News
TikTok Fined $93K By Turkey For Inadequate Data Protection
TikTok has been penalized by authorities for failing to ensure adequate security to prevent the unlawful processing of personal data.
Turkey’s Personal Data Protection Board (KVKK) has announced that a fine of $93,000 has been levied against TikTok for failing to safeguard users, stating that the company “did not take all necessary measures to ensure the appropriate level of security to prevent unlawful processing of personal data”.
Recently, the TikTok app was banned from being installed on the devices of US, EU and Canadian government officials over security concerns and follows increasing global criticism of how the popular video site manages and shares data.
The platform, which is owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance, insists it operates no differently from other social media firms and says it would never comply with a data transfer order.
Also Read: MENA’s Biggest Online Piracy Site Shahed4U Shuts Down
In addition to data protection issues, the KVKK stated that TikTok must translate its terms of service into Turkish and update privacy and cookie policies to comply with the country’s laws.
According to the latest figures, Turkey ranks at ninth place for the most users of TikTok worldwide, with over 30 million accounts registered on the video-sharing platform.
News
NEOPAY Wants To Follow Merchants Across Channels And Borders
A controlling 65% stake in noon payments would give NEOPAY access to marketplace sellers, online merchants and the payment flows they generate.
It’s been a long time since checkouts were single defined places. A merchant might take payments at a physical register, on its own website and through an online marketplace, sometimes in more than one country. NEOPAY wants to follow those transactions wherever they happen.
The UAE payments company has entered into an agreement to acquire a 65% controlling stake in noon payments. NEOPAY already runs the acquiring infrastructure that lets merchants accept card payments, along with omnichannel acceptance and a merchant services platform. This new deal would add noon payments’ embedded payments platform, e-commerce gateway and merchant network across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. That would considerably expand both NEOPAY’s digital commerce capabilities and its regional reach.
For merchants, the attraction is a single provider for online and in-store payments, plus faster settlements, data and analytics, and value-added financial services.
“Payments should be simple, reliable, and built for the markets they serve,” said Faraz Khalid, CEO of noon. His counterpart at NEOPAY, Vibhor Mundhada, added: “We have built a strong payments business in the UAE, and our ambition is now to take that capability across the region”. The acquisition, Mundhada added, would “expand our footprint into Saudi Arabia and Egypt” while reinforcing NEOPAY’s position at home.
Also Read: In Kuwait, Your Surgeon Might Be Operating From Another Country
NEOPAY is also keen to point out potential payment volume increases. The company says noon payments’ integrations with marketplace sellers and online merchants create high transaction density in some of the region’s fastest-growing digital commerce segments. It also believes control of the business would give it access to those merchant relationships and payment flows, and speed up the rollout of alternative payment methods and installment options.
The combined roadmap targets faster merchant onboarding, better payment performance, tighter fraud controls and embedded financial services. The deal could also strengthen cross-border payments and settlement along key regional commerce corridors.
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