TikTok

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other uses, see Tik Tok (disambiguation).
TikTok Pte. Ltd.

Screenshot
Developer(s) ByteDance
Initial release September 2016; 7 years ago
Stable release(s)
iOS/iPadOS 31.0.2 / September 5, 2023; 35 days ago
Android 28.5.4 / March 3, 2023; 7 months ago[needs update]
Operating system
iOS 11 or later
iPadOS
Android
Predecessor musical.ly
Available in 40 languages[1]
List of languages
Type Video sharing
License Proprietary software with Terms of Use
Website tiktok.com Edit this at Wikidata
Douyin

Screenshot
Developer(s) Beijing Microlive Vision Technology Co., Ltd
Initial release 20 September 2016; 7 years ago
Stable release(s)
iOS/iPadOS 26.6.0 / August 14, 2023; 57 days ago
Android 26.6.0 / August 15, 2023; 56 days ago
Windows 2.7.0 / August 11, 2023; 60 days ago
macOS 2.7.0 / August 16, 2023; 55 days ago
Operating system
iOS 11 and later
iPadOS 11 and later
Android 6.0 and later
Windows 7 and later
macOS 10.13 and later
Available in Simplified Chinese, English[2]
Type Video sharing
License Proprietary software with Agreement
Website douyin.com
Douyin
Chinese ??
Literal meaning "Vibrating sound"
Transcriptions

TikTok, whose mainland Chinese counterpart is Douyin[3] (Chinese: ??; pinyin:

Douyin), is a short-form video hosting service owned by ByteDance.[4] It hosts
user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from 3 seconds to 10 minutes.[5]
Since their launches, TikTok and Douyin have gained global popularity.[6][7] In
October 2020, TikTok surpassed 2 billion mobile downloads worldwide.[8][9][10]
Morning Consult named TikTok the third-fastest growing infotech brand of 2020,
after Zoom and Peacock.[11] Cloudflare ranked TikTok the most popular website of
2021, surpassing Google.[12]

Corporate structure
ByteDance, based in Beijing, and its subsidiary TikTok Ltd, based in both Singapore
and Los Angeles, were incorporated in the Cayman Islands.[13] ByteDance is owned by
its founders and Chinese investors (20%), other global investors (60%), and
employees (20%).[14] TikTok Ltd owns four entities that are based respectively in
the United States, Australia (which also runs the New Zealand business), United
Kingdom (also owns subsidiaries in the European Union), and Singapore (owns
operations in Southeast Asia and India).[15][16]

In April 2021, a state-owned enterprise owned by the Cyberspace Administration of

China and China Media Group, the China Internet Investment Fund, purchased a 1%
stake in ByteDance's main Chinese entity.[17][18][19][20][21] The Economist,
Reuters, and Financial Times have described the Chinese government's stake as a
golden share investment.[21][22][23]

Douyin
"Douyin" redirects here. Not to be confused with doujin.
Douyin was launched by ByteDance in September 2016, originally under the name A.me,
before rebranding to Douyin (??) in December 2016.[24][25] Douyin was developed in
200 days and within a year had 100 million users, with more than one billion videos
viewed every day.[26][27]

While TikTok and Douyin share a similar user interface, the platforms operate
separately.[28][3][29] Douyin includes an in-video search feature that can search
by people's faces for more videos of them, along with other features such as
buying, booking hotels, and making geo-tagged reviews.[30]

History
Evolution
ByteDance planned on Douyin expanding overseas. The founder of ByteDance, Zhang
Yiming, stated that "China is home to only one-fifth of Internet users globally. If
we don't expand on a global scale, we are bound to lose to peers eyeing the four-
fifths. So, going global is a must."[31]

The app was launched as TikTok in the international market in September 2017.[32]
On 23 January 2018, the TikTok app ranked first among free application downloads on
app stores in Thailand and other countries.[33]

TikTok has been downloaded more than 130 million times in the United States and has
reached 2 billion downloads worldwide,[34][35] according to data from mobile
research firm Sensor Tower (those numbers exclude Android users in China).[36]

In the United States, celebrities, including Jimmy Fallon and Tony Hawk, began
using the app in 2018.[37][38] Other celebrities, including Jennifer Lopez, Jessica
Alba, Will Smith, and Justin Bieber joined TikTok as well as many others.[39]

In January 2019, TikTok allowed creators to embed merchandise sale links into their
videos.[40]

On 3 September 2019, TikTok and the U.S. National Football League (NFL) announced a
multi-year partnership.[41] The agreement occurred just two days before the NFL's
100th season kick-off at Soldier Field, where TikTok hosted activities for fans in
honor of the deal. The partnership entails the launch of an official NFL TikTok
account, which is to bring about new marketing opportunities such as sponsored
videos and hashtag challenges. In July 2020, TikTok, excluding Douyin, reported
close to 800 million monthly active users worldwide after less than four years of
existence.[42]

In May 2021, TikTok appointed Shou Zi Chew as their new CEO[43] who assumed the
position from interim CEO Vanessa Pappas, following the resignation of Kevin A.
Mayer on 27 August 2020.[44][45][46]

In September 2021, TikTok reported that it had reached 1 billion users.[47] In

2021, TikTok earned $4 billion in advertising revenue.[48]

In October 2022, TikTok was reported to be planning an expansion into the e-

commerce market in the US, following the launch of TikTok Shop in the United
Kingdom. The company posted job listings for staff for a series of order
fulfillment centers in the US and is reportedly planning to start the new live
shopping business before the end of the year.[49]

According to data from app analytics group Sensor Tower, advertising on TikTok in
the US grew by 11% in March 2023, with companies including Pepsi, DoorDash, Amazon
and Apple among the top spenders. According to estimates from research group
Insider Intelligence, TikTok is projected to generate $14.15 billion in revenue in
2023, up from $9.89 billion in 2022.[50]

Musical.ly merger
Further information: Musical.ly
On 9 November 2017, TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, spent nearly $1 billion to
purchase musical.ly, a startup headquartered in Shanghai with an overseas office in
Santa Monica, California, U.S.[51][52] Musical.ly was a social media video platform
that allowed users to create short lip-sync and comedy videos, initially released
in August 2014. TikTok merged with musical.ly on 2 August 2018 with existing
accounts and data consolidated into one app, keeping the title TikTok.[53] This
ended musical.ly and made TikTok a worldwide app, excluding China, since China
already had Douyin.[52][54][55]

Expansion in other markets

TikTok was downloaded over 104 million times on Apple's App Store during the first
half of 2018, according to data provided to CNBC by Sensor Tower.[56]

