ByteDance announces IPO for TikTok Global

Here are a few reasons to pick up a copy of The Guardian on Thursday. Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Thursday.

The US president has accused the Chinese tech firm of passing on information regarding American users to Beijing. Earlier this month, a court ruled in favor of TikTok but Trump is not giving up the case just yet.

Prosecutors have opened an investigation into the death of a young girl who participated in a "choking game" on the video-sharing platform. Her death has triggered outrage across Italy.

We all need a bit of cheering up at the moment, so as part of FRANCE 24's week-long series on Covid vs Culture, in this edition we're talking about some of the positive ways the arts are fighting back in the Covid-19 era. One of them is how France's most traditional cultural spaces are getting down with the kids on TikTok.

This week, we're focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of France's influencers. On YouTube, TikTok, blogs and Instagram, they count their followers in the millions. However, France's "content creators" are still in the process of exploring all the potential of their virtual sway. In this show we see how brands and marketing teams are actively harnessing this grassroots power. We also see how influencers are being included in political campaigns. Finally, we check out the online trends to look out for from social media stars in the future.

TikTok became a site for anti-Kremlin content during recent opposition protests in Russia. Now, the tightening grip of the authorities on social media platforms and the internet could push bloggers into opposition.

TikTok has been ordered to pay thousands of dollars in fines after failing to delete videos that promoted unsanctioned rallies in Russia.

Tech-savvy Catholic priests in the Philippines are turning to Tiktok to connect with young believers, dancing to popular songs and sharing homilies in the video-sharing platform as the pandemic forced the Catholic-majority country’s faithful online.

A Dutch parents group claims that TikTok is putting children at risk with its content and is collecting too much data. They claim the Chinese smartphone app is in breach of EU law.

US President Joe Biden has halted the move to ban the Chinese-developed apps as his adminsitration conducts their own review into whether they are really a national security threat.

For the second time this month, the video-sharing platform TikTok faces demands to pay more than €1 billion. The company has come under heavy scrutiny for its privacy regulations.

Chinese bubble tea chain Nayuki edged down on its Hong Kong market debut Wednesday after raising more than US$650 million in an IPO that marked the culmination of a literal labour of love for the co-owners who created the firm on a blind date.