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TikTok's CEO Shou Zi Chew testifies during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on online child sexual exploitation, at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, U.S., January 31, 2024.
TikTok videos go silent amid deafening calls for safety guardrails
It's time for TikTokers to enter their miming era. Countless videos suddenly went silent as music from top stars like Drake and Taylor Swift disappeared from the popular app on Thursday. The culprit? Universal Music Group – the world’s largest record company – could not secure a new licensing deal with the powerful information-sharing video platform.
In an open letter published by UMG, it blamed TikTok for “trying to build a music-based business, without paying fair value for the music.” UMG claimed TikTok “responded first with indifference, and then with intimidation” after being pressured not only on artist royalties, but also restrictions about AI-generated content, and a push for user safety.
It’s been a rough week for CEO Shou Zi Chew. He joined CEOs from Meta, X, and Discord for a grilling on Capitol Hill this week over the dangers of abuse and exploitation children are facing on their platforms. Sen. Lindsey Graham went so far as to say these companies have “blood on their hands.” The hearing followed last year’s public health advisory released by the Surgeon General that argued social media presents “a risk of harm” to youth mental health and called for “urgent action” from these companies.
The big takeaway: It appears social media companies are quite agile when under pressure and can change the user experience for billions of people at the drop of a hat, especially when profit margins are involved. Imagine what these companies could do if they put that energy into the health of their users instead.The Graphic Truth: UN personnel in peril
In just one month, the fighting in Gaza has claimed more UN aid workers' lives than any previous conflict. Since Oct. 7, at least 89 UNRWA personnel, the major UN humanitarian aid force in the region, have been killed. In total, 131 UN aid workers have died in the Gaza Strip in 2023. UN leaders are calling for an immediate ceasefire and expansion of humanitarian access to Gaza, emphasizing the need to protect civilians and vital infrastructure and to ensure the safe and swift delivery of essential aid.
But Israel remains unswayed by their calls and mounting international pressure for a ceasefire, saying hostages taken by Hamas militants should be released first.
Sen. Chris Coons on returning to offices in pandemic: OSHA is “AWOL”
In a blistering response to questions about federal workers being asked to return to offices as COVID cases climb around the U.S., Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) says not enough prep work has been done to establish clear and consistent standards for safe workplaces. OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, has been "AWOL" on the matter, Sen. Coons tells Ian Bremmer. "They have refused to issue an emergency standard for the return to work, which they could, and which would give both employers and employees a standard that they can look to for guidance about when and how it's safe to return to work," he said in an interview for GZERO World.