X Continues to Display Ads Alongside Harmful Content, with Another Major Ad Partner Pausing its Spend

socialmediatoday.com Despite repeated assurances from X (formerly Twitter) that its ad placement tools provide maximum brand safety, ensuring that paid promotions do not appear alongside harmful…

TikTok Is Talking to UMG Again, But Washington May Hold The Keys to Its Future

billboard.com TikTok has returned to the bargaining table with Universal Music Group (UMG), but a fast-tracked Congressional bill that could result in the platform being sold, or, as a…

Sony's Madame Web Box Office Bomb Casts MCU Failures in Better Light

youtube.com The disappointing performance of Madame Web at the box office casts a favorable perspective on some recent Marvel Cinematic Universe underperformances.…

How Meta is paving the way for synthetic social networks

platformer.news I. On Thursday, the AI hype train rolled through Meta's family of apps. The company's Meta AI assistant, a ChatGPT-like bot that can answer a wide range of questions, is…

Legislation that could force a TikTok ban revived as part of House foreign aid package

pbs.org Legislation that could ban TikTok in the U.S. if its China-based owner doesn’t sell its stake won a major boost late Wednesday when House Republican leaders included it in a…

Internet users are getting younger; now the UK is weighing up if AI can help protect them

techcrunch.com Internet users are getting younger; now the UK is weighing up if AI can help protect them Artificial intelligence has been in the crosshairs of governments concerned about…

‘The Spiderwick Chronicles’ Review: Christian Slater in a Roku Fantasy Series Sorely Lacking in Wonder

hollywoodreporter.com Magic is all around in the world of The Spiderwick Chronicles. Most of it is hidden away from the eyes of humans, tucked into obscure corners or shielded from human eyes by…

TikTok legislation added to the House foreign aid package

siliconvalley.com By Mary Clare Jalonick and Haleluya Hadero | Associated Press WASHINGTON — Legislation that could ban TikTok in the U.S. if its China-based owner doesn’t sell its stake won…

Taylor Swift Announces First Single ‘Fortnight’ With Post Malone, Breaks Spotify Record & More

billboard.com It’s Thursday April 18th and this is a complete Taylor Swift takeover, ahead of the release of her new album ‘The Tortured Poets Department,’ the superstar announced the…

Can TikTok's owner afford to lose its killer app?

bbc.co.uk It is now run by a limited liability company based in Los Angeles and Singapore but is essentially owned by ByteDance. While its founders own only 20% of ByteDance, it's the…

Q&A with Mark Zuckerberg on Llama 3, buying H100 GPUs for Reels, AGI, energy constraints, dangers of open source, the metaverse, Meta's custom silicon, and more

dwarkeshpatel.com Watch on YouTube. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast platform. Human edited transcript with helpful links here. (00:33:20) - Is AI the most important…

The Shadow Swiftie Economy Is Booming

youtube.com Taylor Swift fans looking to buy T-shirts, bodysuits, friendship bracelets or myriad other tokens of devotion to the pop star might consider going to her official online…

TikTok Shares Insights into the Usage Behaviors of Canadian Users

socialmediatoday.com TikTok has shared some new data into the in-app engagement behaviors of Canadian users, based on user surveys and usage insights. The report specifically looks at how…

Quarter of UK’s three- and four-year-olds own a smartphone, data shows

theguardian.com A quarter of three- and four-year-olds in the UK now own a smartphone, while half of children under 13 are on social media, according to new data that comes as ministers…

TikTok is in the hot seat once again in Washington

aol.com TikTok is again facing an imminent threat from Congress. On Wednesday, House Republicans added a hot-button bill that could lead to a nationwide TikTok ban to a wide-ranging…

Cat has unexpected reaction to noticing his reflection for the first time

newsweek.com After five years of living, one might think cats have learned all they can, but a cat named Butters has shown he is still discovering things, and himself, at this stage in…

Bilibili Dragon Ball Performance Showcases Need for Live-Action Dragon Ball

youtube.com A recent live-action Dragon Ball presentation on Bilibili showcases the potential for a high-quality depiction of Goku's journey in live-action format.…

‘Tortured Poets,’ beware: Taylor Swift fans are a rich target for scammers

fastcompany.com It’s a great day to be a Taylor Swift fan: The singer’s 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, drops at midnight, and you’d better believe Swifties are watching…

