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Oracle is reportedly a top contender to help run TikTok, which has until April to finalize a sale to a US-based buyer.
New reports suggest that Texas-based computer tech giant Oracle is the leading candidate to serve as the cloud technology partner for managing TikTok in the US. TikTok has until April to finalize a sale to a US-based buyer, or the short-form video platform will once again go dark across the country.
Sources close to the matter, including investors, told The Information that ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, favors Oracle over other cloud providers. TikTok has been utilizing Oracle servers to store US data since 2022, which makes it a likely option.
The report also suggests that ByteDance will still want to have a “hands-on role” in TikTok’s US operations, with Oracle as a partner. Whether this will pan out remains to be seen; ByteDance has been staunchly opposed to a sale to a US-based company. But the China-based company’s involvement in TikTok is precisely what led to the US government seeking a US-based buyer for the platform, citing national security concerns.
Meanwhile, as TikTok’s future in the United States remains uncertain, the platform is trying to address safety concerns cited by tech experts and government officials. The company has released a new reminder that tells teens to stop using TikTok at night, with more parental controls available.
If a teen under 16 is using the app after 10 PM, TikTok will interrupt their feed with a full-screen reminder to “wind down.” The reminder will play “calming music to help teens relax and be mindful of the time.” Users can ignore the initial 10 PM reminder, but TikTok will display another harder-to-dismiss prompt. The company plans to expand the “wind-down” feature in the future, with tests incorporating meditation exercises “in the coming weeks.”
This accompanies TikTok’s new updates to its Family Pairing feature, which has already enabled parents to put restrictions on their child’s account. Soon, a new Time Away feature will allow parents or guardians to prevent their child from visiting TikTok during specific times, and to set a recurring schedule. Parents will also have the ability to see who their child is following, who follows them, and the accounts that their child has blocked.
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