After merging with musical.ly in August, downloads increased and TikTok became the
most downloaded app in the U.S. in October 2018, which musical.ly had done once
before.[57][58] In February 2019, TikTok, together with Douyin, hit one billion
downloads globally, excluding Android installs in China.[59] In 2019, media outlets
cited TikTok as the 7th-most-downloaded mobile app of the decade, from 2010 to
2019.[60] It was also the most-downloaded app on Apple's App Store in 2018 and
2019, surpassing Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.[61][62] In September 2020, a deal
was confirmed between ByteDance and Oracle in which the latter will serve as a
partner to provide cloud hosting,[63][64] as TikTok faces attempts to ban it in the
United States.[65][66][67][68] In November 2020, TikTok signed a licensing deal
with Sony Music.[69] In December 2020, Warner Music Group signed a licensing deal
with TikTok.[70][71][72] In April 2021, Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and
Tourism partnered with TikTok to promote tourism.[73] It came following the January
2021 winter campaign, initiated through a partnership between the UAE Government
Media Office partnered and TikTok to promote the country's tourism.[74]

Since 2014, the first non-gaming apps[75] with more than 3 billion downloads were
Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger; all owned by Meta. TikTok was the
first non-Facebook app to reach that figure. Sensor Tower reported that although
TikTok had been banned in India, its largest market, in June 2020, downloads in the
rest of the world continue to increase, reaching 3 billion downloads in 2021.[76]

The advertising revenue of short video clips is lower than other social media:
while users spend more time, American audience is monetized at a rate of $0.31 per
hour, a third the rate of Facebook and a fifth the rate of Instagram, $67 per year
while Instagram will make more than $200.[77]

TikTok works with Tehran Chamber of Commerce.[78]

In 2023, several high-level executives transferred from ByteDance to TikTok to

focus on moneymaking operations. Some moved from Beijing to the US. They will
oversee teams catering to small to medium-sized advertisers on TikTok and the
platform's monetization strategies, as well as the HR aspects of these divisions.
According to sources for the Wall Street Journal, the personnel move led to
concerns from some TikTok employees and was reported to the office of US Senator
Ted Cruz for further investigation.[79][80]

Relationship with other tech platforms

Although the size of its user base falls short of that of Facebook, Instagram, or
YouTube, TikTok reached 1 billion active monthly users faster than any of them.[81]
Competition from TikTok prompted Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, to spend
$120 million as of 2022 to entice more content creators to its Reels service,
although engagement level remained low.[82] Snapchat had likewise paid out $250
million in 2021 to its creators.[83] Many platforms and services, including YouTube
Shorts, began to imitate TikTok's format and recommendation page. Those changes
caused a backlash from users of Instagram, Spotify, and Twitter.[81]

In March 2022, The Washington Post reported that Facebook's owner Meta Platforms
paid Targeted Victory�a consulting firm backed by supporters of the U.S. Republican
Party�to coordinate lobbying and media campaigns against TikTok and portray it as
"a danger to American children and society." Its efforts included asking local
reporters to serve as "back channels" of anti-TikTok messages, writing opinion
articles and letters to the editor, including one in the name of a concerned
parent, amplifying stories about TikTok trends, such as "devious licks" and "Slap a
Teacher", that actually originated on Facebook, and promoting Facebook's own
corporate initiatives. Ties to Meta were not disclosed to the other parties
involved. Targeted Victory said that it is "proud of the work". A Meta spokesperson
said that all platforms, including TikTok, should face scrutiny.[84]

The Wall Street Journal reported that Silicon Valley executives met with US
lawmakers to build an "anti-China alliance" before TikTok CEO's Congressional
hearing in March 2023.[85]

Features
0:15
An example of a video that met TikTok requirements and recommendations, showing
Crew Dragon Endeavour docking with the International Space Station
The mobile app allows users to create short videos, which often feature music in
the background and can be sped up, slowed down, or edited with a filter.[86] They
can also add their own sound on top of the background music. To create a music
video with the app, users can choose background music from a wide variety of music
genres, edit with a filter and record a 15-second video with speed adjustments
before uploading it to share with others on TikTok or other social platforms.[87]

The "For You" page on TikTok is a feed of videos that are recommended to users
based on their activity on the app. Content is curated by TikTok's artificial
intelligence depending on the content a user liked, interacted with, or searched.
This is in contrast to other social networks' algorithms basing such content off of
the user's relationships with other users and what they liked or interacted with.
[88]

The app's "react" feature allows users to film their reaction to a specific video,
over which it is placed in a small window that is movable around the screen.[89]
Its "duet" feature allows users to film a video aside from another video.[90] The
"duet" feature was another trademark of musical.ly. The duet feature is also only
able to be used if both parties adjust the privacy settings.[91]

Videos that users do not want to post yet can be stored in their "drafts". The user
is allowed to see their "drafts" and post when they find it fitting.[92] The app
allows users to set their accounts as "private". When first downloading the app,
the user's account is public by default. The user can change to private in their
settings. Private content remains visible to TikTok but is blocked from TikTok
users who the account holder has not authorized to view their content.[93] Users
can choose whether any other user, or only their "friends", may interact with them
through the app via comments, messages, or "react" or "duet" videos.[89] Users also
can set specific videos to either "public", "friends only", or "private" regardless
if the account is private or not.[93]

Users can also send their friends videos, emojis, and messages with direct
messaging. TikTok has also included a feature to create a video based on the user's
comments. Influencers often use the "live" feature. This feature is only available
for those who have at least 1,000 followers and are over 16 years old. If over 18,
the user's followers can send virtual "gifts" that can be later exchanged for
money.[94][95]

TikTok announced a "family safety mode" in February 2020 for parents to be able to
control their children's presence on the app. There is a screen time management
option, restricted mode, and the option to put a limit on direct messages.[96][97]
The app expanded its parental controls feature called "Family Pairing" in September
2020 to provide parents and guardians with educational resources to understand what
children on TikTok are exposed to. Content for the feature was created in
partnership with online safety nonprofit, Internet Matters.[98]

In October 2021, TikTok launched a test feature that allows users to directly tip
certain creators. Accounts of users that are of age, have at least 100,000
followers and agree to the terms can activate a "Tip" button on their profile,
which allows followers to tip any amount, starting from $1.[99]

In December 2021, TikTok started beta-testing Live Studio, a streaming software

that would let users broadcast applications open on their computers, including
games. The software also launched with support for mobile and PC streaming.[100]
However, a few days later, users on Twitter discovered that the software uses code
from the open-source OBS Studio. OBS made a statement saying that, under the GNU
GPL version 2, TikTok has to make the code of Live Studio publicly available if it
wants to use any code from OBS.[101]

