According to what Triller says as “first of many announcements to come from these two digital powerhouses,” JioSaavn will have a prominent button to “Make a Triller Video” on the main screen of the platform.

Every video watched within the JioSaavn app will automatically be a Triller music video. This collaboration is expected to grow users and usage for the Los Angeles-headquartered firm.

The rush for local startups to fill the void created from the ban of TikTok and 58 Chinese apps due to cybersecurity concerns and border tensions between the two nations.

Bobby Sarnevesht, Executive Chairman of Triller and co-owner of Proxima said, “We couldn’t be more pleased to have partnered with not only the biggest company in India but one of the biggest and most important companies in the world.”

He added that it is an honor to become the backbone music video streamer of JioSaavn as well as such a prominent position within its app and that they will make sure to provide its users with unparalleled and best of class service.

Rishi Malhotra, Co-Founder, and CEO of JioSaavn said, “As we grow, we are committed to advancing our world-class product – always at the intersection of music and entertainment. Connecting creators to millions of fans are at the core of everything we do. Our cross-platform collaboration with Triller enables artists to create and express our culture in the most innovative ways. We are confident that this partnership will exponentially grow both companies.”

In the view of this partnership, what is even more interesting is that Reliance Industries which runs the Jio platforms, was said to be in talks with ByteDance to invest in TikTok’s Indian operations.

The post Triller signs a new strategic partnership with JioSaavn appeared first on Startagist.

Mayer’s decision to quit came in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s order to shut down the Chinese app within 90 days for allegedly being a threat to the country’s national security. TikTok’s general manager Vanessa Pappas has taken over as the CEO on an interim basis.

Mayer wrote a letter to his employees informing them about his decision.

“In recent weeks, as the political environment has sharply changed, I have done significant reflection on what the corporate structural changes will require, and what it means for the global role I signed up for. Against this backdrop, and as we expect to reach a resolution very soon, it is with a heavy heart that I wanted to let you all know that I have decided to leave the company,” Mayer wrote in his letter to his employees, which was obtained by Financial Times.

“I understand that the role that I signed up for — including running TikTok globally — will look very different as a result of the US administration’s action to push for a sell-off of the US business,” he added.

A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement to TechCrunch, “We appreciate that the political dynamics of the last few months have significantly changed what the scope of Kevin’s role would be going forward, and fully respect his decision. We thank him for his time at the company and wish him well.”

Kevin Mayer took over as TikTok CEO in May 2020. Prior to joining the Bytedance-owned company, Mayer served as the streaming head of Disney.

Meanwhile, as TikTok scrambles to sell itself off, Microsoft is still seen as the likeliest buyer — in part, because it was already in talks with the app and its owner, the Chinese company ByteDance.

Microsoft was originally drafted in July as a potential minority investor to mollify the Trump administration’s concerns. For Microsoft, TikTok’s 100 million users could help fill a gap in its data on social media behavior, and the app could be a huge client for its Azure cloud computing service.

The post TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer steps down appeared first on Startagist.

The talks come in the backdrop of US President Donald Trump saying that his administration is considering to ban the Chinese video app.

“We’re looking at TikTok. We may be banning TikTok,” Trump told reporters at the White House. India has banned as many as 106 Chinese apps, including TikTok, a move welcomed by both the administration and the lawmakers.

Soon after, The Wall Street Journal reported that Microsoft is in advanced talks to acquire the US operations of TikTok. The deal could run into billions of dollars.

Microsoft is headed by Indian-American Satya Nadella.

“A deal could be completed by Monday, according to people familiar with the matter, and the talks involve representatives from Microsoft, Bytedance and the White House. Talks are fluid, and a deal may not come together,” The Wall Street Journal reported.

China-based Bytedance is the parent company of TikTok.

The US has been looking for long to clip the wings of the popular app. Recently, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had accused TikTok of collecting personal information of Americans. “India has banned 106 Chinese apps, including TikTok, that threatened its citizens’ privacy and security,” he told members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Thursday.

Media reports said the US administration will soon order ByteDance to divest of its ownership of TikTok’s US operations.

Meanwhile, Senators Josh Hawley and Richard Blumenthal dashed off a missive to Assistant Attorney General John C. Demers calling for the Department of Justice to open an investigation into Zoom and TikTok for reported violations of Americans’ civil liberties and of their close ties to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

“Based on numerous reports, we are extremely concerned that Zoom and TikTok have disclosed private information about Americans to the PRC and engaged in censorship on behalf of the Chinese government,” the Senators said.

“As tens of millions of Americans turn to Zoom and TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic, few know that the privacy of their data and their freedom of expression is under threat due to the relationship of these companies to the Chinese government,” they wrote.

The post After Trump frowns at TikTok, Microsoft in talks to acquire apps’ US Ops appeared first on Startagist.