Tag: tiktok

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Mobile Syrup

TikTok may soon let users create unique AI-generated avatars

Russia, Kazan May 28 2019: Tik Tok application icon on Apple iPhone X screen close-up. Tik Tok icon. tik tok application. Tiktok Social media network

Popular social media platform TikTok is said to be developing a new feature that will enable users to create artificial intelligence (AI)-generated profile pictures.

The news comes from social media consultant Matt Navarra, who shared screenshots and a video of the tool with The Verge.

The feature, which will be integrated directly into the TikTok app, produces user headshots from a minimum of three to a maximum of ten photos that users submit. Users would also reportedly be able to select between two to five styles for their AI-generated image.

According to Navarra, TikTok will delete all uploaded images and AI-generated avatars from its servers in a “short period of time.” Further, TikTok will allow users to run the AI avatar generator only once per day, and it takes the generator a “couple of minutes” to generate your avatar. Once ready, users can download them, set them as their profile picture, or post them to their TikTok story.

This feature is likely to be popular with TikTok users who want to create unique and creative avatars of themselves. However, TikTok is yet to comment on this feature’s development officially. It’s currently unknown if and when the feature will be available within TikTok.

Source: @MattNavarra Via: The Verge

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Mobile Syrup

UBC urges students to delete TikTok over data privacy concerns

Russia, Kazan May 28 2019: Tik Tok application icon on Apple iPhone X screen close-up. Tik Tok icon. tik tok application. Tiktok Social media network

TikTok is facing increasing scrutiny over its data privacy practices. The University of British Columbia (UBC) recently urged its students to delete the TikTok app from their phones and instead, use their phone’s browser to access the short video app.

This comes soon after the government of Canada implemented a ban on the use of TikTok on government-issued devices.

According to UBC, TikTok is the fastest-growing social media platform and is used by several UBC students, staff and faculty for entertainment, education, research, outreach, and recruitment purposes. “However, it has also raised security and privacy concerns due to its data collection practices and sharing of data with its parent company ByteDance, based in China,” wrote UBC. The app accesses information such as contacts, calendars, device details, location, and biometric data. It also tracks user behaviour and preferences through its sophisticated algorithms.

UBC is currently monitoring the situation, and isn’t banning the app outright on university-owned devices. The university said, “While we recognize the security and privacy risks of using TikTok, the nature of these risks has not yet been proven and has not changed overnight. While the federal and provincial bans have shone a spotlight on the issue, at this time UBC is not considering a ban on TikTok use on university-owned devices, however, the situation will continue to be monitored closely.”

UBC also urges students to update their privacy settings to control what information is collected and shared. Further, it wants students to limit the personal information they share with the app, including birthdate, address and phone numbers.

The U.S. and the EU have also taken similar measures, citing national security concerns, while several employers in Canadian cities are banning TikTok on work devices. 

Image credit: Shutterstock

Source: The University of British Columbia Via: iPhone in Canada

Categories
Mobile Syrup

U.S. wants TikTok’s owners to sell their stake in the company, or face a possible ban

Russia, Kazan May 28 2019: Tik Tok application icon on Apple iPhone X screen close-up. Tik Tok icon. tik tok application. Tiktok Social media network

The U.S. government has given TikTok an ultimatum, either the app’s Chinese owners sell their shares, or the government might ban the app in the United States.

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S., known as Cfius, made the demand to address ongoing security concerns regarding user data.

Similar privacy concerns have also been ongoing north of the border. Privacy officials in Canada are examining how TikTok uses personal information, particularly of its younger users.

The federal government has also banned the app on government devices. All provinces and territories in Canada have followed the federal government’s steps, and several municipalities have also taken action.

ByteDance, a company based in Beijing, owns TikTok. WSJ reports global investors own 60 percent of the company’s shares, employees own 20 percent, and founders, including Zhang Yiming and Liang Rubo, own the remaining 20 percent. “The founders’ shares carry outsize voting rights, as is common with tech companies,” the publication notes.

The company argues the forced sale wouldn’t address the U.S. government’s concerns.

“The best way to address concerns about national security is with the transparent, U.S.-based protection of U.S. user data and systems, with robust third-party monitoring, vetting, and verification, which we are already implementing,” a TikTok spokesperson told the publication.

