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TikTok to Let US Android Users Download App via Kits on Its Website

The TikTok app logo is seen in this illustration taken, August 22, 2022. (Reuters)
The TikTok app logo is seen in this illustration taken, August 22, 2022. (Reuters)
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TikTok to Let US Android Users Download App via Kits on Its Website

The TikTok app logo is seen in this illustration taken, August 22, 2022. (Reuters)
The TikTok app logo is seen in this illustration taken, August 22, 2022. (Reuters)

TikTok said on Friday it was allowing US Android users to download and connect to the short video app through package kits on its website, in an effort to circumvent restrictions on the popular platform in the country.

Apple and Google have not reinstated TikTok to their app stores since a US law took effect on January 19 requiring its Chinese owner ByteDance either to sell it on national security grounds or face a ban.

President Donald Trump, who took office the day after the law went into effect, signed an executive order seeking to delay by 75 days the enforcement of the law.

Trump has said that he was in talks with multiple people over TikTok's purchase and would likely have a decision on the app's future this month. It has about 170 million American users.

The president signed an executive order on Monday ordering the creation of a sovereign wealth fund within the next year, saying it could potentially buy TikTok.

US officials have warned that under ByteDance, there was a risk of Americans' data being misused.

Free speech advocates have opposed TikTok's ban under the law, which was overwhelmingly passed by Congress and signed by then-President Joe Biden.

The company says US officials misstated its ties to China, arguing its content recommendation engine and user data are stored in the United States on cloud servers operated by Oracle, while content moderation decisions that affect American users are also made in the United States.

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Technology

Samsung, SK Urge Employees to Cut Car Use Amid Rising Energy Risks

FILE - The logo of the Samsung is seen at the Samsung Electronics' Seocho building in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)
FILE - The logo of the Samsung is seen at the Samsung Electronics' Seocho building in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)
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Samsung, SK Urge Employees to Cut Car Use Amid Rising Energy Risks

FILE - The logo of the Samsung is seen at the Samsung Electronics' Seocho building in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)
FILE - The logo of the Samsung is seen at the Samsung Electronics' Seocho building in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, July 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man, File)

South Korean tech giants Samsung Electronics and SK Group said they were asking employees to curb private car use and follow fuel-saving measures after South Korea rolled ⁠out emergency energy-conservation steps ⁠amid instability in Middle Eastern energy supplies.

Internal notices showed the companies encouraging car-use restrictions ⁠such as a five and 10-day vehicle rotation system, reduced parking availability and other energy-saving practices at offices from Thursday for Samsung and from March 30 ⁠for ⁠SK.

The moves follow government guidance aimed at cutting fuel consumption as concerns grow over prolonged disruptions linked to the Iran-related energy crisis.

Technology

Epic Games to Cut More Than 1,000 Jobs as Fortnite Usage Falls

The Epic Games logo, maker of the popular video game "Fortnite", is pictured on a screen in this picture illustration August 14, 2020. (Reuters)
The Epic Games logo, maker of the popular video game "Fortnite", is pictured on a screen in this picture illustration August 14, 2020. (Reuters)
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Epic Games to Cut More Than 1,000 Jobs as Fortnite Usage Falls

The Epic Games logo, maker of the popular video game "Fortnite", is pictured on a screen in this picture illustration August 14, 2020. (Reuters)
The Epic Games logo, maker of the popular video game "Fortnite", is pictured on a screen in this picture illustration August 14, 2020. (Reuters)

Epic Games said on Tuesday it would cut more than 1,000 jobs after a drop in engagement for "Fortnite," its flagship title, the latest cuts in the video-game industry whose growth has stalled amid economic uncertainty.

The cuts, along with more than $500 million in savings from lower contracting and marketing spending and unfilled roles would put the company in "a more stable place," Chief ‌Executive Tim Sweeney said ‌in a note to employees.

The ‌cuts ⁠are the latest ⁠in the gaming sector, where companies have faced weaker growth as consumers have been sticking with proven titles amid economic uncertainty.

But even those, especially live services games, which depend on a steady stream of new content to ⁠keep players engaged, are now showing signs ‌of cracks.

"We've had ‌challenges delivering consistent Fortnite magic," Sweeney said, adding "market conditions ‌today are the most extreme" since the early ‌days of the company founded in 1991.

"The layoffs aren't related to AI," Sweeney noted amid industry worries the technology could replace video-game developers.

The move marks ‌Epic's second major round of layoffs in three years. In September 2023, ⁠the company ⁠cut about 830 jobs, or roughly 16% of its workforce.

It was not immediately clear what percentage of staff would be impacted by Tuesday's announcement.

The gaming sector has faced mounting pressure. In September, Electronic Arts laid off hundreds of workers and canceled a Titanfall game that was in development at its Respawn Entertainment unit, according to media reports. Amazon's broader job cuts late last year also affected its gaming division.

Technology

Chinese Firms' Involvement in 5G Network May Deter Investors, EU Warns Vietnam

EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Sikela speaks during the EU-Vietnam business and investment forum in Hanoi on March 24, 2026. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP)
EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Sikela speaks during the EU-Vietnam business and investment forum in Hanoi on March 24, 2026. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP)
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Chinese Firms' Involvement in 5G Network May Deter Investors, EU Warns Vietnam

EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Sikela speaks during the EU-Vietnam business and investment forum in Hanoi on March 24, 2026. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP)
EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Sikela speaks during the EU-Vietnam business and investment forum in Hanoi on March 24, 2026. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP)

The involvement of Chinese vendors in the rollout of Vietnam's 5G network may deter foreign companies from investing in the Southeast Asian nation, a top EU official said on Tuesday.

European telecom firms Ericsson and Nokia are developing Vietnam's core 5G network, but in recent months Vietnamese state-owned operators have awarded 5G contracts to Chinese rivals Huawei and ZTE.

That marks a notable shift following years of caution towards China, and the change has ⁠sparked concerns among ⁠Western officials.

"Be careful with dependencies in strategic areas," EU Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Sikela said when asked about the Chinese contracts.

"5G is the new battlefield," he told Reuters on the sidelines of an EU-Vietnam investment forum in Hanoi. "Through the network you can access a lot and you can control a lot, ⁠and you have to be always careful who is your trusted vendor."

"If investors have doubts about the security of their data, they might decide not to take the risk and not to invest," he said.

Vietnam's foreign ministry and the Chinese embassy in Hanoi did not immediately reply to emailed requests for comment.

Vietnam is a major industrial hub and hosts large manufacturing operations of big Western multinationals, including European firms Adidas and Lego. Its decades-long economic boom hinges on foreign investment.

The European Union and European states ⁠on Tuesday ⁠announced a new package of investment in Vietnam's transport and energy sector.

Sikela said risks to future investments from unsecure networks were at this stage theoretical, and noted that several European countries allowed Chinese telecom vendors in the past.

Huawei and ZTE are banned from the telecom networks of several European countries and in the United States, because they are seen as risks to national security.

The companies have criticized the restrictions as unfair, rejecting the concerns as baseless.

Vietnamese officials have said that Chinese telecom equipment is reliable and cheaper, while downplaying security risks. Additional contracts with Chinese firms are under discussion, Reuters reported earlier this month.