TikTok could be banned in the US after bill advances

in a video posted on the platform Tuesday ahead of his scheduled appearance before Congress.Standing on what appears to be a rooftop in Washington, D.C. with the U.S. Capitol dome behind him, Chew noted that the figure represents “almost half of the U.S.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor TikTok, trying to fend off potential U.S. government ban over security fears related to the app’s Chinese ownership, is touting new figures reflecting how pervasive and popular it is in America. TikTok announced that as of February 2023, the short-form video app has more than 150 million monthly active users in the U.S. In addition, it said, it has almost 7,000 employees in the United States. And it also claims that TikTok “has evolved into the preferred platform” for nearly 5 million American businesses, most of which are small and midsize companies. “We’re honored to be a home for our immensely diverse community in the United States, made up of nearly half the country’s population, including book lovers, foodies, families, emerging artists and so much more,” the company said in the announcement.

TikTok, 494,000 on YouTube and 220,000 people on Instagram, where they share how-to tips along with footage and pictures from their journeys.  A recent conquest was completing what they called the 'Pacific Northwest Circuit', a three-and-a-half-month 2,797-mile 'walk/canoe' expedition that began by the Pacific Ocean in America's Olympic National Park in the state of Washington and finished 106 days later a bit further south. They walked around 1,500 miles into the Canadian Rockies and canoed 1,200 miles along the entire Columbia River, back to the coast.

The BBC is reviewing whether to ban TikTok and has told staff to delete the Chinese social media app from work phones unless they are using it for editorial or marketing reasons.

Bill Maher celebrated St. Patrick’s Day on Friday during his Real Time on HBO – or, as he referred to it, “Alcoholic Christmas” – by bringing up the dangerous parallels between the religious hatreds that fueled politics in last century Ireland and the turmoil in today’s United States between Democrats and Republicans.

The Scottish Parliament has "strongly advised" MSPs and staff to remove social media app TikTok from devices amid security concerns.

Shirley Ballas revealed she sprained her wrist while joking around with two of her pals. The Strictly Come Dancing judge decided to slide down the stairs on a rug but it ended in disaster. Taking to Instagram today, Shirley, 62, shared a video with an ice pack on her hand as she mused over the incident.

Bill Gates was in the stands to watch 19-year-old Spanish tennis phenom Carlos Alcaraz defeat 22-year-old Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on Thursday (March 16) in Indian Wells, Calif.

The UK government has made the same move as the U.S. by banning TikTok on ministers and civil servants’ phones.

EXCLUSIVE: Veteran TV lit agent Amy Retzinger is departing Verve where she has been a partner for more than 11 years. She just confirmed her exit in a company email with the subject “New Adventures…”

American music star Chris Brown is entertaining thousands of fans in Manchester this week at his three huge AO Arena gigs. And after the opening night show on Thursday, he decided to continue the party at one of the city's swankiest celeb haunts.

Variety reported. It’s not yet clear how the company will split revenue with creators in the future. The Series feature is currently available only to select users and will start accepting applications for more to join in the coming months, the Chinese company said in a statement.

Dad of 12 Nick Cannon has seemingly dropped a huge hint he could be becoming a father for the 13th time just 11 weeks after the birth of his 12th child. US TV star Nick, 42, was overjoyed when he and model Alyssa Scott, 29, welcomed their daughter Halo Marie together on December 14 last year. And now, fans are speculating he could be expecting another child as he wrote on his social media accounts: "EXPECT some big news tomorrow," alongside a baby bottle emoji.

Russell Brand and Sen. Bernie Sanders are mad as hell, and they don’t want you to take it anymore. That sums up Friday’s Real Time with Bill Maher, as the actor/comedian and the politician railed against the machine and said the system has to be changed to give a voice to the working class.

Laying down some sick bars! Khloé Kardashian and 4-year-old daughter True Thompson enjoyed some early morning bonding by putting their songwriting skills to the test.  

TikTok today unveiled new features for teens aimed at limiting screen time to an hour a day.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Khaby Lame, the Senegalese-born Italian social media personality who is the world’s most followed content creator on TikTok, has joined “Italia’s Got Talent” as a juror. Lame is a former factory worker in Italy who after being laid off from his job in March 2020 launched a TikTok channel in which he performed absurdly comic skits that went wildly viral. The TikTok star whose comedy bits started with ironic takes on “life hacks” relies on iconic facial expressions and body language in videos delivered without speaking so that the humor is understood universally. The short-form comedy video virtuoso, who has more than 154 million followers on TikTok, will now be making his debut as an Italian TV personality on the hit talent show.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor Welcome to this week’s “Just for Variety.” Ever since I broke the news that is playing Madame Morrible in Jon M. Chu’s “Wicked” movies, she has been saying that the films will mark her singing debut. However, Yeoh’s biggest fans have posted videos on social media of her showing off her vocal chops while singing the theme song of her 1993 movie “Butterfly and Sword.” Yeoh laughed when I brought it up at the Mandarin Oriental-hosted dinner in honor of her Oscar nomination for “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” “That was so many years ago in Taiwan,” she said. At the time, she asked the song’s lyricist to make things simple for her. “I said to him, ‘I don’t sing, and I don’t speak Mandarin. Can you please not have many words?’” Yeoh recalled. “But then the first time he showed me, I was like, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’”

old friend Bill Clinton to help him with his Oscar campaigns, a new book has claimed.Michael Schulman’s book “Oscar Wars: A History of Hollywood in Gold, Sweat, and Tears” used sourcing from a former Miramax employee to dive deep into the disgraced producer’s Academy Award exploits.The anonymous staffer revealed that Weinstein, 70, asked Clinton, 76, for ideas to help promote Billy Bob Thornton’s 1996 film “Sling Blade,” according to an excerpt shared by IndieWire. Ultimately, Thornton scored a nomination for Best Actor a year later and won Best Adapted Screenplay for penning the script, which was set in Clinton’s native Arkansas.“I was so appalled that the president of the United States would spend half an hour with us on the phone,” the Miramax worker alleged.

Reuters exclusively reported, citing a memo sent out by OMB Director Shalanda Young.U.S. agencies must also determine if any vendors that work with the government are using TikTok within three months, and by the end of four months, must include a prohibition on the app in all new deals with outside contractors, Reuters said, citing Young’s memo.The moves reflect the concern that TikTok could be used to secretly collect information on U.S. government actions and to influence politics in the United States.