Image credit: Shutterstock 

Source: Wall Street Journal 

Categories
Mobile Syrup

List of Canadian cities banning TikTok on work devices continues to grow

City of Kitchener, Ontario employees are no longer allowed to have TikTok downloaded on their work devices.

Mayor Berry Vrbanovic tweeted the move would protect “the city’s systems” and its residents. According to The Toronto Star, the City of Vaughn is also blocking the app’s use. Ottawa and Toronto are part of the growing list of cities that implemented similar rules.

The moves show the ban is now reaching municipalities after the federal government banned the app on employee devices. Provinces and territories soon followed suit. A review from Canada’s Chief Information Officer found the app has an “unacceptable level of risk to privacy and security.”

Mona Fortier, president of the Treasury Board, said the move was a precautionary measure, and there was no evidence that any government information was compromised.

As The Star points out, the ban isn’t limited to government bodies. Hamilton’s public school board said its networks would block the use of the app. Niagara police and Waterloo police have also taken action.

Canada’s privacy regulators are also investigating how TikTok uses personal user information.

Source: The Toronto Star, CBC, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat 

Categories
Mobile Syrup

TikTok’s new update will only let teens access 60 minutes of screen time a day

TikTok is trusting teenagers to limit the time they spend on the popular social media app.

Accounts belonging to users under the age of 18 will automatically have their daily screen time limited to 60 minutes in an update the company will roll out “in the coming weeks.” When they reach the limit, they’ll have to enter a passcode to continue watching. Doing so will require “them to make an active decision to extend that time.”

Teens can disable the feature, but TikTok wants those consuming more than 100 minutes of content daily to set a screen time limit of their choosing.

The remainder builds on a screen break tool the company launched last summer.

TikTok will also subject users under the age of 13 to the time limit. However, a parent or guardian will need to create a passcode or enter an existing one to allow for an additional 30 minutes of watch time.

All teen accounts will receive a weekly recap of their screen time through their inbox.

The company will also expand parental control through three new “Family Pairing” features. The category allows parents to link their TikTok accounts with their teens to monitor and control their activity. The new features include a custom daily screen time limit, access to the screen time dashboard, and mute notifications.

Source: TikTok

Categories
Mobile Syrup

TikTok reportedly revamping Creator Fund, introducing creator-made paywalled content

Russia, Kazan May 28 2019: Tik Tok application icon on Apple iPhone X screen close-up. Tik Tok icon. tik tok application. Tiktok Social media network

TikTok may be looking at new ways of revamping its Creator Fund program.

According to The Information‘s sources, TikTok is working to develop a feature that enables users to set a price to access a video. For instance, a creator may soon be able to charge users $1 in order to watch a given video on their feed. This program aims to help creators generate extra cash from their videos.

All of this stems from users reporting lower payouts when compared to other platforms like YouTube. Last year, big-name creators such as Hank Green went on the record to state that TikTok’s Creator Fund pays out roughly $0.2 for 1,000 views. This has also been echoed by other creators like MrBeast and SuperSaf.

A TikTok representative recently spoke to Engadget, but the company did not outright confirm the news of paywalled content. However, it’s “committed” to engineering ways for the platform to be “valuable and rewarding” for its creators. TikTok may require creators to hit the 100,000 follower count to be eligible rather than the current 10,000 mark. 

As of now, it appears as though TikTok is actively testing the new Creator Fund revamp in Brazil and France. While no roadmap is being provided, it’s safe to assume that a wider release could be on the horizon. Creators may be able to integrate paywalled content as soon as March.

TikTok has long been looking at new ways to cater to its creators. For instance, late last year, the ByteDance-owned company was discovered to be testing a horizontal full-screen video mode. To bridge the space between itself and YouTube, TikTok also incentivizes creators to upload videos as long as 10 minutes. 

Header image credit: Shutterstock

Source: The Information Via: Engadget

Categories
Mobile Syrup

TikTok to begin testing feature to reset ‘For You’ page

TikTok’s ‘For You’ page never ceases to present eerily-appropriate videos all thanks to its algorithm. However, there may soon be a way for users to reset the machine and start fresh.

