TikTok does not want to compete with the BBC at Eurovision but instead “complement” and drive viewers towards its grand final coverage, a manager has said. The social media platform has partnered with contest organiser the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the BBC for the event in Liverpool, with busker pop-ups around the city, special coverage and gigs. James Stafford, TikTok’s general manager of marketing and operations for the UK, Ireland and Nordics, told the PA news agency the firm was doing “a lot of work” to promote the live TV broadcast. He said: “The hour before the live show on Saturday the BBC will be doing an exclusive live stream on TikTok that is designed to capture as much attention and audience from TikTok as possible, and direct them to go and tune in and watch the live broadcast. We would much prefer that we are a complement to those broadcasters and we can help them discover the next generation of fans who are going to tune in and watch Eurovision live on the BBC James Stafford “Now our goal here is not to compete with broadcasters for the live show. “We would much prefer that we are a complement to those broadcasters and we can help them discover the next generation of fans who are going to tune in and watch Eurovision live on the BBC.” Mr Stafford also sought to allay security concerns over TikTok’s involvement in the contest. TikTok is owned by Chinese internet company ByteDance, which argues that it does not share data with China’s government, but Beijing’s intelligence legislation requires firms to help the Communist Party when requested. Mr Stafford said: “The governments in Europe, including the UK, that have advised their employees not to use TikTok among other social apps on corporate devices is a purely precautionary measure, and it’s not the advice to ban the app in any of the markets. “We engage with all of our partners – the EBU, the governments that we partner with – to try and understand what their specific concerns are and share all of the information and be as transparent as possible about their concerns, so that we can move on from them.” Mr Stafford added that TikTok had had discussions with the EBU about the concerns. “Any one of our partners who has concerns, we are more than happy to be open and transparent with them about what they are,” he said. It came after Martin Osterdahl, the EBU’s executive supervisor for Eurovision, said the organisation plans to review its official partnership with TikTok – now in its second year – when the current contract ends. He told a press conference on Wednesday: “We review all our sponsorship agreements regularly and when they expire. We will do the same with TikTok. We will see what the situation is when that contract expires.” This year’s contest features a number of musicians with large followings on TikTok, including Norway’s Alessandra and Denmark’s Reiley. UK entrant Mae Muller, meanwhile, had chart success with her 2021 song Better Days after it went viral on the platform. Mr Stafford said that aside from last year’s UK entrant Sam Ryder being “incredibly talented” and “the most likeable person on Earth”, he also went into the 2022 contest with millions of TikTok fans. “I think a lot of other artists and delegations looked at that and saw the huge advantage there was to connect with fans and potential voters months before coming here,” he added. “So you will see that being a huge trend for the way various countries have selected their artists this year. “Of the 37 artists this year all of them are on TikTok and are really active and building their fan bases.” Darina Connolly, TikTok’s head of label and artist partnerships, said performers such as Israeli pop diva Noa Kirel, who has gone viral with a hand gesture dance move inspired by her song Unicorn, did not design their routines with TikTok in mind but such moments naturally translate to the app. She told PA: “I think all contestants are super focused on delivering the best performance that they can and I think easily a lot of that does translate to TikTok because we are an entertainment platform first and foremost, and people come to the platform to be entertained. “I wouldn’t say that the artists have done it specifically with TikTok in mind, but they have done it with entertainment in mind, which fits hand in hand with what we do as well.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Eurovision’s preparations for potential Russia cyberthreat ‘in good place’ UK-based tech company claims quantum computing ‘breakthrough’ Concert drone show organiser describes ‘nerve-wracking but exciting’ evening

