TikTok

The firm says European users' data is now migrating to servers in Dublin, as part of its ongoing response to data privacy concerns around the video-sharing app's links to China.

TikTok, which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, says it has never given data to Beijing.

Critics fear that the Chinese state could request access anytime.

The video-sharing giant is also allowing a European security company access to audit cyber-security and data protection controls.

Governor Greg Gianforte signed the ban into law on Wednesday. It is due to take effect on 1 January.

The video-sharing platform says the ban "infringes on the First Amendment rights of the people of Montana".

TikTok has come under scrutiny from authorities around the world over concerns that data could be passed to the Chinese government.

Mr Gianforte, a Republican, told lawmakers that a wider ban would further "our shared priority to protect Montanans from Chinese Communist Party surveillance."

The video-sharing app, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is accused of posing a national security risk through data gathered from millions of users.

A request for a change in ownership, first reported in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), was confirmed to BBC News by TikTok.

The company said a forced sale would not change its data flows or access.

The White House has not yet responded to a BBC News request for comment.

For years American officials have raised concerns that data from the popular app could fall into the hands of the Chinese government.

The commission said it was implementing the measure to "protect data and increase cybersecurity".

TikTok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, has faced allegations that it harvests users' data and hands it to the Chinese government.

TikTok insists it operates no differently from other social media.

European Union (EU) industry chief Thierry Breton told a news conference that the union's executive is very focused on cybersecurity, declining to provide further details.

Its attorney general Todd Rokita has accused TikTok's parent company ByteDance of violating the state's consumer protections laws.

The state alleges that the app fails to safeguard young people and privacy.

However, TikTok said it considers youth well-being in its policies and that it was confident it could satisfy US national security concerns.

Indiana filed two lawsuits on Wednesday. The first one claims the app exposes young users to inappropriate content.

The video platform has announced new steps to ensure influencers understand that paid political ads are prohibited.

Following 2020 US election the company admitted it needed to do more to ensure influencers followed its rules.

November's elections will see many governor, Senate and congressional contests.

Over the coming weeks TikTok said it would publish educational content and host briefings with influencers and advertising agencies "so the rules of the road are abundantly clear when it comes to paid content around elections".

The video-sharing giant said it wanted to ensure the safety of staff and users as it assessed the new law.

Since Friday, anyone who writes news deemed to be fake about Russia's armed forces can face a lengthy jail term.

The BBC and other news outlets have stopped reporting in Russia, saying they can no longer be independent.

There are about 36 million monthly users of TikTok in Russia, but developers there recently launched a rival service.

Users who search for terms relating to the Holocaust will be directed towards accurate information.

A total of 17% of content related to the Holocaust on the viral video app either denied or distorted events, Unesco said.

TikTok said it put its "full strength" into removing hate.

Speaking on Holocaust Memorial Day, TikTok said that when people search for a term related to the Holocaust, they will now see a banner at the top of the results page that prompts them to visit a WJC and Unesco website aboutholocaust.org to learn more.

The viral video app gets more hits than even the ubiquitous American search engine, according to Cloudflare, an IT security company.

The rankings show that TikTok knocked Google off the top spot in February, March and June this year, and has held the number one position since August.

Last year Google was first, and a number of sites including TikTok, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft and Netflix were all in the top 10.

Cloudfare said it tracks data using its tool Cloudflare Radar, which monitors web traffic.

The girl had been reported missing by her parents in North Carolina on Tuesday morning, and was spotted inside a car in Kentucky two days later.

The 16-year-old used the gesture designed to help domestic abuse victims ask for help to alert a passing driver.

Authorities say they arrested a 61-year-old man.