Latest news with #ByteDance
TechCrunch
5 hours ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
TikTok lays off more employees working on TikTok Shop US
In Brief Despite all of the ads you're getting for collagen supplements and electric scrub brushes, TikTok Shop US is apparently not doing so hot. Per a report from Bloomberg, TikTok has conducted its third round of layoffs for this team since April, but has not disclosed how many jobs were impacted. TikTok Shop US, the company's e-commerce retailer, launched less than two years ago, selling a variety of products and offering creators commissions for their videos that trigger sales. While the Shop remains TikTok's fastest-growing business, TikTok's fate in the U.S. remains uncertain. President Trump has continued to delay the deadline for ByteDance to sell the app to an American entity, following TikTok's official ban. This weekend, however, Trump announced that he has a potential buyer for the app, which is rumored to include some familiar faces in VC.
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
TikTok employees face layoffs as company announces 'organisational and personnel changes': Here's the unit that may be affected
Representative Image Employees of TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance , may be facing potential layoffs after the company recently informed the staff of upcoming 'organisational and personnel changes.' According to a memo seen by Business Insider (BI), these changes are expected to affect workers in TikTok's global e-commerce business, TikTok Shop. TikTok Shop has already experienced several rounds of layoffs this year. The current announcement indicates further personnel adjustments within this unit. What TikTok's internal memo said about the layoffs In the internal memo seen by BI, the company wrote: 'Over the past month, we have assessed how we can best support our evolving Global E-commerce business in alignment with our mission and evolving goals in the market.' The company added that these updates stem from a "careful analysis of how to create more efficient operating models for the team's long-term growth." TikTok's US e-commerce team has faced growing challenges in 2024 and 2025, drawing increased attention from parent company ByteDance. In a February all-hands meeting, leadership acknowledged the team had not met its performance targets in 2024. Compounding issues in 2025, new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Chinese goods have disrupted operations, as many of TikTok's global sellers are based in China. In US, the weekly order volume reportedly declined in mid-May compared to April, following the tariff hike. In response, TikTok has reduced staff through layoffs and performance reviews. Some employees were asked to choose between performance-improvement plans or severance packages. As part of these changes, experienced leaders from China and Singapore—primarily from Douyin , TikTok's Chinese sister app—have taken over roles previously held by US-based staff. These shifts come amid broader uncertainty surrounding TikTok's future in the US. The company is still negotiating with the Trump administration over a 2024 law requiring ByteDance to sell its US assets or risk a potential ban. Enforcement of the law has been delayed through executive orders, but the uncertainty is affecting staff morale. One employee said their team was directly impacted by the latest changes but asked to remain anonymous. "I think for many of us, we just want clarity. These eternal extensions make no sense for anyone who works here. How can we plan our jobs and lives if every 90 days we might get banned or sold?' the employee said to BI. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Mint
7 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
Elon Musk's X adds AI to its Community Notes, promises faster fact-checks with a human touch
Elon Musk's social media platform X is preparing to roll out Community Notes written by artificial intelligence agents, in a bid to speed up its fact-checking capabilities and widen its reach. The initiative will allow developers to submit their own AI systems for evaluation. These agents will initially produce practice notes that remain behind the scenes. If deemed helpful by the platform, the AI will then be permitted to generate fact-checking notes that are published publicly. Despite the automation, human oversight will remain central to the process. According to Keith Coleman, a product executive at X and head of the Community Notes programme, the system requires that notes be approved by individuals from a broad spectrum of viewpoints before going live, mirroring the criteria already in place for user-submitted notes. 