Biden signs TikTok law

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Global Recap
April 25, 2024 • Read in: 5 minutes

Hi Global Recap readers,

Tik-tok, tik-tok…

Time is ticking for TikTok to either dissolve itself or sell it to an American entity - specifically within 9-12 months.

What will they do? 👇

United States

TikTok rather sell

President Biden wasted no time signing a foreign aid package into law, which forces TikTok to either sell the company to an American entity or face a ban. So now, TikTok faces a dilemma.

"We are giving people a choice here: To improve this platform and have the opportunity for Americans to make sure that they are not being maligned by our foreign adversaries."

Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.,

🕘 TikTok. Yet, ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, would rather shut down TikTok in the US than sell it, prioritizing its proprietary algorithms over American operations.

  • Algorithms are tied to ByteDance’s intellectual property in China.

  • A sale would mean relinquishing their “secret source.”

  • TikTok is threatening to take legal action against

  • TikTok is a minor revenue contributor for ByteDance.

  • A US shutdown impacts little on ByteDance’s global business.

💼 Business. Despite the US accounting for a quarter of TikTok’s revenues, ByteDance’s financial stronghold remains in China, with apps like Douyin leading its earnings.

  • ByteDance’s 2023 revenues soared to $120 billion.

  • TikTok’s US daily active users represent a mere 5% globally.

Iran

Iran’s hijab crackdown

The recent crackdown on women in Iran for hijab violations has sparked global outrage and highlighted the regime’s oppressive tactics.

🚨 Crackdown: Following drone strikes on Israel, Iran launched the Noor (Persian for “light) campaign to enforce hijab rules.

  • Videos and reports of women being violently arrested by the morality police surfaced, revealing a brutal clampdown.

  • Women are dragged from public spaces and subjected to verbal and physical abuse.

  • Detainees face harsh legal consequences, with allegations of sexual assault by officers.

👥 Resistance: Despite the risks, many Iranian women continue to defy the hijab mandate, signaling a strong opposition to the regime’s gender apartheid.

  • Campaigns like United Against Gender Apartheid call for international action against gender discrimination in Iran and Afghanistan.

  • Victims and activists share their harrowing experiences, urging global recognition of the regime’s gender-based oppression.

Click for more

Haiti

Leadership crisis: PM steps down

Haiti’s political turmoil reaches a new peak as Prime Minister Ariel Henry steps down amidst escalating gang violence.

🔍 Scrutiny. Ariel Henry’s resignation as prime minister comes after months of gang violence in Haiti and as a new transitional council was sworn in.

  • Previously, he had announced plans to resign in March if a transitional council were to be formed.

🚨 Emergency. Gangs launched coordinated attacks that began on February 29 in Haiti’s capital and surrounding areas, opening fire on the main international airport, which has been closed since early March, and storming Haiti’s two biggest prisons, releasing over 4,000 people.

Italy

Entry fee for tourists

Venice introduces a historic entry fee, sparking protests and debates about tourism and local life.

🚫 Protests. Venice marks April 25 with protests as it becomes the first city to charge an entry fee to day-trippers.

💰 Fee Details. The contributo di accesso requires tourists visiting between 8 am and 4 pm to pay €5, aiming to manage overtourism.

  • Exemptions apply to residents, overnight guests, and Veneto locals, but the system demands registration from all.

🏛️ Local Backlash. The fee has met with resistance from Venetians who fear it will exacerbate the city’s transformation into an “amusement park” and fail to address deeper issues.

  • Hundreds gathered, with disputed attendance figures.

  • Critics argue the fee won’t limit tourist numbers and lacks accompanying urban development policies.