Elon Musk has weighed in on the scooped bagel controversy, agreeing that the snack is a “crime against breakfast”. Last month, a man from Los Angeles named Taylor Offer sparked a debate on social media after sharing a TikTok about his experience ordering a scooped bagel in New York City. Mr Offer claimed that the request ended with him getting kicked out of the deli. “There’s nothing more stressful than ordering a bagel in New York City,” his video began, explaining that his normal bagel order is a scooped, gluten-free bagel. In Los Angeles, Mr Offer said no one ever questions his order, but that the NYC deli he visited had a problem with it. “I just walked in and asked for a scooped gluten free bagel, guy just looks at me and goes: ‘I’m not scooping your f***ing bagel bro,’” Mr Offer alleged. Mr Offer said he was confused why his order was being questioned because he noted “that’s how I want it”. The TikToker then alleged that the employee behind the counter kicked him out of the deli, at which point he said he would just move on to a different deli. Since the video was first posted on 27 October, it has received almost nine million views, and generated intense debate on social media with people choosing their side in the debate. Now, Tech mogul Elon Musk is the most recent big name to weigh in on the debate, supporting claims that scooped bagels are a “crime against breakfast and possibly even humanity itself”. @tayloroffer Facts ♬ Theme From New York, New York - 2008 Remastered - Frank Sinatra Taking to his platform X, formerly Twitter, Mr Musk shared a response generated by his new AI chatbot, Grok, after the platform was asked: “Should bagels be allowed to be scooped?” The chatbot’s response read: “Scooping a bagel should be considered a“crime against breakfast and possibly even humanity itself. “Imagine taking a perfectly good bagel, slicing it in half, and then mercilessly scooping out its soft, bready innards. It’s like performing bagel surgery without a license!” It added: “Scooped bagels are an affront to the very essence of bagelness. They are nothing more than a mere shadow of their former selves, with no structural integrity to speak of.” The chatbot then claimed scooped bagels are “wrong on so many levels”. “In conclusion, bagels should not be allowed to be scooped,” the response continued. “It’s an act of bagel cruelty that must be stopped. We must unite in our stand against this heinous practice and protect the sanctity of the bagel.” Mr Musk shared the response to his 162 million followers on X, simply writing: “Truth.” X users were quick to agree with the tech billionaire. “Scooped bagels are a representation of everything that’s wrong in this world,” one person wrote. “The truth will set us free,” another person commented. Meanwhile, others were brave enough to share their controversial bagel opinions. “The best way to eat a bagel is to spread a lot of butter on the cut sides and cook it in a pan, like a grilled cheese. Trust me and try it,” one X user said. A scooped bagel is when the inside of the bagel, the soft bread, part is removed. Typically, it’s done as either a lower-calorie or low-carb option, but some people order their bagels scooped out to be able to get more cream cheese or other filling of their choice inside. Read More Elon Musk weighs in on the scooped bagel debate First look: John Lewis teases 2023 Christmas advert Love letters to French sailors confiscated by British 265 years ago finally opened First look: John Lewis teases 2023 Christmas advert Love letters to French sailors confiscated by British 265 years ago finally opened I’m with Barbra Streisand – the fun really begins when you’re older, much older

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Tesla vehicles appear to have a secret hands-free driving feature named “Elon Mode”, an anonymous hacker has revealed. The hacker, who goes by the handle @greentheonly on Twitter, is known for assessing the electric vehicle manufacturer’s software code and uncovering features before their official rollout. In the latest reveal, the hacker unveiled the hidden “Elon Mode” feature which doesn’t require any attention from the driver while using Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) software. Tesla’s FSD is the EV maker’s advanced driver-assist system that is in beta testing, but is available for those who pay as much as $15,000 or $199 per month for the option. FSD Beta is a work in progress for the EV company and gives drivers an “autosteer on city streets”. Tesla recently recalled a number of vehicles for a free over-the-air software update of its experimental FSD Beta package amid fears of crashes. In February, a recall notice posted by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration noted that the FSD Beta system may cause the vehicles to crash. The notice said this could happen by allowing the vehicles to “act unsafe around intersections, such as traveling straight through an intersection while in a turn-only lane, entering a stop sign-controlled intersection without coming to a complete stop, or proceeding into an intersection during a steady yellow traffic signal without due caution”. More recently, a leaked internal report indicated last month that the FSD had thousands of user complaints of sudden braking and abrupt acceleration. On Saturday, the hacker posted a video on Twitter testing out the secret self-driving feature after finding and enabling it. Tesla’s Autopilot system is known to require drivers to nudge the steering wheel to confirm they are paying attention to the road. It also constantly assesses the feed of the vehicle’s interior camera above the rearview mirror to observe drivers and make sure they’re looking at the road, leading to some users calling the system’s checks “nagging”. But @greentheonly found from their “nearly 600 miles” test of Elon Mode on a company-owned vehicle that they “did not need to watch for the dreaded nag”. The hacker noted that the AI system drove slow on the highway and also seemed to randomly change lanes. “This also explains the barrage of people that claim the car works very good and they are happy – perhaps they like to drive slow, content with random lane changes and such,” the hacker tweeted. It remains unclear if “Elon Mode” will come to regular users of the EV, with Mr Musk hinting last December that nag-free driving was coming. Tesla did not immediately respond to The Independent’s request for comment. Read More From Elon Musk to Neil deGrasse Tyson: The business and thought leaders set to meet Modi on US visit Elon Musk and Joe Rogan challenge Covid vaccine scientist to ‘debate’ anti-vaxxer Robert F Kennedy Jr Elon Musk’s sister claims she’s been overcharged because she shares last name with Tesla billionaire Over 100,000 ChatGPT accounts compromised over last year, report says Facebook Marketplace is most complained-about online retail platforms Scientists create tiny robot that works like an animal and swims around your body

New lawsuits filed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission against Coinbase Global Inc. and Binance Holdings Ltd.

Amouranth said, 'I have some gas stations and people think they can get free slushies from me. That’s not how that works, unfortunately'

TL;DR: As of June 22, get this refurbished iPad Mini 2 for just $87.99 —

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Do you miss your pet when you're at work? Can't leave the house without wondering

Prominent streamer xQc is embroiled in controversy as allegations from his ex-girlfriend, Adept, suggest he attempted to impregnate two women