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Children’s use of social media should be managed, says American Psychological Association

Children's use of social media | Child with smartphone

Children’s use of social media may have both positive and negative impacts, but parents and other caregivers should ensure they remain watchful, says a new health advisory.

The American Psychological Association (APA) has made 10 recommendations to reduce the risks of harm, several of them being to better educate children about the issues they may encounter …

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Inside the world of TikTok-inspired fake AirPods scams (and how to protect yourself)

If you were a teenager and somebody on the internet told you that you could make hundreds of dollars a week simply by dropping things off at the post office, you would listen. And that’s exactly what’s happening on TikTok as “hustling” teens turn to drop shipping fake AirPods as a lucrative revenue stream.

Head below for an in-depth look at the process, and Apple’s tips for how to protect yourself…

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Apple still a top spender on TikTok ads, despite growing controversy

TikTok ads | TikTok website viewed on a Mac

Apple remains one of the top-spending companies when it comes to TikTok ads, despite growing controversy about whether the app is a threat to US national security.

A separate report today reveals that the Chinese government engaged in an organized social media campaign to mock US concerns about the app, accusing Congress of technical illiteracy, hypocrisy, and xenophobia …

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TikTok rolling out ‘For you’ feed reset button as threat of US ban looms

TikTok feed reset button

TikTok is out today with an update to its For You feed that allows users to hit the reset button. Whether you’re seeing unwanted content or just want to shake things up, the new feature is starting to roll out now. Meanwhile, President Biden has made a demand that TikTok’s Chinese parent company either sells off its US business or faces a ban.

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TikTok ban now closer than ever; here are the latest developments

TikTok ban

A TikTok ban is getting dangerously, dangerously close in the United States. On Tuesday, Congress unveiled a bill, the RESTRICT Act, that would give the Biden administration the power to ban apps like TikTok if they pose a risk to US national security.

That bill has already received an endorsement from the Biden administration itself, which called on Congress to “quickly” pass it.

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TikTok algorithm

TikTok algorithm could be shared with US, as company fights growing bans

The infamous TikTok algorithm, which has been accused of taking users into dangerous rabbit holes, could be shared with US officials, says the company. TikTok owner ByteDance is hoping that the offer of transparency will fend off further bans of the Chinese video sharing app.

Not everyone is convinced that the offer goes far enough, however …

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TikTok now lets users receive direct messages from everyone, just like Instagram

TikTok AI chatbot videos direct messages

TikTok is essentially a video platform. But with the number of users growing every day combined with increasing competition from other apps, it’s no surprise that TikTok has been working on catching up with other social networks in more ways. And TikTok’s next move is to let users receive direct messages from anyone, just like Instagram.

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TikTok ban coming to government devices as congress considers blocking app in US

TikTok ban coming to government devices as congress considers blocking app in US

The popular social network TikTok has been the target of spying accusations by the US government for quite some time due to its Chinese origins. And while TikTok was never actually banned from the United States, the government doesn’t seem happy about the app’s existence. The US House of Representatives has now ruled that government devices are not allowed to have TikTok installed.

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TikTok algorithm to be more transparent, after concerns about harmful recommendations [U]

Update: TikTok says it is today launching a new tool to provide greater transparency on how videos are added to a user’s feed. For any video, you can tap the Share panel then the question-mark icon called “Why this video?”. So far, it appears only very generic reasons are being offered – like “This video is popular in the United States” – but the company is promising greater granularity later

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Apple contractor says her day-in-the-life TikTok video did not affect her status with Apple [U]

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Update: Boone has stated that there was no connection between the video and her contract not being renewed. She said that she worked the entirety of her contract period, and “remain[s] thankful for my career opportunities and growth from working at Apple, and how that helped pave the way for the wonderful job I have today.

An Apple contractor reportedly found her contract “unexpectedly” not renewed after a day-in-the-life TikTok video went viral.

Nylah Boone’s “Day in the life of a Black girl working in tech” video didn’t reveal any secret goings-on within the company but did feature footage inside her office at Apple – as you can see below …

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