TenPay Global vs TikTok

Researchers Track Chinese AI Agent Fleet Targeting Amap

On October 5, 2026, independent researchers reported an 'AI agent fleet'—not a coordinated swarm—running on Tencent infrastructure and querying Alibaba's map service Amap. The agents were detected via URLquery, a domain-scanning service, which revealed queries to Amap for directions to public places like parks, zoos, and hospitals. The agents appear to bypass Alibaba's API rules rather than engage in malicious activity. This discovery highlights increasing AI agent activity on the internet, continuing after the Hugging Face incident, and underscores the challenges for platforms managing automated traffic and potential policy enforcement.

• Independent researchers discovered an AI agent fleet running on Tencent's infrastructure.
• The agents targeted Alibaba's map service Amap, seeking directions to public places.
• The agents were detected using URLquery, a domain-scanning service.

Four Ways to Help International Visitors Feel at Home in China

New article added to Tencent's All News page: 'Four Ways to Help International Visitors Feel at Home in China' published September 28, 2026.

Data Roundup: Funding, Earnings, Market Trends in Gaming

This weekly data digest covers several key stories in the mobile gaming industry. Tencent led a $25M Series A for Circle Games. AppMagic estimates show top earners in August, led by Gossip Harbor and Roblox. Japan's mobile game IAP revenue fell 5.1% to $10B in 2026. A Newzoo-Google report reveals 46% of online consumers play webgames monthly. Duolingo's crossover with Brawl Stars boosted installs. Colony Flow, Mystery Dumpling, and Hunting Rivals show strong revenue numbers. Bandai Namco's Bleach game passed 400k pre-registrations. Topdog raised $2.5M for real-money skill games. Jest alt app store hit a $1M run rate.

• Circle Games raised a $25M Series A led by Tencent, with participation from e2vc, Bitkraft Ventures, APY Ventures, and a16z Speedrun.
• Japan's mobile games market generated over $10B (¥1.56T) in IAP revenue in 2026, down 5.1% year-on-year.
• Gossip Harbor led App Store revenue and Roblox topped Google Play revenue in August, per SocialPeta.

TikTok Adds AI Shopping Assistant and Direct Brand Checkout

TikTok announced the rollout of a new AI shopping assistant and a checkout feature that allows users to purchase directly from brands within the app, separate from TikTok Shop. These features, now beginning to roll out in the U.S., are built in partnership with commerce platforms and payment providers including Salesforce, Shopify, Shoplazza, and Stripe. The goal, according to David Kaufman, TikTok's global head of monetization and product partnerships, is to move users from discovery to action, leveraging AI to enhance the shopping journey. The announcement was made on Monday and represents a significant step in TikTok's e-commerce integration.

• TikTok is rolling out an AI shopping assistant in the U.S.
• TikTok introduces a new checkout feature for direct brand purchases, separate from TikTok Shop.
• The features are built in partnership with Salesforce, Shopify, Shoplazza, and Stripe.

TikTok Expands Off-Platform Ad Network to US

TikTok expanded its TikTok Ad Network (formerly Pangle) to US advertisers, announced at Advertising Week New York. The network spans nearly 400,000 premium third-party apps globally, allowing advertisers to extend campaigns off-platform. It aims to increase TikTok's share of ad budgets by leveraging its data and algorithms. Advertisers express cautious interest, seeking transparency, control, and proof of incremental reach, while noting competition from Google, Meta, and Amazon. Some see potential for lower CPMs and improved performance with proper guardrails. TikTok's US ad revenue was $14.12 billion in 2025, projected to reach $17.69 billion in 2026, with global ad revenue projected at $43.89 billion by end of 2026.

• TikTok expanded its TikTok Ad Network (formerly Pangle) to US advertisers at Advertising Week New York.
• The network spans nearly 400,000 premium apps globally and sells ads across TikTok's own apps and third-party apps.
• TikTok's US ad revenue was $14.12 billion in 2025, projected to reach $17.69 billion in 2026.

TikTok Unveils AI-Powered Updates for Advertisers: Driving Discovery, Action, and Measurable Business Outcomes

At Advertising Week New York 2026, TikTok is unveiling agentic solutions across every stage of the customer journey, including new Agentic Commerce shopping experiences (Buy Direct, Shopping Assistant), Agentic Leads, TikTok Ad Network (TTAN) for US advertisers, and expanded AI automation capabilities with Smart+ and GMV Max.