What's inside the $95 billion House package focused on aiding Ukraine and Israel

apnews.com Speaker Mike Johnson has unveiled a long-awaited package of bills that will provide military aid to Ukraine and Israel, replenish U.S. weapons systems and give humanitarian…

Speaker Johnson Puts TikTok Bill on Fast Track Through Congress

youtube.com TikTok is heading to its moment of truth in Washington, with Congress on a fast track to approve a bill aimed at forcing the social-media platform’s Chinese parent ByteDance…

Taylor, the Disruptor: The Star’s Return to TikTok Shows Her Power

billboard.com On Jan. 30, the day before Universal Music’s deal with TikTok lapsed, the company announced in an open letter that “we must call time out on TikTok,” for not paying…

US Senate Looks to Advance TikTok Ban Proposal

socialmediatoday.com The pressure’s rising on TikTok, with the U.S. senate looking to quickly advance the proposed bill that could force the company into U.S. ownership, due to national security…

IAS Adds Misinformation Measurement Across Meta Apps

mediapost.com which works with Meta, TikTok , Snap and other social-media giants to provide advertisers with brand safety and suitability measurement to evaluate whether their ads are…

Mike Johnson and progressives are strange bedfellows on Israel and Ukraine aid

aol.com None House Speaker Mike Johnson is splitting Ukraine and Israel aid into separate votes. • None Democrats have generally opposed this, but are now willing to go along with…

Taylor Swift’s ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ may have leaked

fastcompany.com The Tortured Poets Department saw a big membership boost Wednesday night as the much-anticipated new album by Taylor Swift allegedly leaked online. While Swift and her label…

Predicting the Avengers Lineup in Captain America: Brave New World

youtube.com The initial glimpse of Captain America: Brave New World hinted at the formation of a fresh Avengers lineup, with certain heroes appearing tailor-made for Sam Wilson's team.…

YG Marley Lands in Top 3, Madison Beer in Top 10 in TikTok Top 50

billboard.com On the TikTok Billboard Top 50, YG Marley’s “Crazier in the Moonlight” jumps into the top three, and Madison Beer lands in the top 10 with “Make You Mine.” Alek Olsen…

White House science chief reiterates that Biden wants TikTok divestment, not ban

semafor.com The News President Joe Biden supports legislation calling for TikTok’s divestment, but has not called for a ban on the app, his top science advisor reiterated at Semafor’s…

I Tried Airchat, the Hottest New Social Media App in Silicon Valley

entrepreneur.com Airchat is still invite-only and prioritizes voices with no option to upload photos or write text, making it feel more human than Facebook or Reddit. The new social media…

What a TikTok ban would mean for the U.S. defense of an open internet

seattletimes.com Digital rights groups and others around the world raised the question of how the moves against TikTok contradict the country's arguments in favor of an open internet.

Is the new push to ban TikTok for real?

vox.com Due to security concerns, the Chinese-owned video app TikTok has already been banned from US government devices. | Matt Cardy/Getty Images The House is trying to pass a…

TikTok's Ticking Clock: Meta, Snap Stocks Climb As US Ban Bill Vote Nears

benzinga.com A high-profile bill that aims to dismantle TikTok's U.S. operations is affecting social media stocks. What Happened: At last check on Thursday: • Meta Platforms Inc is up…

Gen Z Shoppers Bring Social Commerce Into Malls

pymnts.com Social media virality is beginning to shape mall stores, as ultra-connected Gen Z shoppers expect their physical lives to more closely resemble their digital ones. For…

TikTok rival Triller to merge with NASDAQ-listed AGBA, creating $4 billion social media and financial services company

musicbusinessworldwide.com Financially troubled social media app and TikTok competitor Triller is merging with a Hong Kong financial services company to create a $4 billion company that will have its…

This Is The Uniparty 'Reveal': Speaker Johnson To Pass $95.3 Billion Foreign Aid Package Using Democrats

zerohedge.com This Is The Uniparty 'Reveal': Speaker Johnson To Pass $95.3 Billion Foreign Aid Package Using Democrats House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is scrambling - both to keep his…

Blumhouse & Platinum Dune’s Fast-Paced Thriller ‘Drop’ Sets Violett Beane & Jacob Robinson

deadline.com Violett Beane and newcomer Jacob Robinson have joined the cast of Christopher Landon’s Drop for Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse. The duo will star alongside previously…

