 |
|
|
|||||
Tech giant Oracle will oversee the security for a licensed copy of the recommendation engine powering TikTok under the terms of a proposed divestment deal, according to a senior official in President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday. Determining next steps for the algorithm, currently owned by the Beijing-based ByteDance, has been one of the most closely watched issues during negotiations over TikTok’s future. The Trump administration official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss the emerging deal, said they believe the plan will satisfy national security concerns if TikTok divests from its Chinese parent, ByteDance. President Joe Biden signed bipartisan legislation before leaving office, requiring the Chinese company to sell its assets to an American company or face a ban. American officials have previously warned the algorithm that fuels what users see on the app is vulnerable to manipulation by Chinese authorities, who can use it to shape content on the platform in a way thats difficult to detect. It wouldnt be in compliance if the algorithm is Chinese. There cant be any shared algorithm with ByteDance, said a spokesperson for the House Select Committee on China. Oracle would receive a copy of the algorithm and oversee the app’s security operations. The algorithm would be fully inspected and monitored for any abnormal behavior, the senior White House official said Monday. In a call with reporters, the official later emphasized that the content recommendation formula would be retrained using U.S. data in order to make sure the system is behaving appropriately. It is currently unclear if retraining the copy of the algorithm would essentially create a separate TikTok experience just for domestic U.S. users, but White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed in a Monday press briefing that TikTok users in the U.S will be able to see videos posted by users in other countries and vice versa. What the president will sign later this week is an executive order, essentially declaring that the terms of this deal meets Americas national security needs, the White House official said. He notes that China is expected to sign and approve a framework deal for TikTok’s divestment by the end of the week, upon which Trump will issue a 120 day reprieve, giving both nations time to get necessary agreements finalized. Full details on investors have not been released. However, the official confirmed that the U.S. operations will be a new joint venture with a board of directors that will have a majority of American membersOracle and Silver Lake, a private equity firm, are the only confirmed consortium participants so far. The White House official also said that under the preliminary dealwhich still requires Chinese officials to sign off on a framework agreementthe United States will not take equity stake in the new venture or have representation on the controlling committee. Trump, a Republican, has extended the deadline several times as he worked to reach a deal to keep TikTok available. He spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday. Chris Megerian, Associated Press
Category:
E-Commerce
Over the past few days, a new subgenre on TikTok has exploded in popularity: RaptureTok. Its become almost impossible to scroll through the social media platform without encountering content about the Rapturea belief held in some Christian denominations (particularly American Evangelicalism) that believers will ascend to Heaven upon Jesus Christs second coming to the Earth. While its unclear exactly how this content took hold, its starting point appears to be a prediction from South African pastor Joshua Mhlakela, who said in an interview with the YouTube channel Cettwinz TV on September 9 that he saw Jesus returning in a vision on September 23 or 24. As of this writing, the video has nearly 400,000 views. A quick search on TikTok reveals dozens of videos of Christian content creators earnestly preparing for the Rapture, while still more are responses satirizing the trend. This isnt the first time that a date has been set for the event in question: past hypotheses have included September 1988; September 6, 1994; and May 21, 2011. Here are a few examples of the #RaptureTok content thats been dominating feeds. ‘Rapture Trip Tips’ Some of the most referenced RaptureTok videos were made by creator @sonj779, who created a five-part series of Rapture Trip Tips. These include pointers like instructing followers on how to subtly hint to friends that they may be Raptured, as well as one video with more than 500,000 views on what to do when you actually begin to ascend toward Heaven. Popular streamer Hasan Piker responded directly to @sonj779 in a stream questioning the logistics of the Rapture, which has since been clipped by fan accounts and viewed more than a million times on TikTok. While viewers initially speculated that @sonj779s videos were made in earnest, shes since confirmed via her comment section that they were intended as satire. TikTok users are preparing for some to be left behind Some creators, however, do appear to be preparing for the Rapture in earnest. Creator Melissa Johnston has posted a series of videos, each with thousands of views, detailing how shes prepping for the coming days. The videos primarily detail what shes doing for those left behind after the Rapture, including preparing laminated notecards detailing her beliefs, writing a letter to any remaining loved ones, and purchasing dozens of Bibles from the dollar store. Commenters are overwhelmingly expressing concern in Johnstons comments, with one response video positing that she may be experiencing religious psychosis. Former Evangelicals respond For some creators who no longer identify with their earlier religious beliefs, RaptureTok has struck a nerve. In a video with nearly 200,000 views titled Rapture Terror, creator @veronicaandthebabyboo explains that, as a former Pentecostal pastors daughter, shes nervous about the Rapture despite no longer believing in it. My entire childhood is just Rapture trauma, she says. Its the reason I cant plan ahead, its the reason I cant save moneybecause the Rapture could come. She goes on to explain that, as a child, natural phenomena like sun rays and moon beams could be enough to make her question whether the Rapture was imminent. The video has sparked more than 3,000 comments, with viewers sharing their own experiences with childhood Rapture terror. Granny had a sticker on her dashboard: Warning: Driver of This Car May Disappear at any Moment. I got yelled at because I didnt want to get in the car with her. I. Was. Four, one user wrote. I remember calling random people in my church to see if the rapture happened bc my family was late coming home, another shared. It runs deep.
Category:
E-Commerce
Danish offshore wind developer Orsted can restart work on the nearly finished Revolution Wind project off the coast of Rhode Island, a federal judge ruled on Monday, after President Donald Trump’s administration halted the project last month. The ruling is a legal setback for Trump, who has sought to block the expansion of offshore wind in U.S. waters. It is a palpable victory for Orsted, which has been losing $2 million a day since the project was halted on August 22. Revolution Wind is located 15 miles off the coast. Once completed, it is expected to produce enough electricity to power 350,000 homes in Rhode Island and Connecticut. Orsted’s U.S.-listed shares were up nearly 9% at $11.60 following the ruling by U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth. The U.S. Interior Department said it would continue to review the project while work proceeds. “As a result of the Courts decision today, Revolution Wind will be able to resume construction as BOEM (the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) continues its investigation into possible impacts by the project to national security and prevention of other uses on the Outer Continental Shelf,” an Interior spokesperson said. Attorneys for the Trump administration had argued that the project, located off the coast of Rhode Island, failed to comply with conditions of its permit related to conflicts with national security and scientific ocean surveys. Revolution Wind disputed those claims. At the end of a two-hour court hearing in Washington, Lamberth issued a preliminary injunction that blocks the Trump administration from enforcing the order to halt construction. Lamberth, a senior judge appointed by Republican President Ronald Reagan, said the Trump administration had offered contradictory reasons for issuing its stop work order, and that the explanations offered weeks after the halt were the height of arbitrary and capricious government conduct. He also said Revolution Wind had reasonably relied on government assurances that were withdrawn without due process, imperiling a $5 billion investment. If Revolution Wind cannot meet benchmark deadlines, the entire project could collapse, Lamberth said. There is no doubt in my mind of irreparable harm to the plaintiffs. Orsted and its joint venture partner Skyborn Renewables had asked for a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit they filed earlier this month challenging the U.S. Interior Department’s stop-work order. “Revolution Wind will resume impacted construction work as soon as possible, with safety as the top priority,” an Orsted spokesperson said in a statement, adding that it would continue to seek a resolution with the administration. Rhode Island and Connecticut have also sued the administration over the stop work order. Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont issued a statement praising the ruling. “Todays ruling allowing Revolution Wind to resume work is extremely encouraging for workers and our energy future. We will continue to engage with the federal government on a durable path forward for this project and on shared energy priorities, Lamont said. Jan Wolfe and Nichola Groom, Reuters
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||