What happens if TikTok, one of the most popular social media apps, is banned in the US? That is the question on the minds of many developers, technology analysts and millions of users.
Much like Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat, TikTok and its hundreds of millions of users have managed to create an economic powerhouse from content.
Gaurav Misra, chief executive and co-founder of Captions, a developer of popular video-editing and generation tools, said that while TikTok has proved to be one of the more influential storytelling platforms of the past decade, it is not without competitors that could capitalise on a ban.
“I think what will happen is that there's just going to be a lot more viewers on Instagram Reels,” Mr Misra said, referring to the vertical video format offered by Instagram in recent years.
Captions, which was founded in 2021, has been able to ride on the coattails of TikTok's success in recent years.
Captions' tools are regularly used by TikTok content creators to quickly edit and create videos, but Mr Misra insisted that his company's offerings are used for far more than TikTok videos, and that a ban on the platform would not affect his company much.
“I think we're pretty diversified at this point," he said. "I think especially in the US like, you know, TikTok is popular, but Instagram and YouTube are pretty popular as well, and we do expect that other platforms will take off."
Mr Misra said that one of Captions' main video editing competitors, CapCut, is owned by ByteDance, the Beijing-based company at the centre of the possible US ban because of concerns over user data privacy and national security. The fact that it is owned by ByteDance could become problematic for CapCut.
“It's an interesting aspect for us as a company. The bill doesn't necessarily ban TikTok specifically, but it references apps owned and operated by ByteDance … there's something for us there,” he said, referring to a possible competitive advantage.
But Mr Misra said that although a US TikTok ban could spell trouble for ByteDance, TikTok's shadow of influence will not be going anywhere any time soon. Previously, he said, success for content creators revolved around how many followers they had, but with TikTok's algorithm, followers simply do not matter as much. The platform has created more opportunity for users.
“I think the power of TikTok has been discovery, right?” he said. “It's just been like, anybody can make it, basically, which actually is kind of the American dream in a way.”
Yet without a doubt, that American dream is in jeopardy, critics say, because of ByteDance's home base of China. Time and again, the company's chief executive, Shou Zi Chew, has denied that user data is compromised and sought to assure US politicians that national security concerns are exaggerated.
Yet Mr Chew has not been able to move public opinion enough to stop Congress from passing bipartisan legislation that has led the company down this litigious and high-stakes path that could spell the end of the platform.
In its various media statements, ByteDance has claimed that small businesses on TikTok would lose more than $1 billion in revenue, and that content creators could lose up to $300 million in earnings.
Mr Misra said that regardless of a Supreme Court decision that will determine the constitutionality of the TikTok ban legislation, there is what could be a bigger story unfolding about how social-media companies have operated in recent years.
“Once you make it in as a social network, it actually serves as a centrepoint to power all kinds of other businesses,” he said. “I think at the core of it is this idea that social networks are monopolistic by nature, right? Like it's difficult to make a new one, and it's difficult to have more than one operate at the same time. You need a lot of money and a lot of power to be able to do that.”
As for Captions, Mr Misra insisted that it is not dependent on TikTok and its plans for 2025 would be unaffected by the Supreme Court's ruling.
“I think we're, you know, doing some pretty interesting things right now,” he said, referring to Captions' investment in artificial intelligence and various AI-infused editing tools.
He said that many content creators would easily find another home, with the storytelling formats continuing to evolve even if a TikTok ban goes into effect.
“I think the future of content creation, whether it's recording or editing, is going to be very different in the future or in 2025 compared to the past,” Mr Misra said.
According to the Supreme Court filing, TikTok and the US Justice Department will have to electronically file their briefs by Friday, and a hearing is scheduled to take place on January 10, a little more than one week before the January 19 deadline that could lead to the social media platform's ban in the US.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
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
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Dunki
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
FROM%20THE%20ASHES
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RESULT
Esperance de Tunis 1 Guadalajara 1
(Esperance won 6-5 on penalties)
Esperance: Belaili 38’
Guadalajara: Sandoval 5’
Ahmed Raza
UAE cricket captain
Age: 31
Born: Sharjah
Role: Left-arm spinner
One-day internationals: 31 matches, 35 wickets, average 31.4, economy rate 3.95
T20 internationals: 41 matches, 29 wickets, average 30.3, economy rate 6.28
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Ticket prices
- Golden circle - Dh995
- Floor Standing - Dh495
- Lower Bowl Platinum - Dh95
- Lower Bowl premium - Dh795
- Lower Bowl Plus - Dh695
- Lower Bowl Standard- Dh595
- Upper Bowl Premium - Dh395
- Upper Bowl standard - Dh295
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
What is an ETF?
An exchange traded fund is a type of investment fund that can be traded quickly and easily, just like stocks and shares. They come with no upfront costs aside from your brokerage's dealing charges and annual fees, which are far lower than on traditional mutual investment funds. Charges are as low as 0.03 per cent on one of the very cheapest (and most popular), Vanguard S&P 500 ETF, with the maximum around 0.75 per cent.
There is no fund manager deciding which stocks and other assets to invest in, instead they passively track their chosen index, country, region or commodity, regardless of whether it goes up or down.
The first ETF was launched as recently as 1993, but the sector boasted $5.78 billion in assets under management at the end of September as inflows hit record highs, according to the latest figures from ETFGI, a leading independent research and consultancy firm.
There are thousands to choose from, with the five largest providers BlackRock’s iShares, Vanguard, State Street Global Advisers, Deutsche Bank X-trackers and Invesco PowerShares.
While the best-known track major indices such as MSCI World, the S&P 500 and FTSE 100, you can also invest in specific countries or regions, large, medium or small companies, government bonds, gold, crude oil, cocoa, water, carbon, cattle, corn futures, currency shifts or even a stock market crash.
Ain Dubai in numbers
126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure
1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch
16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.
9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.
5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place
192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.
Squid Game season two
Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Stars: Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun
Rating: 4.5/5
THREE
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Conservative MPs who have publicly revealed sending letters of no confidence
- Steve Baker
- Peter Bone
- Ben Bradley
- Andrew Bridgen
- Maria Caulfield
- Simon Clarke
- Philip Davies
- Nadine Dorries
- James Duddridge
- Mark Francois
- Chris Green
- Adam Holloway
- Andrea Jenkyns
- Anne-Marie Morris
- Sheryll Murray
- Jacob Rees-Mogg
- Laurence Robertson
- Lee Rowley
- Henry Smith
- Martin Vickers
- John Whittingdale
