TikTok announced the launch of an AI-powered shopping assistant and a new in-app checkout feature that enables users to purchase products directly from brands within the app. The AI assistant offers real-time guidance by understanding user preferences and providing product details, while the checkout feature allows seamless transactions from the For You feed. These updates aim to keep users engaged within TikTok’s ecosystem for shopping activities.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-10-05
A new study finds that teenagers who frequently consume short-form video content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram struggle to connect present actions with future consequences. Researchers attribute this to the instant gratification such videos provide, which they say alters how young users perceive time and causality.
wsj.com
· 2026-10-03
A Tokyo court found that a TikTok account used AI to replicate the voice of veteran anime actor Kenjiro Tsuda in narration videos posted between July 2024 and late 2025, ruling this violated his publicity rights. The court declined to order removal of the videos since the anonymous account had already been deleted. Tsuda's legal team had argued the account's 200,000-plus followers were drawn by hearing a recognizable star's voice narrate lurid content, while TikTok countered the voice was merely generic.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-01
Meta has launched an AI chatbot within its Edits video-editing app that analyzes a creator's own Instagram data—including views, likes, shares and retention—to suggest video ideas, hooks, captions and audio choices. The assistant, already tested by select creators, is free up to an undisclosed daily prompt limit.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-30
A wave of TikTok creators, including accounts like @hallysicle and 'Fiber Daddy,' are promoting high-fiber foods and recipes under the label 'fibermaxxing,' often using exaggerated or comedic language about digestion. Some creators sell fiber supplements, such as Liquid Salad, while others focus on recipes like a pea-based pesto delivering 18 grams of fiber per serving. Healthcare providers have also begun participating in the trend online.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-30
Some parents are turning to AI image generators like ChatGPT to create fake school portraits of their children rather than pay traditional school photography fees. TikTok users are sharing the resulting images, describing the practice as a money-saving hack for the new school year.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-29
TikTok has agreed to pay Alabama at least $100 million and implement new teen-safety measures, including a two-hour daily time limit, overnight access restrictions, stronger age verification, a ban on beauty filters, and an optional non-personalized feed. The settlement, reached just before a scheduled trial, resolves claims that TikTok misled parents about its child-safety tools, and could rise to $300 million if 40 other state attorneys general sign similar agreements.
tech.slashdot.org
· 2026-09-28
TikTok has settled a lawsuit brought by Alabama alleging it misled users about safety risks and designed its platform to addict children, agreeing to pay the state at least $100 million and up to $300 million depending on unspecified conditions. The company also agreed to add a two-hour daily time limit for minors, expanded parental controls, and restrictions on overnight use and cosmetic filters. The case had been set for trial this week.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-09-26
TikTok has settled with Alabama over allegations it designed its app to addict teens and children, agreeing to pay at least $100 million and adopt new safety measures. The deal, reached just before the case was set to go to trial, marks TikTok's first state-level settlement of this kind, though more than a dozen other states still have similar lawsuits pending against the app.
engadget.com
· 2026-09-26
Major social platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram have reportedly declined to run an advertising campaign that referenced the name 'Musk.' The report does not specify the advertiser or the campaign's content, only that multiple platforms turned it down.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-09-26
Following Australia's under-16 social media ban, which restricted 4.7 million accounts but still left one in five teens using TikTok or Snapchat two months later, other governments are adopting similar measures. Indonesia's child safety framework took effect in March, the UK has proposed a ban plus overnight curfews for 16- and 17-year-olds, and the European Commission introduced the EU KIDS Act on 17 September, which would bar under-13s from social media and set 15 as the age for independent account creation.
spectrum.ieee.org
· 2026-09-25
A TikTok posted by recruiter Caitlin Wehniainen criticizing Gen Z candidates for bringing iced coffee to interviews drew over 5,000 comments and numerous response videos. Commenters split between those defending the practice as harmless and others calling it unprofessional. Monster career expert Vicki Salemi was subsequently asked to weigh in on interview etiquette, including other behaviors she considers bigger missteps than carrying a drink.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-09-23
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