China's internet lenders expand as Beijing eases rules. Major Chinese internet lending platforms are cautiously expanding consumer credit operations after Beijing eased years of regulatory pressure and launched interest subsidies in August, though rising defaults threaten to derail the nascent recovery. Ant Group, ByteDance, Tencent, and Meituan are increasing lending activities following Beijing's introduction of a one-percentage-point interest subsidy for eligible consumer loans, running from September 1, 2025, to August 31, 2026 #ChinaFinance #Fintech #AntGroup #Tencent #ByteDance #Meituan #ConsumerCredit #Regulation #EconomicRecovery https://www.perplexity.ai/...

Social media giants to face trial over youth addiction claims Four major technology companies will stand trial in January over allegations they deliberately designed their platforms to addict young users, after a Los Angeles judge rejected their final attempts to dismiss the cases on November 6. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Carolyn B. Kuhl denied summary judgment motions from Meta, ByteDance, Alphabet, and Snap, allowing claims to proceed that their platforms—Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat—were engineered with addictive features that harm youth mental health. #SocialMediaGiantsMustFaceTrialOverYouth #AddictionClaims #YouthMentalHealth #TechLitigation https://www.perplexity.ai/...

Perplexity AI, a rapidly growing artificial intelligence search engine startup, has made a significant move by proposing a merger with TikTok's U.S. operations as the platform confronts the possibility of a ban due to national security issues. This proposal arrives just ahead of a law that mandates TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to divest its U.S. operations or face shutdown.

Key Aspects of the Merger Proposal

Structure: The merger seeks to form a new entity that integrates Perplexity AI, TikTok U.S., and New Capital Partners. This arrangement would enable most of ByteDance's current investors to maintain their equity stakes while enhancing Perplexity's services with TikTok's video content.
Valuation: TikTok is valued at approximately $50 billion, while Perplexity has seen its valuation soar from around $500 million at the beginning of 2024 to nearly $9 billion by year-end.
Regulatory Context: This merger proposal follows a Supreme Court ruling that requires TikTok to cut ties with ByteDance. President-elect Donald Trump has suggested a possible 90-day extension for TikTok to negotiate its future in the U.S.

Industry Implications

The proposed merger could dramatically alter the digital landscape by merging advanced AI search technology with a leading social media platform. If successful, Perplexity AI could position itself as a formidable competitor to established players like Google in the AI-driven search arena. However, regulatory challenges and public concerns about data privacy will be crucial factors in determining the success of this ambitious proposal. As discussions progress, the tech industry will be keenly watching how this potential merger evolves and its impact on both companies and their user bases.. #TechNews #AI #trump #tiktokban #tiktokbanusa https://nexth.zone/blog/pe...