In May 2022, TikTok announced TikTok Pulse, an ad revenue-sharing program. It

covers the "top 4% of all videos on TikTok" and is only available to creators with
more than 100,000 followers. If an eligible creator's video reaches the top 4%,
they will receive a 50% share of the revenue from ads displayed with the video.
[102]

In July 2023, TikTok launched a new streaming service called TikTok Music,
currently available only in Brazil and Indonesia.[103] This service allows users to
listen to, download and share songs.[103] It is reported that TikTok Music features
songs from major record companies like Universal Music Group, Sony Music and Warner
Music Group.[103] On 19 July 2023, TikTok Music was expanded for select users in
Australia, Mexico and Singapore.[104]
Content and usage
Demographics
See also: List of most-followed TikTok accounts
TikTok tends to appeal to younger users, as 41% of its users are between the ages
of 16 and 24. These individuals are considered Generation Z.[88] Among these TikTok
users, 90% said they used the app daily.[105] TikTok's geographical use in 2019 has
shown that 43% of new users were from India before the social platfrom was banned
in the country.[106] As of the first quarter of 2022, there were over 100 million
monthly active users in the United States and 23 million in the UK. The average
user, daily, was spending 1 hour and 25 minutes on the app and opening TikTok 17
times.[107]

By July 2023, TikTok has become the primary news source for British teenagers on
social media, with 28% of 12 to 15-year-olds relying on the platform, while
traditional sources like BBC One/Two are more trusted at 82%, according to a report
by UK regulator Ofcom.[108]

Out of TikTok's top 100 male creators, a 2022 analysis reported 67% were white,
with 54% having near-perfect facial symmetry.[109]

Popular TikTok users have lived collectively in collab houses, predominantly in the
Los Angeles area.[110]

Teenage mode
China heavily regulates how Douyin is used by minors in the country, especially
after 2018.[111] Under government pressure, ByteDance introduced parental controls
and a "teenage mode" that shows only whitelisted content, such as knowledge
sharing, and bans pranks, superstition, dance clubs, and pro-LGBT content.[a][112]
A mandatory screen time limit was put in place for users under the age of 14 and a
requirement to link accounts to a real identity to prevent minors from lying about
their age or using an adult's account. The differences between Douyin and TikTok
have led some US politicians and commentators to accuse the company or the Chinese
government of malicious intent.[111][113] In March 2023, TikTok announced default
screen time limits for users under the age of 18. Those under the age of 13 would
need a passcode from their parents to extend their time.[111]

Cyberbullying
Further information: Problematic social media use
Vox noted in 2018 that bullies and trolls were relatively rare on TikTok compared
to other platforms.[114] Nonetheless, several users have reported cyberbullying via
features such as Duet or React, which is used to interact with followers.[115] A
trend making fun of autism eventually created a huge backlash, even on the platform
itself, and the company ended up removing the hashtag altogether.[116][117] Parents
filming how their children reacted to people with disability, often in terror, led
to criticisms of ableism.[118] In December 2019, following a report by German
digital rights group netzpolitik.org, TikTok admitted that it had suppressed videos
by disabled users as well as LGBTQ+ users in a purported temporary effort to limit
cyberbullying.[119][120]

Viral trends
The app has spawned numerous viral trends, Internet celebrities, and music trends
around the world.[121] Duets, a feature that allows users to add their own video to
an existing video with the original content's audio, have sparked many of these
trends.[122] Many stars got their start on musical.ly, which merged with TikTok on
2 August 2018. These include Loren Gray, Baby Ariel, Zach King, Lisa and Lena,
Jacob Sartorius, and many others. Loren Gray remained the most-followed individual
on TikTok until Charli D'Amelio surpassed her on 25 March 2020. Gray's was the
first TikTok account to reach 40 million followers on the platform. She was
surpassed with 41.3 million followers. D'Amelio was the first to ever reach 50, 60,
and 70 million followers. Charli D'Amelio remained the most-followed individual on
the platform until she was surpassed by Khaby Lame on 23 June 2022. Other creators
rose to fame after the platform merged with musical.ly on 2 August 2018.[123]
TikTok also played a major part in making "Old Town Road" by Lil Nas X one of the
biggest songs of 2019 and the longest-running number-one song in the history of the
US Billboard Hot 100.[124][125][126]

TikTok has allowed many music artists to gain a wider audience, often including
foreign fans. For example, despite never having toured in Asia, the band Fitz and
the Tantrums developed a large following in South Korea following the widespread
popularity of their 2016 song "HandClap" on the platform.[127] "Any Song" by R&B
and rap artist Zico became number one on the Korean music charts due to the
popularity of the #anysongchallenge, where users dance to the choreography of the
song.[128] The platform has also launched many songs that failed to garner initial
commercial success into sleeper hits, particularly since the outbreak of the COVID-
19 pandemic.[129][130] However, it has received criticism for not paying royalties
to artists whose music is used on the platform.[131]

Classic stars are able to connect with younger audiences born decades after a
musician's first debut and across traditional genres. In 2020 Fleetwood Mac's
"Dreams" was used in a skating video and a recreation by Mick Fleetwood. The song
re-entered Billboard Hot 100 after 43 years and topped Apple Music. In 2022, Kate
Bush's "Running Up That Hill" went viral among fans of Stranger Things, topping the
UK singles chart 37 years after its original release. In 2023 Kylie Minogue's
"Padam Padam" entered the Radio 1 playlist after being shared by Gen Z, even though
many youth radio stations had refused to play it. Other older artists with strong
engagement on TikTok include Elton John and Rod Stewart.[132]

In June 2020, TikTok users and K-pop fans "claimed to have registered potentially
hundreds of thousands of tickets" for President Trump's campaign rally in Tulsa
through communication on TikTok,[133] contributing to "rows of empty seats"[134] at
the event. Later, in October 2020, an organization called TikTok for Biden was
created to support then-presidential candidate Joe Biden.[135] After the election,
the organization was renamed to Gen-Z for Change.[136][137]

On 10 August 2020, Emily Jacobssen wrote and sang "Ode to Remy", a song praising
the protagonist from Pixar's 2007 computer-animated film Ratatouille. The song rose
to popularity when musician Daniel Mertzlufft composed a backing track to the song.
In response, began creating a "crowdsourced" project called Ratatouille the
Musical. Since Mertzlufft's video, many new elements including costume design,
additional songs, and a playbill have been created.[138] On 1 January 2021, a full
one-hour virtual presentation of Ratatouille the Musical premiered on TodayTix. It
starred Titus Burgess as Remy, Wayne Brady as Django, Adam Lambert as Emile, Kevin
Chamberlin as Gusteau, Andrew Barth Feldman as Linguini, Ashley Park as Colette,
Priscilla Lopez as Mabel, Mary Testa as Skinner, and Andr� De Shields as Ego.

