Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson voices concerns about the Supreme Court's political perception**, while a man named Panos Anastasiou allegedly makes violent, racist, and homophobic threats against six justices and their family members. Over 465 messages were sent through the Supreme Court's public website, referencing drowning, strangling, 'lynching', beheading, and providing a 'rope to hang' justices. The suspect faces up to 10 years in prison per count, with prosecutors citing a surge in similar violent messages targeting public officials. **How is the politicization of the Supreme Court affecting judicial safety?

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