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Now What? The Five Crises Confronting a Post-Strike Hollywood

As brutal as 2023 has been for the entertainment industry, it’s possible the town will someday look back on this moment wistfully. And not just because of the picket line solidarity or cozy mogul hangs in the bargaining room. The strikes helped earn gains for Hollywood workers in such areas as streaming residuals and AI, […]

TikTok Hit With $368M Fine Under Europe’s Strict Data Privacy Rules

European regulators slapped TikTok with a $368 million fine on Friday for failing to protect children’s privacy, the first time that the popular short-video–sharing app has been punished for breaching Europe’s strict data privacy rules. Ireland’s Data Protection Commission, the lead privacy regulator for Big Tech companies whose European headquarters are largely in Dublin, said […]

‘Heartstopper,’ ‘Pride & Prejudice,’ Among Big Winners at Inaugural TikTok Book Awards

Winners were voted on by thousands of TikTok users through the app and the #BookTok hashtag.

Watch Out Twitter and Threads: TikTok Jumps on Text Bandwagon

Another social giant is getting into the text business. TikTok is taking on Twitter and Instagram’s Threads with a new feature that lets users add text posts. “With text posts, we’re expanding the boundaries of content creation for everyone on TikTok, giving the written creativity we’ve seen in comments, captions, and videos a dedicated space […]

Warner Music Unveils TikTok Licensing Deal to Grow Social Media Revenue

Warner Music Group, which has top artists like Ed Sheeran and Dua Lipa in its stable, has unveiled a multiyear licensing deal with TikTok to boost its social media platforms revenues. The world’s biggest record company has already seen digital music revenues grow from TikTok and its shortform viral dance videos. And emerging music artists increasingly […]

TikTok Is Coming to Redbox Kiosks in Ad-Driven Deal

TikTok is coming to a Redbox DVD kiosk near you. In an unusual partnership, the short-form video platform has cut a deal with Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, the owner of Redbox, as well as the advertising platform Crackle Connex. The deal will bring content from TikTok to screens on more than 3,000 kiosks […]

TikTok Shake-Up: COO V Pappas to Step Down, Ex-Disney Exec Zenia Mucha to Lead Comms

TikTok’s chief operating officer, V. Pappas, is stepping down as part of a major leadership shake-up at the social media giant, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew told staff Thursday. As part of the changes, longtime Disney executive Zenia Mucha will join TikTok as its chief brand and communications officer, while TikTok’s chief of staff, Adam […]

TikTok, Candle Media Ink Strategic Partnership, Will Co-Develop Content

Kevin Mayer is getting back in business with TikTok. The former TikTok CEO and top Disney executive now runs the content company Candle Media. On Tuesday, Candle said that it would be striking a “broad strategic partnership” with TikTok, one that will see it co-developing premium content with the video platform, with branded content and […]

Blue Ivy Carter Dance Cameo on Renaissance Tour Powers Streams for Beyoncé’s “My Power”

Blue Ivy Carter is in formation — and her viral dance cameo on the Renaissance world tour is helping one of her mother’s songs reach new heights. Carter first made a surprise appearance at Beyoncé’s May 26 show in Paris, performing the choreography to the beat driven-track “My Power,” which lit up social media. TikTok […]

TikTok Chef Tue Nguyen Launches Her First Restaurant in L.A.

Back in March 2020, Tue Nguyen was a little-known prep cook at Spago making mukbangs (or eating videos) and restaurant reviews and posting them online during her free time. Today, she has more than a million followers across TikTok and Instagram and a forthcoming cookbook with Simon & Schuster and is opening her first restaurant, […]

Ex-ByteDance Executive Claims Company Shared Data on U.S. Users With Chinese Government

A former executive at ByteDance, the Chinese firm that owns TikTok, has come forward with accusations that the company provided backdoor access to data on U.S. users and boosted, demoted and removed certain content at the direction of the Chinese government.  A wrongful termination suit filed by Yintao Yu, who was head of engineering for […]

AI Decision-Making in Hollywood Is Already Here, Now What?

Every creator on earth now feels the guiding hand of AI. On social media, TikTokers are rewarded with massive views for tailoring content to an algorithm that is meticulously designed to trigger dopamine release. In Hollywood, producers are rewarded with lucrative film deals for developing projects that feed the black box AI at studios and […]