The endless quest to replace alcohol

vox.com The first time I did shrooms and actually felt something was probably my last time doing shrooms at all. The moment it hit I was in the middle of a round of Mario Kart and…

Adobe Launches AI-Powered Mobile App for Creating Content

pymnts.com Adobe has launched a new Adobe Express mobile app that uses Adobe Firefly generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) to facilitate content creation. The new mobile app…

US Congress moves ahead on bill to push TikTok’s Chinese owner to sell

theglobeandmail.com An effort to force TikTok’s Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the social media app or face a ban in the U.S. was gaining steam in Congress on Thursday, with the House of…

Bestselling Bandannas & Face Coverings Perfect for Coachella, Stagecoach & More

billboard.com All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the…

Read the pitch decks from these creator-economy startups that helped them raise millions of dollars

aol.com None The creator economy is catching notable VCs' attention — and their wallets. • None Here are the pitch decks that 33 startups used in Series A, seed, and pre-seed…

They Designed One Simple Product With a 'Focus on Human Health'

entrepreneur.com Branch Basics founders Marilee Nelson, Allison Evans and Kelly Love "never set out to sell soap," let alone launch a cleaning brand that would generate tens of millions in…

1000-Lb Sister's Tammy Slaton Reveals Amazing Life Changes

youtube.com Tammy Slaton, star of 1000-Lb Sisters, has delighted fans with an endearing video showcasing the latest addition to her family, while also celebrating her remarkable…

I love Amazon Prime a bit too much

businessinsider.com Orders that arrive in 24 hours give me the instant gratification I crave, but being a little impatient about longer shipping times has saved me money. Chesnot/Getty Images I…

TikTok doubles ad buy to fight potential U.S. ban as Congress moves to fast-track legislation

cnbc.com Giovanna Gonzalez of Chicago demonstrates outside the U.S. Capitol following a press conference by TikTok creators to voice their opposition to the “Protecting Americans…

Wyden says he’s ‘not in favor’ of Mnuchin purchasing TikTok as bill gains momentum

thehill.com Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said Thursday that he is “not in favor” of former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin participating in efforts to purchase TikTok as a bill that would…

Chartbreaker: How Michael Marcagi Joined the Folk-Pop Boom With a ‘Wild Little Rocket Ship’ Ride of a Hit

billboard.com Michael Marcagi came to an agreement of sorts with his manager in late 2023. The folk-pop singer-songwriter had just finished a recording session in Woodstock, N.Y., and…

Internet can't cope with source of "stomps" coming from upstairs apartment

newsweek.com A cat named Bambi is stealing hearts on TikTok with her assertive strut towards the front door of the apartment that she lives in. The moment was captured by Bambi's owner…

L.A.-based social video platform Triller acquired by Hong Kong company

latimes.com Triller sign during an event for black creators in Los Angeles in 2022. Social video platform Triller will be acquired by a Hong Kong financial services company as the Los…

House passes bill banning Uncle Sam from snooping on citizens via data brokers

theregister.com A draft law to restrict the US government's ability to procure data on citizens through data brokers will progress to the Senate after being passed in the House of…

Internet can't cope with how medieval Italian town looks at night

newsweek.com A model has gone viral on social media after sharing the "other side" of staying in a medieval-looking village in the north of Italy. In a post recently shared on TikTok,…

The Deals: Cutting Edge Secures $500M for Music Rights; TikTok Partners With AXS for Concert Tickets

billboard.com Cutting Edge Group (“CEG” or the “Group”), an investor in and manager of niche media music rights encompassing more than 2,000 titles across soundtrack albums, completed a…

'Number One' Mistake With Mascara Which Causes It To Run Out Faster

newsweek.com You know when you're getting to the end of your mascara, and the wand looks all flaky and you feel like you aren't getting any product out so you start aggressively pumping…

TikTok Rival Triller Merging With Hong Kong Fintech Company AGBA

billboard.com Asian financial services firm AGBA will acquire social video platform Triller in an all-stock transaction that values the merged companies at $4 billion, according to SEC…

Single woman celebrates all friends' milestones

newsweek.com They may not have weddings or baby showers, but single people deserve celebrations too. A TikTok video, posted by @lilliebernie, has gone viral for revealing the adorable…

Latest version of House TikTok bill gets crucial support in Senate

cbsnews.com Experts weigh in on possible outcomes for users if Senate bans TikTok in U.S. Washington — Sen. Maria Cantwell, a key senator who has held up legislation regulating TikTok…