Even if you don't use it, you've probably heard of TikTok, an app that's particularly popular among teens and young adults. It's an app that you can install on both iOS and Android devices, allowing you to create short videos that you can then share on social media. It originally launched in 2016 as Douyin and was only available in China. In 2017, ByteDance (owner of TikTok) launched the app globally under its current name.
As we mentioned, it is an app that is available for iOS and Android devices, but what is remarkable is that the app’s downloads from the Google Play Store have now exceeded 1 billion. TikTok has always been at the top of the list of free apps on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. In January of this year, the app ranked second in the category of free apps with the most installations on the Play Store and ranked third in February. YouTube is now planning to launch a similar feature, called “Shorts” by the end of the year, to compete with TikTok.
TikTok threatens US national security
As we said earlier, TikTok is a Chinese video-sharing service owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based company founded in 2012. Recently, US lawmakers have called for an investigation into the app regarding national security. TikTok has over 30 million active monthly users , and over 60% of them are in the US. This app is very popular among young people, in an age range between 16 and 24 years old.
Last year, US Senators Chuck Schumer and Tom Cotton called for an investigation into TikTok's collection of user data, believing the app could be used for illegal activities.
“With over 110 million downloads in the US alone, TikTok is a potential counterintelligence threat we cannot ignore,” Schumer and Cotton told Joseph Macguire, deputy director of national intelligence.
According to ByteDance, the Chinese government has no jurisdiction over the app’s content that is not used in China. It also claims that all US user data is stored in the United States. The US military and some organizations are currently banning the app.