A viral TikTok trend known as "devious licks" involves students vandalizing or

stealing school property and posting videos of the action on the platform. The
trend has led to increasing school vandalism and subsequent measures taken by some
schools to prevent damage. Some students have been arrested for participating in
the trend.[139][140] TikTok has taken measures to remove and prevent access to
content displaying the trend.[141] Another TikTok trend known as the Kia Challenge
involves users stealing certain models of Kia and Hyundai cars manufactured without
immobilizers, which was a standard feature at the time, between 2010 and 2021.[142]
As of February 2023, it had resulted in at least 14 crashes and eight deaths
according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.[143] In May, Kia
and Hyundai settled a $200-million class-action lawsuit by agreeing to provide
software updates to affected vehicles and over 26,000 steering wheel locks.[144]
In 2023, a trend emerged where streamers acted as if they were video-game
characters following prompts from their viewers.[145]

On Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, some celebrities who had garnered large
followings as of August 2019 include Dilraba Dilmurat, Angelababy, Luo Zhixiang,
Ouyang Nana, and Pan Changjiang.[146] In the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a Qatari teenage
royal became an Internet celebrity after his angry expressions were recorded in
Qatar's opening match loss to Ecuador;[147] he amassed more than 15 million
followers in less than a week after creating a Douyin account.[148]

Food and recipes

This section is an excerpt from TikTok food trends.[edit]
TikTok food trends are specific food recipes and food-related fads on the social
media platform TikTok.[149] This content amassed popularity in 2020 during the
COVID-19 pandemic, as many people cooked and ate at home and more people turned to
social media for entertainment.[149] While some TikTok users share their diets and
recipes, others expand their brand or image on TikTok through step-by-step videos
of easy and popular recipes.[150] Users often refer to food-related content as
"FoodTok."[149]

The hashtags #TikTokFood and #FoodTok are used to identify food-related content,
[151] and have been viewed 40.2 billion and 9.7 billion times respectively since
the app's creation, according to the company. Food trends have had profound
societal impacts on their millions of viewers.[150] There has been increased
popularity in youth cooking, conversations on body image, use of marketing of food
products on social media, and food shortages due to mass trends.[152][153][154]
[155] Certain TikTok content creators such as Eitan Bernath, Jeron Combs, and Emily
Mariko have achieved fame by crafting recipes that have become food trends. They
and their colleagues have developed recipes such as the leftover salmon bowl, baked
feta cheese pasta, and pesto eggs.[156][157][158]
Fashion and body size
Further information: Model (people) � Types
"Midsize" fashion gained greater exposure on TikTok after many creators opened up
about not able to find clothing sizes that fit them well. Women's apparel can
roughly be divided into petite, straight, and plus sizes, leaving gaps in between.
Realistic videos about how differently pieces of garment fit on a model compared to
how they fit on a typical consumer resonated with many who had believed that they
were alone in their struggle.[159][160][161]

Cosmetic surgery
Content promoting cosmetic surgery is popular on TikTok and has spawned several
viral trends on the platform. In December 2021, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery,
the journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, published an article about
the popularity of some plastic surgeons on TikTok. In the article, it was noted
that plastic surgeons were some of the earliest adopters of social media in the
medical field and many had been recognized as influencers on the platform. The
article published stats about the most popular plastic surgeons on TikTok up to
February 2021 and at the time, five different plastic surgeons had surpassed 1
million followers on the platform.[162][163]

In 2021, it was reported that a trend known as the #NoseJobCheck trend was going
viral on TikTok. TikTok content creators used a specific audio on their videos
while showing how their noses looked before and after having their rhinoplasty
surgeries. By January 2021, the hashtag #nosejob had accumulated 1.6 billion views,
#nosejobcheck had accumulated 1 billion views, and the audio used in the
#NoseJobCheck trend had been used in 120,000 videos.[164] In 2020, Charli D'Amelio,
the most-followed person on TikTok at the time, also made a #NoseJobCheck video to
show the results of her surgery to repair her previously broken nose.[165]
In April 2022, NBC News reported that surgeons were giving influencers on the
platform discounted or free cosmetic surgeries in order to advertise the procedures
to their audiences. They also reported that facilities that offered these surgeries
were also posting about them on TikTok. TikTok has banned the advertising of
cosmetic surgeries on the platform but cosmetic surgeons are still able to reach
large audiences using unpaid photo and video posts. NBC reported that videos using
the hashtags '#plasticsurgery' and '#lipfiller' had amassed a combined 26 billion
views on the platform.[166]

In December 2022, it was reported that a cosmetic surgery procedure known as buccal
fat removal was going viral on the platform. The procedure involves surgically
removing fat from the cheeks in order to give the face a slimmer and more chiseled
appearance. Videos using hashtags related to buccal fat removal had collectively
amassed over 180 million views. Some TikTok users criticized the trend for
promoting an unobtainable beauty standard.[167][168][169]

Medication shortage
In November 2022, Australia's medical regulatory agency, the Therapeutic Goods
Administration (TGA) reported that there was a global shortage of the diabetes
medication Ozempic. According to the TGA, the rise in demand was caused by an
increase in off-label prescription of the drug for weight loss purposes.[170] In
December 2022, with the United States experiencing a shortage as well, it was
reported that the huge increase in demand for the medicine was caused by a weight
loss trend on TikTok, where videos about the drug exceeded 360 million views.[171]
[172][173] Wegovy, a drug that has been specifically approved for treating obesity,
also became popular on the platform after Elon Musk credited it for helping him
lose weight.[174][175]

Influencer marketing
TikTok has provided a platform for users to create content not only for fun but
also for money. As the platform has grown significantly over the past few years, it
has allowed companies to advertise and rapidly reach their intended demographic
through influencer marketing.[176] The platform's AI algorithm also contributes to
the influencer marketing potential, as it picks out content according to the user's
preference.[177] Sponsored content is not as prevalent on the platform as it is on
other social media apps, but brands and influencers still can make as much as they
would if not more in comparison to other platforms.[177] Influencers on the
platform who earn money through engagement, such as likes and comments, are
referred to as "meme machines".[176]

In 2021, The New York Times reported that viral TikTok videos by young people
relating the emotional impact of books on them, tagged with the label "BookTok",
significantly drove sales of literature. Publishers were increasingly using the
platform as a venue for influencer marketing.[178]

In December 2022, NBC News reported in a television segment that some TikTok and
YouTube influencers were being given free and discounted cosmetic surgeries in
order for them to advertise the surgeries to users of the platforms.[179]

