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TikTok: US lawmakers are probing the world's most addictive app, again

TikTok: US lawmakers are probing the world's most addictive app, again

In the dock

In devastating news for lip-syncers and procrastinators, TikTok looks to be edging closer to a potential ban in the US as a House panel gears up to vote on the motion next month. Shou Zi Chew, the CEO of the Chinese-owned video platform, will testify before Congress in March to defend the app’s alleged CCP affiliation, data security practices, and the impact it's having on American children.

Still on top

To say that TikTok, a shortform video app owned by the Beijing-based tech firm ByteDance, burst onto the social media scene is a serious understatement.

Its addictive algorithm, stylized as its For You page, saw TikTok become the quickest social platform to hit 1 billion active users in history, reaching the milestone in just over 5 years. That’s ~2.6 years quicker than Instagram and ~3.6 quicker than Facebook too.

Since then, it hasn't slowed down. The company has been breaking revenue records in remarkable time, has become teens' social media of choice and was (once again) the most downloaded app of last year according to data from Apptopia.

Despite its rapid rise, TikTok's ties to the CCP have long been touted as a security risk. Successive US governments have made various attempts to regulate the app, with president Trump going the furthest via an executive order in 2020 that sought to sell the US operations of TikTok to an American company. With US-China relations already strained, a ban of China's most famous tech company would be poorly received, although there's a strong precedent in the other direction, with American platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and others all banned in China.

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Starbucks issues apology after viral “Bearista” cup meltdown

Holiday cheer turned into chaos this week for Starbucks after the coffee giant’s new “Bearista” holiday cup sent fans into a frenzy. 

Dropped alongside its 2025 holiday menu, the $30 beanie-wearing glass bear tumbler sparked long lines, sellouts, and even in-store scuffles before Starbucks stepped in with an apology.

“The excitement for our merchandise exceeded even our biggest expectations,” the company said in a statement to People. “Despite shipping more Bearista cups to our coffeehouses than almost any other item this holiday season, the Bearista cup and some other items sold out fast.”

Within hours of launch, frustrated fans flooded Starbucks’ social media pages and even store hotlines. Some customers waited in line before dawn and others said their stores received only a handful of cups. In one Houston location, the craze even turned physical, with police reportedly called to break up a brawl. Meanwhile, the cup is already reselling on sites like eBay, with listings topping $600.

“We understand many customers were excited about the Bearista cup and apologize for the disappointment this may have caused,” Starbucks said. While in-store customers may be upset, investors seem happy about the viral hit, as the stock has risen over 3% on Friday.

If you’re still hoping for a Bearista at market price, that may not be on order: the chain didn’t disclose how many cups were made or whether a restock is planned.

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Target tells workers to smile, wave, and greet shoppers if they come within 10 feet of them

Target just rolled out a new rule for store employees: smile, make eye contact, and greet or wave when a shopper comes within 10 feet — and if they get closer, within four feet, ask whether they need help or how their day is going, according to a new Bloomberg report.

Dubbed the 10-4 program internally, the rule mirrors rival Walmarts own 10-foot policy, formalizing behavior Target had previously only encouraged.

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Monster surges on energy drink buzz, while Celsius sinks on distribution concerns

Shares of Monster Beverage climbed 5% after the bell on Thursday, and held most of those gains into early trading on Friday, following strong Q3 results.

The energy drink giant topped market expectations, with quarterly sales up 17% year over year to $2.2 billion and adjusted net profits growing 41% to $524.5 million — 11% ahead of Wall Street’s estimates. In the report, Monster highlighted its zero-sugar line and new product launches, with a stack of novel flavors already released this year, as bright spots.

During a call with analysts, Chief Executive Hilton Schlosberg said that the global energy drink category “remains healthy with robust growth,” The Wall Street Journal reported, adding that demand for more affordable caffeinated drinks is rising as coffee has become “really expensive.”

Meanwhile, rival beverage business Celsius saw shares fall as much as 23% on its Q3 results yesterday — despite beating expectations, with revenue jumping 173% — largely due to concerns about a change in the company’s distribution channel, as its newly acquired Alani Nu brand joins the PepsiCo distribution network.

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