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TikTok Undergoes Significant Layoffs in Africa

TECH DIGEST- TikTok has initiated a substantial reduction of its workforce in Africa as part of a broader global restructuring. The social media platform has laid off employees across its South African and Nigerian divisions,impacting departments such as content operations, marketing, and trust and safety.

This latest round of cuts follows earlier reductions in March and is expected to continue into the third quarter of 2024.While exact figures remain undisclosed, reports suggest over half of the African team, estimated to be around 100 employees, has been affected.

While the company attributes these layoffs to routine business evaluations, speculation has linked them to TikTok’s ongoing regulatory challenges in the United States. However, a company insider has dismissed this connection.

This development marks a significant departure from TikTok’s typical approach of smaller-scale reorganizations. Other tech industry, including Meta and Microsoft, have also implemented job cuts in Africa.

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Social media is the most widely used new platform where voices intersect, ideas flourish, and identities are forged in the digital age.

Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok have seamlessly integrated into the daily lives of Nigerians, shaping societal conversations, setting trends, and influencing collective perceptions.

However, upon all these advantages being offered by social media, it is worrisome that it has become the easiest and flexible space where malicious contents are disseminated by users from their comfort zones without restrictions. This is obviously due to poor regulation of its activities by the operators, government authorities and stakeholders.

In fact, these trends, if continued, have the potential to expose the national security of any country to danger among other social concerns with grievous consequences.

In 2022, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)
issued Code of Practice, a set of guidelines to regulate the activities of digital platforms and online services in Nigeria.

The code aims to promote a safe and secure online environment, protect users’ rights, and ensure compliance with Nigerian laws and regulations.

The Tech Digest reports that the code has the potential of addressing user rights and protection; data privacy and protection; hate speech and harmful content; disinformation and misinformation; online harassment and bullying; digital inclusion and accessibility; enforcement and compliance.

Amidst the vast array of motivations propelling social media engagement, the allure of fame and recognition shines prominently. Individuals across diverse backgrounds are drawn to these platforms as avenues to showcase talents, share ideas, and gain visibility on a scale previously unimaginable. The promise of attaining widespread recognition, building personal brands, and influencing opinions has transformed social media into a potent catalyst for self-expression and societal impact.

The system of success on social media platforms, such as follower counts, engagement rates, and virality, serve as tangible indicators of one’s digital influence and reach. These metrics often translate into real-world opportunities, ranging from brand endorsements and collaborations to career advancements in creative fields like music, fashion, art, and entertainment. The promise of turning digital popularity into tangible rewards fuels the relentless quest for social media fame among aspiring influencers and content creators.

However, beneath the surface of this digital fame lie nuanced challenges and troubling trends that have garnered increasing attention. A notable phenomenon that has gained traction in recent years is the proliferation of sensationalized, controversial, and at times, harmful content created in pursuit of instant fame and virality. This trend raises critical questions about the ethical boundaries of content creation, the societal impacts of sensationalism, and the psychological toll on both creators and consumers of such content. The quest for virality success tied to likes, shares, and followers has reshaped content creation strategies, often blurring the lines between authenticity, entertainment, and exploitation.

In the quest to be digitally famous, Nigerians actively engaged in social media platforms to create controversial or even harmful content in pursuit of attention, virality, or a misguided sense of fame. This trend cuts across various content genres, ranging from entertainment and lifestyle to news commentary and social activism. The allure of instant visibility and the desire to stand out in a crowded digital landscape have led some individuals and groups to resort to sensationalism, shock value, or provocative narratives, often at the expense of ethical considerations or societal impacts.

One prevalent category of controversial content involves stunts, challenges, or pranks designed to capture the audience’s attention through shock or outrage. Instances, where individuals engage in dangerous activities, risky behaviors, or offensive acts for online acclaim, have garnered significant notoriety.

Moreover, the realm of political and social commentary has seen a surge in polarizing content, where individuals or groups deliberately propagate inflammatory rhetoric, misinformation, or hate speech to garner support or incite reactions. The anonymity and relative lack of accountability in online spaces sometimes embolden users to cross ethical boundaries, leading to harmful consequences such as spreading false information, fueling social tensions, or inciting violence.

This shift in content dynamics extends beyond individual aspirations, influencing broader societal perceptions, cultural norms, and digital interactions. The consequences of sensationalized content consumption ripple through online communities, shaping offline behaviors and attitudes. As Nigerians navigate this digital landscape, it becomes imperative to engage in nuanced discussions about responsible digital citizenship, platform accountability, and ethical content creation practices.

An illustrative example involves a popular social media personality, the cloak-and-dagger informant on Instagram, who has gained notoriety for his alleged omniscience, involving activities such as stalking, sniffing, and spilling the secrets of individuals on his Instagram page. These behaviors violate privacy rights, as the informant exposes private details without consent. Despite being hailed as a hero by some, the reality paints a different picture, revealing actions contrary to noble intentions.

