As ByteDance awaits a decision from a US federal appeals court that may determine TikTok's future in the country, some users believe president-elect Donald Trump may try to assist with the platform's survival.
"For all those who want to save TikTok in America, vote Trump," he said in a post on his Truth Social platform on September 4.
In a video that lasted less than one minute, he said he was "now a big star on TikTok" and added that "we're setting records", referring to his 14.5 million followers on the platform.
TikTok has more than one billion monthly active users around the world and at least 170 million active users in the US, according to most reports, and the video sharing platform and its algorithm are the envy of many in the technology and media sectors. Yet its success has come under tremendous scrutiny, especially in the US, where concerns have mounted over TikTok's parent company, Beijing-based ByteDance, and whether the company and its trove of user data could be used by the Chinese government.
Some local jurisdictions in the US have banned the app on government devices, while the US federal government has taken similar moves over what it said were national security concerns.
Despite TikTok's repeated insistence that user data was not being compromised, US Congress continued to increase pressure on the platform, resulting in a bill that seeks to force ByteDance to divest from TikTok to a US owner. The law passed with bipartisan support and was signed by US President Joe Biden in April.
In response, TikTok sued the US government, claiming its First Amendment rights had been breached. During his first term in the White House, Mr Trump also expressed concern about the potential misuse of the app's data by Chinese authorities.
Those concerns were often couched under the overall rhetoric from the Trump administration, which centred on tariff threats against China. But as Mr Trump's popularity on TikTok grew, he seems to have changed his mind, even seeming to accuse Democrats of driving efforts to force ByteDance to divest, despite the bill passing with Republican support.
"We're not going to do anything with TikTok, but the other side is going to close it up," he said.
The campaigns of Vice President Kamala Harris and Mr Biden had a presence on TikTok during the presidential election, as well after the bill was passed. If ByteDance has not sold its stake in TikTok by January 19, the app will probably be phased out of app stores operating in the US. Stored could faces penalties of up $5,000 for every time the app is distributed after a ban comes into effect, according to legislation passed by Congress.
ByteDance has indicated repeatedly that it is not willing to divest TikTok from its portfolio, setting up a potential showdown with the US government as the divestment deadline approaches.
Meanwhile, TikTok's legal challenge to the constitutionality of the bill seemed to face sceptical judges in a US appeals court in September. Some of the judges pointed to the 1987 case, Palestine Information Office v Shultz, as a precedent for allowing legislators to try to curtail TikTok's influence in the US.
A decision from the circuit court is likely to be announced before December 6, though that is not guaranteed. It is likely that if TikTok is unsuccessful, ByteDance could appeal to the US Supreme Court.
As for Mr Trump, it is not clear what he could do to prevent the law from forcing a sale, even after he is sworn into office on January 20. On paper, at least, he could encourage the House of Representatives and the Senate to repeal the law. Given Republicans will soon control both chambers, that is a plausible scenario.
Mark MacCarthy, a senior fellow at the Institute for Technology Law and Policy at Georgetown Law in Washington, said that, while the legislation might not be popular in the court of public opinion, it might still persevere through the courts.
"I think the ban is a terrible idea, but I would agree that it is not unconstitutional," he said, critiquing the arguments made in court by TikTok lawyer Andrew Pincus.
Mr MacCarthy said that, although he is personally concerned that the law is rooted in confrontational US policy towards China, which could escalate, that is not the decision the circuit court will make. There is plenty of precedent for national security concerns to override the free speech arguments made by TikTok's lawyers, he added.
Since TikTok announced its lawsuit against the government, the platform's chief executive, Shou Zi Chew, has been largely silent, although he did address users briefly shortly after the legislation passed in April.
“Make no mistake, this is a ban, a ban on you and your voice," Mr Chew said in a video posted on the platform. “Politicians may say otherwise, but don’t get confused. Many who signed the bill say the TikTok ban is the ultimate goal.”
TikTok has not yet responded to requests for comment on this story and neither has the Trump presidential transition team.
Bio
Age: 25
Town: Al Diqdaqah – Ras Al Khaimah
Education: Bachelors degree in mechanical engineering
Favourite colour: White
Favourite place in the UAE: Downtown Dubai
Favourite book: A Life in Administration by Ghazi Al Gosaibi.
First owned baking book: How to Be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20NOTHING%20PHONE%20(2a)
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Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Honeymoonish
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UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
THE%20SWIMMERS
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Tips to keep your car cool
- Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
- Park in shaded or covered areas
- Add tint to windows
- Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
- Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
- Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
If you go
The flights
There are direct flights from Dubai to Sofia with FlyDubai (www.flydubai.com) and Wizz Air (www.wizzair.com), from Dh1,164 and Dh822 return including taxes, respectively.
The trip
Plovdiv is 150km from Sofia, with an hourly bus service taking around 2 hours and costing $16 (Dh58). The Rhodopes can be reached from Sofia in between 2-4hours.
The trip was organised by Bulguides (www.bulguides.com), which organises guided trips throughout Bulgaria. Guiding, accommodation, food and transfers from Plovdiv to the mountains and back costs around 170 USD for a four-day, three-night trip.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 1
Kane (50')
Newcastle United 0
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Company%C2%A0profile
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THE%C2%A0SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.4-litre%20four-cylinder%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20210hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20320Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Starting%20from%20Dh89%2C900%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Company%20profile
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Top investing tips for UAE residents in 2021
Build an emergency fund: Make sure you have enough cash to cover six months of expenses as a buffer against unexpected problems before you begin investing, advises Steve Cronin, the founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com.
Think long-term: When you invest, you need to have a long-term mindset, so don’t worry about momentary ups and downs in the stock market.
Invest worldwide: Diversify your investments globally, ideally by way of a global stock index fund.
Is your money tied up: Avoid anything where you cannot get your money back in full within a month at any time without any penalty.
Skip past the promises: “If an investment product is offering more than 10 per cent return per year, it is either extremely risky or a scam,” Mr Cronin says.
Choose plans with low fees: Make sure that any funds you buy do not charge more than 1 per cent in fees, Mr Cronin says. “If you invest by yourself, you can easily stay below this figure.” Managed funds and commissionable investments often come with higher fees.
Be sceptical about recommendations: If someone suggests an investment to you, ask if they stand to gain, advises Mr Cronin. “If they are receiving commission, they are unlikely to recommend an investment that’s best for you.”
Get financially independent: Mr Cronin advises UAE residents to pursue financial independence. Start with a Google search and improve your knowledge via expat investing websites or Facebook groups such as SimplyFI.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
War 2
Director: Ayan Mukerji
Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana
Rating: 2/5
THURSDAY FIXTURES
4.15pm: Italy v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: Egypt v Mexico (Group B)
6.45pm: UAE v Japan (Group A)
8pm: Iran v Russia (Group B)
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
RESULTS
6.30pm Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner Canvassed, Par Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm Meydan Cup – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (Turf) 2,810m
Winner Dubai Future, Frankie Dettori, Saeed bin Suroor
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas – Group 3 (TB) $125,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Mouheeb, Ryan Curatolo, Nicholas Bachalard
8.15pm Firebreak Stakes – Group 3 (TB) $130,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
9.50pm Meydan Classic – Conditions (TB) $$50,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Topper Bill, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm Dubai Sprint – Listed Handicap (TB) $88,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Man Of Promise, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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MORE ON THE US DEMOCRATIC PRIMARIES
Sweet%20Tooth
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