'They can help deliver a lot more notes faster with less work, but ultimately the decision on what's helpful enough to show still comes down to humans,' Coleman said in an interview on Tuesday. 'So we think that combination is incredibly powerful.' Coleman indicated that the platform currently publishes hundreds of Community Notes daily. While he did not offer a precise estimate, he suggested that the introduction of AI-generated contributions could lead to a 'significant' increase in volume. Originally launched under the Twitter brand prior to Musk's acquisition of the company in 2022, Community Notes has seen renewed focus under his leadership. The approach has since attracted interest from other tech firms, including Meta and TikTok-owner ByteDance, which have begun exploring similar community-driven fact-checking systems. Musk has often praised the Community Notes feature, describing it as 'hoax kryptonite' in the fight against misinformation. However, the feature has not spared Musk himself from scrutiny; he has been flagged multiple times for sharing misleading content. Earlier this year, he warned the system could potentially be 'gamed by governments & legacy media.' Coleman views the uptake by rival platforms as evidence that X's model is among the most effective fact-checking mechanisms available. He also believes that human moderation of AI-generated notes will establish a valuable 'feedback loop' to further improve the technology over time. 'It is a new feedback cycle,' he said. 'The model can be improved not just by one random human's feedback, but by feedback from a diverse audience.' Importantly, AI agents contributing to Community Notes will not be restricted to Musk's own xAI-developed bot, Grok. Coleman clarified that developers can utilise any AI technology, provided it meets the platform's standards for accuracy and relevance. The first wave of AI-generated Community Notes is expected to begin appearing later this month. (With inputs from Bloomberg)
Online Citizen
7 hours ago
- Health
- Online Citizen
Yun Hai Yao CEO pleads guilty over ByteDance Singapore food poisoning incident
SINGAPORE: Lu Zhi Tao (吕志韬), chief executive officer of food catering firm Yun Hai Yao, pleaded guilty on 2 July 2025 in relation to the mass food poisoning that occurred at ByteDance's Singapore office in July 2024. According to a report by CNA, Lu admitted guilt to two charges: one under the Environmental Public Health Act (Food Hygiene) Regulations and another under the Sale of Food Act. The case stems from a corporate catering event on 30 July 2024, when ByteDance engaged Yun Hai Yao and another caterer. After consuming the food, numerous staff members fell ill with symptoms including abdominal pain and vomiting. Over 200,000 bacterial units found in chicken dish served to ByteDance staff The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) reported that 169 people were affected in total, with 60 individuals hospitalised as a result. Testing revealed that a wok-fried diced chicken (汽锅鸡) dish catered by Yun Hai Yao contained Staphylococcus aureus bacteria above legally allowed limits. This bacterium can contaminate food during handling and preparation, leading to foodborne illness. SFA test results showed more than 200,000 colony-forming units per gram of the bacteria in the sample. Under Singapore's food safety regulations, this number must remain under 100 colony-forming units. More than 10 live cockroaches found at Northpoint outlet after food poisoning incident CNA also reported that on 31 July 2024, the day after the poisoning incident, more than 10 live cockroaches were discovered by SFA inspectors at Yun Hai Yao's Northpoint City outlet. During the court proceedings, SFA prosecutor Mohd Rizal requested a total fine of S$5,500. However, District Judge Janet Wang postponed sentencing. She cited the need for further information regarding the extent of harm caused, as the injuries and medical impact on the victims were not fully clarified. Judge Wang emphasised the high level of public interest in the case. She requested a detailed breakdown of the injuries, the number of people requiring medical intervention, and other relevant data to inform sentencing. Sentencing and mitigation have been adjourned to 17 July 2025. Yun Hai Yao, known in Singapore for operating the Yun Nans chain of restaurants, is a major Chinese dining brand. Founded in 2009, it has grown to include over a dozen outlets across major Chinese cities. Its annual sales surpass 1 billion yuan (approximately S$200 million), making it a leading player among mid- to high-end Chinese restaurant chains. Lu, who started Yun Hai Yao at age 23, relocated to Singapore in 2019 with his family to establish the brand's first overseas outlet. This was revealed in a 2019 interview published by Pin Prestige.
Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Straits Times
Sean ‘Diddy' Combs convicted on prostitution counts but cleared of more serious charges
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Sean 'Diddy' Combs was found guilty after a criminal trial in which two former girlfriends testified that he physically and sexually abused them. – Sean 'Diddy' Combs was found guilty on July 2 of prostitution-related offences, but cleared of more serious charges after a criminal trial in which two of the music mogul's former girlfriends testified that he physically and sexually abused them. Combs was convicted of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted of racketeering conspiracy and two counts of sex trafficking, a partial win for the former billionaire known for elevating hip-hop in American culture. After the jury read its verdict, defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo asked US District Judge Arun Subramanian to release Combs on bail. 'This is his first conviction and it's a prostitution offence, and so he should be released on appropriate conditions,' Mr Agnifilo said. Combs faces a maximum 10-year prison sentence on each of the two prostitution counts. Judge Subramanian will determine Combs' sentence at a later date. The acquittals on the sex trafficking counts means he will avoid a 15-year mandatory minimum sentence. He could have faced life in prison if he were convicted on sex trafficking or racketeering conspiracy. Prosecutors say Combs used his business empire for two decades to force two of his romantic partners to take part in drug-fuelled, days-long sexual performances sometimes known as 'Freak Offs' with male sex workers in hotel rooms while Combs watched, masturbated and occasionally filmed. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Singapore and Cambodia to expand collaboration in renewable energy, carbon markets and agri-trade Singapore From camping to mentorship, Singapore scouts mark 115th anniversary of the youth movement Singapore Ong Beng Seng's court hearing rescheduled one day before he was expected to plead guilty Singapore ByteDance food poisoning: Catering firm convicted after cockroach infestation found on premises Singapore Teen, 17, to be charged with allegedly trespassing on MRT tracks Singapore Granddaughter of Hin Leong founder O.K. Lim fails to keep 3 insurance policies from creditors' reach Singapore Man on trial for raping drunken woman after offering to drive her and her friend home During raids of Combs' homes, the authorities found drugs and 1,000 bottles of baby oil and lubricant that he would use in the performances, prosecutors said. Combs, 55, had pleaded not guilty to all five counts. His lawyers acknowledged that the Bad Boy Records founder, once famed for hosting lavish parties for the cultural elite in luxurious locales like the Hamptons and Saint-Tropez, was at times violent in his domestic relationships. But they said the sexual activity described by prosecutors was consensual. The seven-week trial in Manhattan federal court exposed the inner workings of Combs' business empire and gave the 12-member jury an intimate look into his volatile romantic relationships with the rhythm and blues singer Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura and a woman known in court by the pseudonym Jane. Ms Ventura sued Combs in November 2023 for sex trafficking, the first of dozens of civil lawsuits accusing him of abuse. Combs, also known throughout his career as Puff Daddy and P. Diddy and once feted for turning artistes like Notorious B.I.G. and Usher into stars, settled with Ms Ventura for US$20 million (S$25 million) . He has denied all wrongdoing. At the trial, jurors saw surveillance footage from 2016 showing Combs kicking and dragging Ms Ventura in the hallway of an InterContinental hotel in Los Angeles, where she said she was trying to leave a 'Freak Off'. Jane later testified that Combs in June 2024 attacked her and directed her to perform oral sex on a male entertainer, even though she told him she did not want to. That alleged attack took place a month after Combs apologised on social media for his 2016 attack of Ms Ventura, footage of which had been broadcast on CNN. According to prosecutors, physical violence was just one way Combs compelled Ms Ventura and Jane to take part in the performances – an act of coercion they say amounts to sex trafficking because the male escorts were paid. Both women testified that he threatened to withhold financial support and to leak sexually explicit images of them if they refused to comply. 'The defendant used power, violence and fear to get what he wanted,' prosecutor Christy Slavik said in her closing argument on June 26. 'He doesn't take no for an answer.' Combs' defence lawyers argued that while he may have committed domestic violence in the context of volatile romantic partnerships, his conduct did not amount to sex trafficking. They argued that Ms Ventura and Jane were strong, independent women who voluntarily took part in the sexual performances because they wanted to please Combs. Both women testified they spent time with Combs and took part in sexual performances after he beat them. Defence lawyers argued that Ms Ventura and Jane were retrospectively accusing Combs of forcing their participation in the performances because they were jealous he was seeing other women. 'If he was charged with domestic violence, we wouldn't all be here,' Mr Agnifilo said in his closing argument on June 27. 'He did not do the things he's charged with.' Sean 'Diddy' Combs with Ms Casandra 'Cassie' Ventura in 2016. PHOTO: AFP Racketeering conspiracy Besides Ms Ventura and Jane, jurors also heard testimony from Combs' former personal assistants who said their jobs included setting up hotel rooms for 'Freak Offs' and buying their boss drugs. An InterContinental security guard testified that Combs, in the presence of his chief of staff, paid him US$100,000 to hand over what he thought was the only copy of the surveillance tape of his attack on Ms Ventura. Combs dragging Ms Ventura in the hallway of a Los Angeles hotel in March 2016. PHOTO: REUTERS And Mr Scott Mescudi, the rapper known as Kid Cudi, told jurors Combs was likely involved in an arson on his car after Combs found out he was romantically involved with Ms Ventura. According to prosecutors, those were all acts Combs and his associates undertook in furtherance of a racketeering conspiracy whose aim was, in part, to facilitate his abuse and keep evidence of his wrongdoing under wraps. The defence argued Combs was a successful entrepreneur who used drugs recreationally but kept his professional and personal lives separate. Combs has been held in federal lockup in Brooklyn since his September 2024 arrest. REUTERS