Apparently, a new feature is in the works dubbed ‘Refresh.’ A TikTok spokesperson confirmed the feature is being tested. Once enabled, it may offer a way for users to clean the slate. Currently, TikTok attempts to cater videos to you all based on how you use the app. Whether it’s search terms, videos watched, or pages you’ve visited, it’s all used to curate your For You page.

TikTok hopes to provide a way for users to reset the videos that are served. Perhaps the assortment of videos simply isn’t entertaining anymore. Or maybe your For You page has crossed over into content that isn’t relevant. Either way, an answer may be on the horizon.

It’s said that the testing phase will begin in the next few days. However, once it has begun, only a small selection of users will have access to the Refresh feature.

TikTok’s algorithm has always been under the microscope of regulators and government officials. In Canada, and to a much larger extent in the U.S., concerns over how the Chinese-owned app secures user data are constantly a topic of conversation.

Last month, TikTok employees admitted that the algorithm is built to decide what does viral. This is on top of TikTok staff and parent company ByteDance also playing a part in an internal practice known as “heating.” Naturally, this has led to quite a conversation on the validity of TikTok’s For You feed and whether videos are organically fed to users.

Late last year, TikTok did roll out a feature to enable users to soon see why videos end up on their For You page. When clicking the ‘Share’ button, users can now see a ‘Why this video’ option, which reveals why the video came across their page. The company claims this option is due to the company’s desire to be more transparent.

Via: The Verge

Categories
Cottage Life

Viral TikTok shares green flags to look for when dating a Canadian

Viktorya Telminova/Shutterstock

What do you look for in a potential new partner? As die-hard cottage fans, we’re betting a love of loons and sunsets tops the list. TikToker @jimmerplslikeme has a few more ideas for us—his popular video features green flags to look for when dating a Canadian, and we have to say, a lot of them resonate with cottagers.

Our favourite items on the list: knowing how to tap a maple tree, how to paddle a canoe, and own a pair of snowshoes.

 

@jimmerplslikeme Green Flags to Look For When Dating A Canadian #fyp #foryou #canada #canadian #dating #shaniatwain #canoe #timbits #hockey #canadiantire #viral #comedy ♬ original sound – Jimmer


If you’re looking for someone with true Canadian spirit, @jimmerplslikeme also says a stash of Canadian Tire money and can rock a Shania Twain song on karaoke night.

We’d add a love of coffee on the dock, knowing how to build an ice rink, and owning a boat to our list.

What are the green flags cottagers should look for when dating each other?

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Mobile Syrup

TikTok will soon let users learn why they see specific videos on their FYPs

Have you ever wondered why certain videos pop up on your For You page (FYP) as you endlessly scroll through TikTok?

According to a recent blog post the company shared, a new tool will provide the exact details.

Here’s how to access it:

  • Tap on the share panel while in your For You feed
  • Tap the question mark labelled “why this video” to reveal why the video came up on your page

Getting into the specifics, what you see comes down to rankings based on your activity, which measures a bunch of factors, including how much time you spend on the app, user interaction, and popular content in your region.

“This feature is one of many ways we’re working to bring meaningful transparency to the people who use our platform, and builds on a number of steps we’ve taken towards that goal,” the company said in the blog post.

TikTok says it will roll out the feature “over the coming weeks” but didn’t provide specifics. It’s the latest development coming from the social media company, which recently announced it’s testing horizontal full-screen mode.

Source: TikTok

Categories
Mobile Syrup

TikTok is testing horizontal full-screen video mode

Smart phone with TIK TOK logo, which is a popular social network on the internet.

TikTok is testing a new YouTube-like horizontal full-screen mode.

Select users around the world have access to a “full screen” button on videos. Clicking the button launches the video horizontally.

This isn’t the first YouTube-like feature TikTok has tested. The social media platform now allows users to upload videos as long as 10 minutes, attracting YouTubers who have the freedom to post longer videos.

YouTube has also changed its platform, attracting creators who are used to TikTok’s original platform of short-form videos. The company added shorts, its version of short-form video, to its partner program in September.

Image credit: Shutterstock 

Via: TechCrunch