Also, a popular social media personality who gained notoriety for staging elaborate and potentially harmful pranks in public spaces. Despite the obvious risks of endangering victims’ safety, public safety, and more concerning, promoting irresponsible behavior, the individual’s online following and engagement surged, reflecting a troubling dynamic where controversy often translates to visibility and influence.

Even though, Creators are encouraged to think outside the box, leverage humor, and satire to captivate audiences. However, this creative freedom must be tempered by a consciousness of potential harms, misinformation, stereotypes, or incitement to violence that sensationalized content can perpetuate.

Ethical considerations in content creation extend beyond legal frameworks to encompass moral principles, societal values, and the duty of care toward audiences. Creators wield significant influence over their followers, shaping opinions, perceptions, and behaviors through their content. This influence comes with a responsibility to uphold truthfulness, integrity, and respect for diverse perspectives.

Regulatory bodies and policymakers need to be more active in considering measures to address issues such as misinformation, hate speech, cyberbullying, and harmful content dissemination.

There is a need to enhance the existing laws and frameworks to better address digital content challenges. This includes amendments to existing cybercrime laws, data protection regulations, and media laws to encompass online platforms and digital content creators.

Additionally, there should be discussions about the need for specialized agencies or units dedicated to monitoring and regulating online content. These agencies would work in collaboration with existing law enforcement bodies and technology companies to identify and address instances of harmful content swiftly. The establishment of reporting mechanisms and response protocols is crucial in ensuring timely action against problematic content.

Ultimately, achieving a harmonious and responsible digital ecosystem requires collective efforts, shared responsibilities, and a commitment to upholding ethical standards, human rights, and societal values in the digital realm. By navigating these challenges thoughtfully and collaboratively, Nigeria can harness the transformative potential of social media while mitigating its darker implications, fostering a digital environment that empowers, enlightens, and enriches its digital citizens.

Therefore, the time is ripe for the social media and other contents to be adequately regulated in order to operate in line with standard and approved procedures.

Shuaib S. Agaka, Tech Journalist, writes from PRNigeria Centre Kano.

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TikTok, the popular short-form video hosting service owned by ByteDance, is gearing up to challenge Mark Zuckerberg’s Instagram with the launch of a new app called TikTok Notes. In an email notification sent to users, TikTok revealed its plans to introduce a dedicated platform for photo posts.

The notification, which has been popping up for users in recent days, informed them that their previous photo posts would be automatically shared on TikTok Notes.

However, users have the option to opt out if they choose not to have their image posts transferred to the new app.

TikTok described TikTok Notes as a space designed for users to share their creativity through photos and text, emphasizing a commitment to empowering its community.

Despite the announcement, the company has not specified an exact release date for the new app.With this move, TikTok is poised to directly compete with Instagram, which has long been a dominant player in the photo-sharing space.

As the battle for users’ attention continues to intensify, it remains to be seen how TikTok Notes will differentiate itself and attract a loyal user base.

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New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday that his administration has filed a lawsuit against the parent companies of TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and YouTube, alleging that their services are damaging to the mental health of young adults and children in the largest U.S. city.

According to CNBC, The city of New York along with plaintiffs including the school district and health organizations filed the lawsuit in the Los Angeles County branch of the California Superior Court because of the companies’ ties to the area, attorneys wrote in the filing.

The suit alleges that Meta, Snap, ByteDance and Google (whose parent company is Alphabet) knowingly “designed, developed, produced, operated, promoted, distributed, and marketed their platforms to attract, capture, and addict youth, with minimal parental oversight.”

The plaintiffs allege that the tech companies violated several city laws related to public nuisance and gross negligence through the design and marketing of their addictive products. They claim that New York’s school districts and various health and social services have been severely impacted by children who have suffered negative mental health consequences stemming from their use of popular social media apps.

“Over the past decade, we have seen just how addictive and overwhelming the online world can be, exposing our children to a non-stop stream of harmful content and fueling our national youth mental health crisis,” Adams said in a statement.

“Today, we’re taking bold action on behalf of millions of New Yorkers to hold these companies accountable for their role in this crisis, and we’re building on our work to address this public health hazard. This lawsuit and action plan are part of a larger reckoning that will shape the lives of our young people, our city, and our society for years to come.”

A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the company has “industry-leading safeguards” for teens, including parental controls and features for age restrictions.

“We regularly partner with experts to understand emerging best practices, and will continue to work to keep our community safe by tackling industry-wide challenges,” the spokesperson said.

A Google representative said the allegations are “simply not true.”

“Providing young people with a safer, healthier experience online has always been core to our work,” Google said. “In collaboration with youth, mental health and parenting experts, we’ve built services and policies to give young people age-appropriate experiences, and parents robust controls.”

Meta said it’s “spent a decade working on these issues” and wants “teens to have safe, age-appropriate experiences online, and we have over 30 tools and features to support them and their parents.”

A Snap spokesperson said that “Snapchat was intentionally designed to be different from traditional social media,” focusing on facilitating conversations with close friends.

“Snapchat opens directly to a camera – rather than a feed of content that encourages passive scrolling – and has no traditional public likes or comments,” the Snap spokesperson said. “While we will always have more work to do, we feel good about the role Snapchat plays in helping close friends feel connected, happy and prepared as they face the many challenges of adolescence.”

