TikTok

• TikTok’s college-centric update is a nod to OG Facebook
• TikTok’s new biz? Selling hotel rooms–and paying creators who help fill them

  We're guessing, based on the low barrier to entry, that these tasks won't pay out nearly the same amount as a traditional creator/brand sponsorship would--but they do represent a kind of broader TikTok Shopification. Almost anyone can earn affiliate cash by hawking products from TikTok Shop; with TikTok Go, almost anyone can get a little travel money by filming what's essentially custom-tailored ads.

  
• TikTok learned that building a music service is hard, so it’s integrating YouTube instead

  YouTube Music has been added to the list of options on the "add to music app" feature TikTok launched in 2023.

  
• TikTok wants its fact-checking to be user-generated, too

  X and Meta already have Community Notes systems where users submit fact-checks on one another's posts. YouTube also has "information panels," which are crowdsourced but only from an approved list of publishers, so it half counts.

  
• On a new European app, TikTok tips the scales in favor of “joyful and entertaining content”
• Some social media trends have real consequences. This one cost New York City $17 million.
• TikTok is crediting the songwriters behind the FYP’s biggest hits
• TikTok yanks funding from Canadian cultural institutions ahead of potential shutdown
• TikTok to debut a U.S.-locked app as Trump says sale is “pretty much” done
• TikTok Shop staff just faced a third round of layoffs in three months. What’s the deal?
• TikTok wants to hire a manager for its news creators
• TikTok and Meta want a piece of YouTube’s TV success