In today's CMU Daily: A number of former US national security officials have said there are “grave national security threats posed by Chinese control of TikTok”. The warning comes in a filing to the court considering legal challenges to America’s TikTok-targeting sell-or-be-banned law. Filings supporting the law have also been submitted by Congress members, state attorneys general, human rights groups and free speech experts

One Liners: Meta negotiating AI voice deals, IMPEL allies with AMRA, Portishead criticise 'Vultures 2' sample, Daniel Bedingfiled is AI fan, Jarvis Cocker is a dog breed says Gen Z, Aerosmith retire from touring, NSYNC reunion discussions, latest releases + more

Also today: Viagogo has ramped up its PR efforts amid UK government plans to introduce ticket resale price-cap 

US TikTok ban addresses “grave national-security threats” and is a “triumph for human rights” say new court filings

A number of former US national security officials say there are “grave national security threats posed by Chinese control of TikTok”. That warning is contained in a new filing with the court that is considering legal challenges to America’s sell-or-be-banned law that targets TikTok and its China-based owner ByteDance. 

“What makes TikTok unique from other social media applications”, the former security chiefs state, “is that the Chinese Communist Party has direct access” to a “vast dataset” relating to US users of the short form video app. 

Chinese national intelligence law, they claim, obliges ByteDance and TikTok “to assist with intelligence gathering”. Which means, “ByteDance must provide China’s intelligence agencies with direct access to the extensive personal data TikTok collects on its more than 170 million American users”. 

Nineteen former officials have endorsed the court filing, including former National Cyber Director Chris Inglis, former National Counterintelligence Executive Michelle Van Cleave, former Signals Intelligence Director Teresa H Shea, and former Attorney Generals Michael B Mukasey and Jeff Sessions. 

Between them they have “served at the highest levels of government, in national security, intelligence and foreign policy roles” under different Presidents from different political parties.

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Sentric Music // Revenue Optimisation Manager (London/Liverpool)

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ONE LINERS

Deals

• JYP Entertainment has launched Innit Entertainment, a new subsidiary aimed at diversifying its talent portfolio. 
• Meta has entered negotiations with celebrities including Judi Dench, Awkwafina, and Keegan-Michael Key to incorporate their voices into a digital assistant product called MetaAI. 
• Position Music has signed a worldwide publishing deal with songwriter and producer Kill Dave, known for his work with artists like Weezer, aespa and AURORA.
• Digital rights grouping IMPEL has expanded its licensing reach to Asia Pacific and Brazil through a new agreement with AMRA.
• Beatchain, a music technology company, has partnered with Radio City India, a major Indian radio network, to create a new platform for discovering independent Indian artists.

Legal

• Geoff Barrow of Portishead has claimed that Kanye West and Ty Dolla $ign sampled the band's track ‘Machine Gun’ without permission on their new album ‘Vultures 2’.
• The US Fourth Circuit Appeals Court has upheld a drug conspiracy conviction that included rap lyrics as evidence, rejecting an appeal by Atlanta rapper Kenneth Watkins. 
• Adidas shareholders have argued in a US federal court against the dismissal of their securities fraud lawsuit related to the company's terminated partnership with Kanye West. 
• The owners of New York's Electric Zoo festival have been accused of failing to pay nearly $1 million to vendors and workers from last year's event.
• A music festival owned by Capulet Entertainment LLC has been sued in a Connecticut state court after the festival was drastically downsized one day before its scheduled start. 

Other industry news & events

• Rough Trade has suspended a controversial partnership with FlipVinyl after one day due to widespread criticism over low prices offered for rare records. 
• Daniel Bedingfield is “an avid user of Udio” and has embraced AI in music production, creating an entire AI-generated album and developing an app that pairs music with AI-generated videos.
• Metro Boomin has launched a $20,000 grant programme for single mothers in each city of his ongoing tour with Future. 
• JYP Entertainment has launched Innit Entertainment, a new subsidiary aimed at diversifying its talent portfolio.

Artist News

• A survey of 2000 Gen Z Britons has revealed a startling lack of knowledge about 1990s rock icons, with 8% believing Jarvis Cocker was a breed of dog.
• Aerosmith have announced their retirement from touring due to frontman Steven Tyler's ongoing vocal injury. 
• NSYNC is considering a significant 30th anniversary reunion project for 2025, potentially including a live show, new album and documentary. 
• A lyric notebook belonging to Lil Wayne has been put up for sale for $5 million after a lengthy legal dispute over ownership. 
• Former BBC Radio 2 presenter Ken Bruce has sparked controversy with comments about Taylor Swift's music.
• Bae Jin-young has left the K-pop boyband CIX after five years, with the group set to continue as a quartet. 

Releases & Tours

• Orville Peck has released his new album ‘Stampede’, with features including Kylie Minogue and Diplo. 
• Meshell Ndegeocello has released her new album ‘No More Water: The Gospel Of James Baldwin’.
• Sam Smith has released a tenth anniversary edition of his album ‘In The Lonely Hour’, featuring live versions of numerous tracks and existing features from Mary J Blige, A$AP Rocky and John Legend.
• Armin van Buuren has released his new single ‘Es Vedrà’.
• Keith Urban has released his new single ‘HEART LIKE A HOMETOWN’. His new album ‘HIGH’ is out 20 Sep.
• Fontaines DC have announced a headline show at Finsbury Park on Saturday 5 Jul 2025. Guests include Amyl And The Sniffers and Kneecap. Tickets go on sale this Friday here.
• Clairo has announced a UK/European headline tour for 2025. The ‘Charm Tour’ includes a show at London’s Eventim Apollo on 13 Mar. Tickets go on general sale this Friday here.

PR push shows Viagogo is “rattled” by UK government’s price-cap pledge, say campaigners

Viagogo is ramping up its PR efforts as it tries to block the UK government from introducing a ticket resale price cap, something the Labour Party pledged to do earlier this year when still campaigning ahead of last month’s General Election. 

A PR agency hired by the often controversial secondary ticketing company was recently hawking Viagogo Global MD Cris Miller for interviews. Miller has now popped up in a Times article where he talks through Viagogo’s arguments about why online ticket touting should not face further regulation. One of the arguments he highlights in the Times piece is framed around the ongoing Olympics in Paris. 

It follows the publication last week of new stats from Viagogo bigging up the popular ‘fanonomics’ argument, which attempts to demonstrate how much value sports events and concerts generate for the economy beyond ticket sales. This includes pulling in other spending that people attending events might make on things like “clothing, accessories, merchandise, accommodation and food”.