Shopify will partner with TikTok to help it’s one million-plus seller to sell products in the form of shoppable video ads, where a TikTok user can click on an ad to buy the product. The two companies did not provide financial details about the tie-up. The transactions, however, will happen via Shopify’s site. The two companies will also test new commerce features in coming weeks. Walmart, in June, also partnered with Shopify to expand its online marketplace business.
Tag: tiktok (page 2 of 8)
Pakistan to lift the ban on TikTok after it has promised to block content spreading “obscenity and immorality.” “TikTok has agreed to moderate accounts in accordance with local laws,” said a spokesman for the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority. The ByteDance owned app has over 20 mn monthly active users in the country to become the third-most downloaded app after FB and Whatsapp. The move comes some 10 days after Pakistan blocked TikTok.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority on Friday blocked TikTok, appending into the list of countries who oppose the ByteDance-owned video-sharing platform. The PTA said the step was taken after the authority received complaints from different segments of the society against immoral and indecent content on the app. The authorities issued a final notice to the app and gave a considerable time to respond and comply with the instructions but it failed.
Its been over 3 months since the GOI banned TikTok. However, it seems that the ban hasn’t had too much impact on the Chinese app’s revenue stream. TikTok, as per a report by Sensor Tower, raked in $130.5m in worldwide user spending in September, becoming the highest-grossing non-gaming app on App Store and Play Store. Furthermore, TikTok made 7.9X more money, as compared to last year.
A former Chinese govt official was in charge of making decisions on what content should be allowed on TikTok. This raises questions about company’s previous claims that the Chinese govt had no influence over its operations. Cai Zheng, who worked at the Chinese Embassy in Tehran from 2013-18, ran the global content policy team at ByteDance until earlier this year. During Cai’s stint, TikTok was accused of removing videos critical of the Chinese govt.
A US federal court has said a ban on TikTok won’t go into effect on Monday as scheduled. In its ruling on Sunday, the court gave its decision, with the formal opinion handed over privately to the two opposing parties. Due to sensitive material included in the government’s motion, the parties have until Monday to ask for any redactions before the final opinion will be published.
ByteDance has applied for a tech export licence in China as it races finalise a deal with Oracle Corp and Walmart Inc for its short video app. The firm submitted the application to Beijing’s municipal commerce bureau and is waiting for a decision. The application comes about a month after China revised its export control policies for the first time in 12 years, in a manner which would hinder TikTok’s deal with Oracle and Walmart.
TikTok asked a judge to block the Trump Administration’s attempt to ban its app, suggesting its forced deal with Oracle and Walmart remains unsettled. Trump Administration had granted a “blessing” to TikTok by extending the deadline to 24th September 2020. Interestingly, a US judge, last Saturday, blocked Trump’s ban on WeChat – which was TikTok’s partner in the ban order. Hence, this could be considered as TikTok’s attempt to seek help from the US state court.
US President Donald Trump said he would rescind his approval of TikTok’s deal with Oracle and Walmart if ByteDance retains control of TikTok. However, he also indicated that he expected Chinese influence to be diluted by a future public offering of the new company. Shortly after Trump’s comments, State-backed Chinese newspaper Global Times stated that Beijing is unlikely to approve this deal as it hurts China’s national security, interests and dignity.