In 2022, it was reported that a trend called "de-influencing" had become popular on
the platform as a backlash to influencer marketing. TikTok creators participating
in this trend made videos criticizing products promoted by influencers and asked
their audiences not to buy products they did not need. However, some creators
participating in the trend started promoting alternative products to their
audiences and earning commission from sales made through their affiliate links in
the same manner as the influencers they were originally criticizing.[180][181]
In June 2022, NBC News reported that some of the influencers paid by FeetFinder, a
website that sells foot fetish content, did not disclose their videos were ads.
FeetFinder said that it has suggested to influencers to be upfront about who was
funding them. Existing sellers on FeetFinder said that the videos often
misrepresented how "easy" it is to make money from posting feet pictures. Other
TikTok creators have spoken out against accepting sponsorship deals
indiscriminately and criticized those who posted undisclosed FeetFinder ads.[182]

Use by businesses
In October 2020, the e-commerce platform Shopify added TikTok to its portfolio of
social media platforms, allowing online merchants to sell their products directly
to consumers on TikTok.[183]

Some small businesses have used TikTok to advertise and to reach an audience wider
than the geographical region they would normally serve. The viral response to many
small business TikTok videos has been attributed to TikTok's algorithm, which shows
content that viewers at large are drawn to, but which they are unlikely to actively
search for (such as videos on unconventional types of businesses, like beekeeping
and logging).[184]

In 2020, digital media companies such as Group Nine Media and Global used TikTok
increasingly, focusing on tactics such as brokering partnerships with TikTok
influencers and developing branded content campaigns.[185] Notable collaborations
between larger brands and top TikTok influencers have included Chipotle's
partnership with David Dobrik in May 2019[186] and Dunkin' Donuts' partnership with
Charli D'Amelio in September 2020.[187]

Sex work
TikTok is regularly used by sex workers to promote pornographic content sold on
platforms such as OnlyFans.[188] One porn actor posted a viral song referring to
himself as an "accountant", starting a trend.[189] In 2020 TikTok updated their
terms of service to ban content that promotes "premium sexual content", impacting a
large number of adult content creators.[190] In response, they began substituting
words in their captions and videos and using filters to censor explicit images.
Evan Greer, director of Fight for the Future, believes that at some point,
censorship becomes a fool's errand and we would never be "able to sanitize the
Internet".[191][192] Some adult content creators have found a way to game TikTok's
recommendation algorithm by posting riddles, which attract a large number of
viewers trying and failing to solve them. Some of them are redirected to the
creators' OnlyFans accounts and end up as subscribers there.[193]

STEM feed
In March 2023, TikTok introduced a dedicated feed for science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) content. It works with Common Sense Networks to
check for safety and age appropriateness and with the Poynter Institute for
reliability of information.[194][195]

Heating
In January 2023, Forbes reported that a "heating" tool allows TikTok to manually
promote certain videos, comprising 1-2% of daily views. The practice began as a way
to grow and diversify content and influencers that were not automatically picked up
by the recommendation algorithm. It was also used to promote brands, artists, and
NGOs, such as the FIFA World Cup and Taylor Swift.[196] However, some employees
have abused it to promote their own accounts or those of their spouses, while
others have felt that their guidelines leave too much room for discretion. TikTok
said only a few individuals can approve heating in the U.S. and the promoted videos
take up less than 0.002% of user feeds. To address concerns of Chinese influence,
the company is negotiating with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United
States (CFIUS) such that future heating could only be performed by vetted security
personnel in the U.S. and the process would be audited by third-parties such as
Oracle.[197]

Censorship and moderation

Main article: Censorship by TikTok
TikTok's and Douyin's censorship policies have been criticized as non-transparent.
Internal guidelines against the promotion of violence, separatism, and
"demonization of countries" could be used to prohibit content related to the
Tiananmen Square crackdown, Falun Gong, Tibet, Taiwan, Chechnya, Northern Ireland,
the Cambodian genocide, the 1998 Indonesian riots, Kurdish nationalism, ethnic
conflicts between blacks and whites, or between different Islamic sects. A more
specific list banned criticisms against world leaders, including past and present
ones from Russia, the United States, Japan, North and South Korea, India,
Indonesia, and Turkey.[198][199] In 2019, TikTok took down a video about human
rights abuses in the Xinjiang internment camps against Uyghurs but restored it
after 50 minutes as well as the creator's account, saying that the action was a
mistake and triggered by a brief "satirical" image of Osama bin Laden in another
post.[200][201]

TikTok moderators were instructed to suppress posts from "For You" recommendations
if the users shown were deemed "too ugly, poor, or disabled".[120][202] The
consumption of alcohol, full or partial nudity, LGBT and intersex contents were
restricted even in places where they are legal.[203] TikTok has since apologized
and instituted a ban against anti-LGBTQ ideology, but censorship continues on
Douyin due to regulations in China.[112][204] Douyin guidelines also forbid live
broadcasting by unregistered foreigners, "feudal superstition", "money worship",
smoking and drinking, competitive eating by the "already obese", "toxic" slime,
"pornographic" ASMR such as ear-licking, and female anchors wearing revealing
clothes.[199]

ByteDance said its early guidelines were global and aimed at reducing online
harassment and divisiveness when its platforms were still growing. They have been
replaced by versions customized by local teams for users in different regions.[205]

A March 2021 study by the Citizen Lab found that TikTok did not censor searches
politically but was inconclusive about whether posts are.[3][206] A 2023 paper by
the Internet Governance Project at Georgia Institute of Technology found no pro-
China censorship on TikTok.[207]

Following increased scrutiny, TikTok said it is granting some outside experts

access to the platform's anonymized data sets and protocols, including filters,
keywords, criteria for heating, and source code.[208][209]

Extremism and hate

Concerns have been voiced regarding content relating to, and the promotion and
spreading of hate speech and far-right extremism, such as antisemitism, racism, and
xenophobia. Some videos were shown to expressly promote Holocaust denial and told
viewers to take up arms and fight in the name of white supremacy and the swastika.
[210] As TikTok has gained popularity among young children,[211] and the popularity
of extremist and hateful content is growing, calls for tighter restrictions on
their flexible boundaries have been made. TikTok has since released tougher
parental controls to filter out inappropriate content and to ensure they can
provide sufficient protection and security.[212]

In Malaysia, TikTok is used by some users to engage in hate speech against race and
religion especially mentioning the 13 May incident after the 2022 election. TikTok
responded by taking down videos with content that violated their community
guidelines.[213]
In March 2023, The Jewish Chronicle reported that TikTok still hosted videos that
promoted the neo-Nazi propaganda film Europa: The Last Battle, despite having been
alerted to the issue four months prior. TikTok said it removed and would continue
to remove the content and associated accounts and has blocked the search term as
well.[214]