New York’s lawsuit echoes similar allegations made against Meta, Snap, TikTok and Alphabet in litigation filed in 2022 in the Northern District of California. Multiple school districts and individuals claim the companies’ products “are defective because they are designed to maximize screen time” and that they have resulted in various emotional and physical harms, including death.”

Social media companies have come under fire from lawmakers who are pushing multiple bills like the Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, as part of a broader appeal for regulation. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew and Snap CEO Evan Spiegel attended a Senate Judiciary hearing in late January and faced tough questions from a bipartisan group of lawmakers about their alleged negligence in protecting kids.

Meanwhile, a coalition of over 40 attorneys general filed a joint federal lawsuit against Meta alleging that its products are addictive and harm mental health .

Punch

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TikTok has laid off around 60 workers, primarily in sales and advertising, amid a challenging January for tech companies. Despite congressional scrutiny over its Chinese parent company, TikTok remains the top app on the iOS App Store’s entertainment charts and holds the fifth position among all free apps.

However, data from SensorTower indicates a slowdown in growth, with monthly active users growing at 3% in 2023 compared to 12% in 2022. TikTok attributes the job cuts to reorganization, but observers speculate on potential challenges as the platform integrates TikTok Shop, launched in the U.S. in September.

Users have raised concerns about their For You page being flooded with videos promoting products from TikTok Shop and creators seeking affiliate commissions.

The tech industry is experiencing widespread layoffs this year, with Amazon making cuts across Twitch, Audible, Prime Video, and MGM Studio.

Google has laid off over 1,000 employees in hardware and advertising sales, along with additional layoffs at YouTube. Other popular apps like Duolingo and Discord have also implemented workforce reductions.

As 2024 unfolds, tech companies seem to be continuing their cost-cutting initiatives initiated in the first quarter of the previous year.

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YouTube has unveiled a brand-new app called ‘YouTube Create’ tailored for content creators. This app comes equipped with an array of video editing tools, such as precision editing, automatic captioning, voiceover capabilities, and access to a vast library of filters, effects, transitions, and royalty-free music featuring beat-matching technology.

Importantly, all of these editing capabilities can be harnessed directly from mobile phones, streamlining the content creation process.

The primary goal of ‘YouTube Create’ is to address the challenges that content creators often encounter during video production, especially in terms of editing complexity.

Additionally, the app offers creative elements like stickers, GIFs, and various effects to enhance videos.YouTube developed this app based on feedback from content creators, aiming to simplify video production and encourage more individuals to embark on their content creation journey.

The company expressed its vision in a blog post, stating, “We’re launching a new mobile app called YouTube Create to make video production for Shorts or longer videos simpler and more accessible, allowing creators to focus on their creative passions.”

To utilize ‘YouTube Create,’ creators need to upload their clips and then select from a range of editing tools to craft their videos.

These tools enable functions like previewing splits and trimming clips during the video creation process. The app also offers a plethora of stickers, GIFs, and effects for added creativity.

Furthermore, YouTube has teased an experimental feature called ‘Dream Screen’ set to debut later this year. This feature will enable creators to generate AI-generated video or image backgrounds for their Shorts by merely typing an idea into a prompt. It opens up possibilities for creating fantastical settings limited only by one’s imagination.

In a forward-looking statement, YouTube plans to expand its features, allowing users to reimagine their videos and remix existing content with ease. This development is seen as a response to competition from TikTok, with YouTube recently introducing ‘Collab,’ resembling TikTok’s ‘Duet’ feature, and live vertical videos for ‘Shorts,’ akin to TikTok and Instagram’s offerings.

These innovations demonstrate YouTube’s commitment to empowering content creators and staying competitive in the dynamic world of online video content.

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TECHDIGEST – Somalia’s government has banned social media sites TikTok and Telegram, as well as an online betting app, claiming that they were being used by “terrorists” to promote propaganda.

The move comes ahead of the much-anticipated second phase of a military offensive against Al-Shabaab, an Islamist militant group that has waged a brutal insurgency against Mogadishu’s central authority for more than 15 years.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the Ministry of Communications and Technology ordered internet service providers to enforce the ban by August 24 or risk unspecified legal action.

It partly read, “In a bid to accelerate the war and elimination of the terrorists who have shed the blood of the Somali people, the minister of communication and technology instructs companies that provide internet services to suspend TikTok, Telegram, and 1XBET betting applications, which terrorists and groups responsible for spreading immorality use to spread graphic clips and photos and mislead society.”

Since August of last year, the army has been launching an attack against the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Shabaab in central Somalia, teaming forces with local clan militias in an operation backed by African Union troops and US air strikes.

Despite the government offensive, al-Shabaab fighters still control large swaths of the countryside and continue to carry out deadly attacks on civilian, political, and military targets.

President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has vowed to clear the unstable Horn of Africa country of jihadists, and a second phase of the attack against them in southern Somalia is scheduled to be announced soon.

AFP

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