In a watershed moment for the global tech industry, more than 150 African content moderators—who have provided moderation services for AI tools used by Facebook, TikTok, and ChatGPT—have voted to unionize, TIME reports. At an event in Nairobi this week, content moderators employed by third-party outsourcing companies voted to establish the first African Content Moderators Union. A long time coming The union’s establishment is the culmination of a process that began in 2019 when former Facebook content moderator Daniel Motaung was fired after attempting to unionize workers at the outsourcing
It appears that TikTok US’s former head of product, has said the quiet part out loud. According to Sean Kim, TikTok’s Creator Fund isn’t concerned with helping creators monetize their content. In 2020, TikTok announced the launch of a $200 million creator fund to help US creators monetize. They later increased this fund to $2 billion. In Europe, the company announced a $70 million fund that was expected to rise to $300 million within three years. TikTok agreed to pay fund participants on a sliding scale based on how well their videos
TikTok is celebrating US Black History Month with its first-ever Visionary Voices list, as well as a range of in-app content and IRL events. #BlackTikTok This month, TikTok will be hosting a range of LIVE in-app events featuring inspiring Black creatives and innovators across several industries. The in-app #BlackTikTok hub will also feature stories from Black creators, Black-owned businesses, and non-profit organizations and the sounds page will feature special guests and album playlists showcasing Black talent across music genres. TikTok is also taking its celebrations offline with the third instalment
If you’ve been on TikTok lately, chances are you’ve come across food critic, Keith Lee. The MMA fighter-turned-food critic has dedicated his online platform to helping underrepresented Black-owned restaurants get the spotlight they deserve. In a recent video, popular TikToker Keith Lee revealed that he had helped a struggling Black business raise $30,000 in under 24 hours. Through his honest but rewarding TikTok reviews, struggling businesses have seen an enormous influx of customers, with many going from no customers to completely selling out. After making his way home, Lee spotted
It is easy to see the recent tech layoffs as businesses simply restructuring and cutting funds where they see fit. However, it is crucial for us to remember that behind every job cut is the new reality of someone’s life. Being Black in the workplace A recent TikTok video of a Black woman sharing her pain and frustration after being laid off from her job has triggered an all-too-familiar feeling amongst Black professionals. YouTuber and TikTok user @aestheticsconash posted a video on her social media shortly after being fired
The rise of the ‘workfluencer’ has made it more acceptable for people to embrace the culture of oversharing online, especially at work. However, for many Black professionals, sharing too much about their job is risky. The dangerous side of oversharing Several nurses decided to jump on the TikTok “icks” trend by sharing their personal “icks” when dealing with maternity patients. The most viral videos came from staff at Atlanta’s Emory Hospital, and the internet did not react well to their videos. In many of the clips, the labor and delivery
According to reports, the campaign spokesperson for President Biden, Jamal Brown, has been offered a job at popular social video platform TikTok. The news revealed earlier this week that Brown will be joining TikTok to “manage policy communications for the Americas, primarily focusing on the United States.” The former top communications officer served under Biden’s administration as a deputy press secretary since 2020. Before this position, Brown also worked under Obama’s administration in the Office of Management and Budget for six years. TikTok’s new hire has raised several concerns among
When TikTok soared in popularity in 2020, the hard seltzer drinks market saw sales double to $4.1 billion. While the stars were aligning, Nectar Hard Seltzer was a new company attempting to take on established brands such as White Claw and Truly. A unique marketing strategy involving our favorite new social media app and SMS texting would be the secret to their success. When Jeremy Kim received a phone call from his future co-founder, John Dalsey, he couldn’t have predicted the journey they would go on. Asian-Inspired Hard Seltzer “Hard seltzer is killing
Content creator Ashley Massengill rose to online fame after sharing her story of how she made $1 million in over less than an hour. In a now-deleted Facebook post, Massengill labeled herself a #MillionaireMentor before expressing her excitement at raising $1 million in just 40 minutes. Rise to fame Massengill’s online business, Digital Course Recipe, is centered around providing others with the necessary skills they need to turn their skills into a passion within 60 days. She also founded AM/PM Credit Repair, launched the AM/PM Academy and authored a financial literacy book
Black coder, Sean Wiggs, has created a platform online for writing code to spam and troll companies that are unjust and discriminatory. Wiggs recently used his coding skills to oppose a Texas law banning women from having an abortion after six weeks of pregnancy. After successfully shutting down that website, he has set his eyes on a new target, the Job Creators Network’s anti-student loan forgiveness campaign. Earlier this year, President Joe Biden announced a new plan to cancel $10,000 of student loan debt, allowing millions of Americans to apply. However, despite many people