ISIL propaganda
Main article: Use of social media by the Islamic State
In October 2019, TikTok removed about two dozen accounts that were responsible for
posting ISIL propaganda and execution videos on the app.[215][216]

Misinformation
See also: COVID-19 misinformation
TikTok has banned Holocaust denial, but other conspiracy theories have become
popular on the platform, such as Pizzagate and QAnon (two conspiracy theories
popular among the U.S. alt-right) whose hashtags reached almost 80 million views
and 50 million views respectively by June 2020.[217] The platform has also been
used to spread misinformation about the COVID-19 pandemic, such as clips from
Plandemic.[217] TikTok removed some of these videos and has generally added links
to accurate COVID-19 information on videos with tags related to the pandemic.[218]

In January 2020, left-leaning media watchdog Media Matters for America said that
TikTok hosted misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic despite a recent
policy against misinformation.[219] In April 2020, the government of India asked
TikTok to remove users posting misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
[220] There were also multiple conspiracy theories that the government is involved
with the spread of the pandemic.[221] As a response to this, TikTok launched a
feature to report content for misinformation.[222] It reported that in the second
half of 2020, over 340,000 videos in the U.S. about election misinformation and
50,000 videos of COVID-19 misinformation were removed.[223]

To combat misinformation in the 2022 midterm election in the US, TikTok announced a
midterms Elections Center available in-app to users in 40 different languages.
TikTok partnered with the National Association of Secretaries of State to give
accurate local information to users.[224]

In September 2022, NewsGuard Technologies reported that among the TikTok searches
it had conducted and analyzed from the U.S., 19.4% surfaced misinformation such as
questionable or harmful content about COVID-19 vaccines, homemade remedies, the
2020 US elections, the war in Ukraine, the Robb Elementary School shooting, and
abortion. NewsGuard suggested that in contrast, results from Google were of higher
quality.[225] Mashable's own test from Australia found innocuous results after
searching for "getting my COVID vaccine" but suggestions such as "climate change is
a myth" after typing in "climate change".[223]

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Further information: Disinformation in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
As of 2022, TikTok is the 10th most popular app in Russia.[226] After a new set of
Russian fake news laws was installed in March 2022, the company announced a series
of restrictions on Russian and non-Russian posts and livestreams.[227][228]
Tracking Exposed, a user data rights group, learned of what was likely a technical
glitch that became exploited by pro-Russia posters. It stated that although this
and other loopholes were patched by TikTok before the end of March, the initial
failure to correctly implement the restrictions, in addition to the effects from
Kremlin's "fake news" laws, contributed to the formation of a "splInternet ...
dominated by pro-war content" in Russia.[229][226] TikTok said that it had removed
204 accounts for swaying public opinion about the war while obscuring their origins
and that its fact checkers had removed 41,191 videos for violating its
misinformation policies.[230][231]
User privacy
Privacy concerns have also been brought up regarding the app.[232][233] In its
privacy policy, TikTok lists that it collects usage information, IP addresses, a
user's mobile carrier, unique device identifiers, keystroke patterns, and location
data, among other data.[234][235][non-primary source needed]

In January 2020, Check Point Research discovered a vulnerability, later patched by

TikTok, whereby a hacker could spoof TikTok's official SMS messages and replace
them with malicious links to gain access to user accounts.[236]

In February, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman criticized the app, calling it "spyware".
[237][238] TikTok said the accusations were made without evidence.[234]

In July, Wells Fargo banned the app from company devices due to privacy and
security concerns.[239]

In August 2020, The Wall Street Journal reported that TikTok tracked Android user
data, including MAC addresses and IMEIs, with a tactic in violation of Google's
policies.[240][241] The report sparked calls in the U.S. Senate for the Federal
Trade Commission (FTC) to launch an investigation.[242]

A March 2021 study by the Citizen Lab found that TikTok did not collect data beyond
the industry norms, what its policy stated, or without additional user permission.
[206]

In June 2021, TikTok updated its privacy policy to include potential collection of
biometric data, including "faceprints and voiceprints", for special effects and
other purposes. The terms said that user authorization would be requested if local
law demands such.[243] Experts considered the terms to be "vague" and their
implications "problematic" in light of the general lack of robust data privacy laws
in the United States.[244] Also in June, CNBC reported that according to former
TikTok employees, some staff members in China and employees at ByteDance had access
to US user data.[245]

In October 2021, following the Facebook Files and controversies about social media
ethics, a bipartisan group of lawmakers also pressed TikTok, YouTube, and Snapchat
on questions of data privacy and moderation for age-appropriate content. Lawmakers
also "hammered" TikTok about whether consumer data could be turned over to Beijing
through ByteDance, its parent company in China.[246] TikTok said it does not give
information to China's government and "U.S. user data" is stored within the country
with backups in Singapore. According to the company's representative, TikTok had
"no affiliation" with the subsidiary Beijing ByteDance Technology, in which the
Chinese government has a minority stake and board seat.[247]

In August 2022, software engineer and security researcher Felix Krause found that
in-app browsers from TikTok and other platforms contained codes for keylogger
functionality but did not have the means to further investigate whether any data
was tracked or recorded. TikTok said that the code is disabled.[248]

In a November 2022 update to its European privacy policy, TikTok stated that its
global corporate group employees from China and other countries could gain remote
access to the user information of accounts from Europe based on "demonstrated
need".[249]

In May 2023, The Wall Street Journal reported that former employees complained
about TikTok tracking users who had viewed LGBT-related content, leading to fears
of collected data potentially usable for blackmail.[250] It also reported that a
former employee from 2018 was suing TikTok's parent, ByteDance, for wrongful
termination from his job. The suit alleges that Hong Kong users' device information
and communications were accessed by Chinese Communist Party members. ByteDance
denied the claims and said the employee worked on a defunct project. The company
pulled TikTok out of Hong Kong in 2020.[251]

In June 2023, TikTok confirmed that some financial information, such as tax forms
and Social Security numbers, of American content creators are stored in China. This
applies to those signing contracts with and receiving payment transactions from
ByteDance. Whether similar information will remain exempt from being treated as
"protected user data" is being negotiated with the Committee on Foreign Investment
in the United States.[252]

Underage users
As with other platforms popular with children, underage users may inadvertently
reveal their daily routine and whereabouts, raising concerns of potential misuse by
sexual predators.[253][254] At the time of reporting (2018), TikTok had only two
privacy settings, either private or completely public, without any middle ground.
[255] Comment sections of "sexy" videos, such as young girls dancing in revealing
clothes, were found to contain requests for nude pictures. TikTok itself forbids
direct messaging of videos and photos, which meant follow-up interactions, if any,
would have to take place in some other form.[256][114]

On 22 January 2021, the Italian Data Protection Authority demanded that TikTok
temporarily suspend Italian users whose age could not be established.[257] The
order came after the death of a 10-year-old Sicilian girl involved in an Internet
challenge. TikTok asked its users in Italy to confirm again that they were over 13
years old. By May, over 500,000 accounts had been removed for failing the age
check.[258]

In July 2021, the Dutch Data Protection Authority fined TikTok �750,000 euros for
offering privacy statements only in English but not in Dutch. It noted that TikTok
had implemented positive measures, such as forbidding direct messaging for users
younger than 16 and allowing their parents to manage privacy settings directly
through a paired family account, but the risk of children pretending to be older
when creating their account remains.[259][260]

TikTok raised the minimum age for livestreaming from 16 to 18 after a BBC News
investigation found hundreds of accounts going live from Syrian refugee camps. 30
of them showed children begging for digital donation. TikTok reportedly took a 70%
commission from some of them, a figure that the company disputed.[261]

Journalist spying scandal

In June 2022, BuzzFeed News reported that leaked audio recordings of internal
TikTok meetings reveal employees in China had access to overseas data, including a
"master admin" who could see "everything". Some of the recordings were made during
consultations with Booz Allen Hamilton, a US government contractor. A spokesperson
of the contractor said some of the report's information was inaccurate but would
neither confirm nor deny whether TikTok was one of its clients.[262] Following the
reports, TikTok confirmed that employees in China could have access to U.S. data.
[263] It also announced that US user traffic would now be routed through Oracle
Cloud and that backup copies would be deleted from other servers.[264]

In October 2022, Forbes reported that a team at ByteDance planned to surveil

certain US citizens for undisclosed reasons. TikTok said that the tracking method
suggested by the report would not be feasible because precise GPS information is
not collected by the platform.[265][266] In December 2022, ByteDance confirmed
after internal investigation that the data of two journalists and their close
contacts had been accessed by its employees from China and the United States on an
"audit" team. The audit was intended to uncover sources of leaks who might have met
with the journalists from Forbes and the Financial Times. The data accessed
included IP addresses, which can be used to approximate a user's location. Four
employees have been terminated, including the audit team's lead Chris Lepitak and
his superior, executive Song Ye. ByteDance and TikTok condemned the individuals'
misuse of authority.[267] The incident is being investigated by the US Department
of Justice and FBI.[268][269][270] The US Attorney for the Eastern District of
Virginia reportedly subpoenaed information from ByteDance regarding efforts made to
access US journalists' private user data using TikTok.[271]

European data privacy investigations

In September 2021, the Ireland Data Protection Commission (DPC) launched
investigations into TikTok concerning the protection of minors' data and transfers
of personal data to China.[272][273] The Irish DPC became the lead agency to handle
such matters after TikTok established an office in the country, taking over
investigations started by Dutch and Italian authorities.[274][259] In September
2023, the DPC fined TikTok �345 million for violations of the General Data
Protection Regulation (GDPR) vis-�-vis the mishandling of children data.[275][276]

Project Clover
TikTok has faced criticism for transferring European user data to servers in the
United States. It is holding discussions with UK's National Cyber Security Centre
about a "Project Clover" for storing European information locally. The company
plans to build two data centers in Ireland and one more in Norway. A third party
will oversee the cybersecurity policies, data flows, and personnel access
independently of TikTok.[277][278][14]

UK Information Commissioner's Office investigation

In February 2019, the United Kingdom's Information Commissioner's Office launched
an investigation of TikTok following the fine ByteDance received from the United
States Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Speaking to a parliamentary committee,
Information Commissioner Elizabeth Denham said that the investigation focuses on
the issues of private data collection, the kind of videos collected and shared by
children online, as well as the platform's open messaging system which allows any
adult to message any child. She noted that the company was potentially violating
the GDPR which requires the company to provide different services and different
protections for children.[279]

Privacy Commissioner of Canada investigation

In February 2023, the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, along with its counterparts
in Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec, launched an investigation into TikTok's
data collection practices.[280]

Texas Attorney General investigation

In February 2022, the incumbent Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, initiated an
investigation into TikTok for alleged violations of children's privacy and
facilitation of human trafficking.[281][282] Paxton claimed that the Texas
Department of Public Safety gathered several pieces of content showing the
attempted recruitment of teenagers to smuggle people or goods across the
Mexico�United States border. He claimed the evidence may prove the company's
involvement in "human smuggling, sex trafficking and drug trafficking." The company
claimed that no illegal activity of any kind is supported on the platform.[283]

U.S. COPPA fines

See also: Children's Online Privacy Protection Act
On 27 February 2019, the United States Federal Trade Commission (FTC) fined
ByteDance U.S.$5.7 million for collecting information from minors under the age of
13 in violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.[284] ByteDance
responded by adding a kids-only mode to TikTok which blocks the upload of videos,
the building of user profiles, direct messaging, and commenting on others' videos,
while still allowing the viewing and recording of content.[285] In May 2020, an
advocacy group filed a complaint with the FTC saying that TikTok had violated the
terms of the February 2019 consent decree, which sparked subsequent Congressional
calls for a renewed FTC investigation.[286][287][288][289] In July 2020, it was
reported that the FTC and the United States Department of Justice had initiated
investigations.[290]

Addiction and mental health concerns

Further information: Digital media use and mental health and Social media and
suicide
There are concerns that some users may find it hard to stop using TikTok.[291] In
April 2018, an addiction-reduction feature was added to Douyin.[291] This
encouraged users to take a break every 90 minutes.[291] Later in 2018, the feature
was rolled out to the TikTok app. TikTok uses some top influencers such as Gabe
Erwin, Alan Chikin Chow, James Henry, and Cosette Rinab to encourage viewers to
stop using the app and take a break.[292]

Many were also concerned with the app affecting users' attention spans due to the
short-form nature of the content. This is a concern as many of TikTok's audience
are younger children, whose brains are still developing.[293] TikTok executives and
representatives have noted and made aware to advertisers on the platform that users
have poor attention spans. With a large amount of video content, nearly 50% of
users find it stressful to watch a video longer than a minute and a third of users
watch videos at double speed.[107] TikTok has also received criticism for enabling
children to purchase coins which they can send to other users.[294]

In February 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported that "Mental-health

professionals around the country are growing increasingly concerned about the
effects on teen girls of posting sexualized TikTok videos."[295] In March 2022, a
coalition of U.S. state attorneys general launched an investigation into TikTok's
effect on children's mental health.[296] In June 2022, TikTok introduced the
ability to set a maximum uninterrupted screen time allowance, after which the app
blocks off the ability to navigate the feed. The block only lifts after the app is
exited and left unused for a set period of time. Additionally, the app features a
dashboard with statistics on how often the app is opened, how much time is spent
browsing it and when the browsing occurs.[297]

Since 2021, it has been reported that accounts engaging with contents related to
suicide, self-harm, or eating disorder were fed more of similar videos. Some users
were able to circumvent TikTok filters by writing in code or using unconventional
spelling. The company has faced multiple lawsuits pertaining to wrongful deaths.
TikTok said it is working to break up these "rabbit holes" of similar
recommendations. US searches for eating disorder receive a prompt that offers
mental health resources.[298][299][300]

In 2021, the platform revealed that it will be introducing a feature that will
prevent teenagers from receiving notifications past their bedtime. The company will
no longer send push notifications after 9 PM to users aged between 13 and 15. For
16 to 17 year olds, notifications will not be sent after 10 PM.[301] In March 2023,
TikTok announced default screen time limits for users under the age of 18. Those
under the age of 13 would need a passcode from their parents to extend their time.
[302]

The Wall Street Journal has reported that doctors experienced a surge in reported
cases of tics, tied to an increasing number of TikTok videos from content creators
with Tourette syndrome. Doctors suggested that the cause may be a social one as
users who consumed content showcasing various tics would sometimes develop tics of
their own,[303] akin to mass psychogenic illness.[304][305]
Workplace conditions
See also: Overwork
Several former employees of the company have claimed of poor workplace conditions,
including the start of the workweek on Sunday to cooperate with Chinese timezones
and excessive workload. Employees claimed they averaged 85 hours of meetings per
week and would frequently stay up all night in order to complete tasks. Some
employees claimed the workplace's schedule operated similarly to the 996 schedule.
The company has a stated policy of working from 10 AM to 7 PM five days per week
(63 hours per week), but employees noted that it was encouraged for employees to
work after hours. One female worker complained that the company did not allow her
adequate time to change her feminine hygiene product because of back-to-back
meetings. Another employee noted that working at the company caused her to seek
marriage therapy and lose an unhealthy amount of weight.[306] In response to the
allegations, the company noted that they were committed to allowing employees
"support and flexibility".[307][308]

Bans and attempted bans

Main article: Censorship of TikTok

Countries that banned TikTok on governmental devices

Countries that made temporary bans in the past
Countries where TikTok is banned
Countries that banned TikTok and made their own version
Asia
As of August 2023, TikTok is reportedly banned in several Asian countries including
Afghanistan,[309] Armenia, Azerbaijan, India,[310][311][312] Iran,[313] Kyrgyzstan,
[314] and Syria. The app was previously banned temporarily in Indonesia,[315] but
has been lifted.

With reports that Palestinians resorted to TikTok for promoting their cause after
platforms like Facebook and Twitter blocked their content,[316] Israeli analyst
Yoni Ben-Menachem told Arab News in 2022 that the Chinese app was a "tool of
dangerous influence" inciting violence through videos glorifying attacks against
Israelis.[317][318] The Palestinian militant group Lion's Den gained much of their
popularity through TikTok, according to Ynet.[319] In February 2023, Otzma Yehudit
politician Almog Cohen advocated blocking TikTok for all of East Jerusalem.[320]

Canada
In February 2023, the Canadian government banned TikTok from all government-issued
mobile devices.[321]

Europe
In February 2023, the European Commission and European Council banned TikTok from
official devices.[322][323]

Belgium
In March 2023, Belgium banned TikTok from all federal government work devices over
cybersecurity, privacy, and misinformation concerns.[324]

Denmark
In March 2023, Denmark's Ministry of Defence banned TikTok on work devices.[325]

France
In July 2023, members of the French parliament recommended a general ban of TikTok
unless it were to "come clean". Concerns ranged from the company's ownership
structure, the effectiveness of the app's content moderation and age limits.
Government officials also blamed TikTok and other social media platforms for the
riots that ensued after the police shooting of Nahel Merzouk. The recommendation
was non-binding.[326]
United Kingdom
In March 2023, the UK government announced that TikTok would be banned on work
devices used by ministers and other employees, amid security concerns relating to
the app's handling of user data. Downing Street and the Ministry of Defence can
continue to use the app under some exempting circumstances.[327] The same month,
the BBC told all employees to delete TikTok off their devices unless the app was
being used for work purposes. The network is also reportedly considering a ban on
the app.[328]

United States
Main article: Restrictions on TikTok in the United States
In January 2020, the United States Army and Navy banned TikTok on government
devices after the Defense Department labeled it a security risk. Recruitors had
been using the app to help fill quotas, and some continue to maintain a level of
engagement through their personal accounts.[329][330][331]

According to a 2020 article in The New York Times, CIA analysts determined that
while it is possible the Chinese government could obtain user information from the
app, there was no evidence it had done so.[332] Several independent cybersecurity
experts have also concluded that there is no determinable evidence that user
information was being or had been obtained by the Chinese government, although they
note that the amount of data that the app collects is of comparable volume to other
social media apps, including U.S.-based platforms such as Facebook and Twitter.
[333][334]

On 6 August 2020, then U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order[335][336] which
would ban TikTok transactions in 45 days if it was not sold by ByteDance. Trump
also signed a similar order against the WeChat application owned by the Chinese
multinational company Tencent.[337][338]

On 14 August 2020, Trump issued another order[339][340] giving ByteDance 90 days to

sell or spin off its U.S. TikTok business.[341] In the order, Trump said that there
is "credible evidence" that leads him to believe that ByteDance "might take action
that threatens to impair the national security of the United States."[342] Donald
Trump was concerned about TikTok being a threat because TikTok's parent company was
rumored to be taking United States user data and reporting it back to Chinese
operations through the company ByteDance.[343]

In June 2021, new president Joe Biden signed an executive order revoking the Trump
administration ban on TikTok, and instead ordered the Secretary of Commerce to
investigate the app to determine if it poses a threat to U.S. national security.
[344]

In June 2022, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr called for Google and Apple to remove
TikTok from their app stores, citing national security concerns, saying TikTok
"harvests swaths of sensitive data that new reports show are being accessed in
Beijing."[345][346]

In September 2022, during a testimony to the Senate Homeland Security Committee,

TikTok's COO would not commit to stopping "all data and metadata flows" to China.
The COO reacted to concerns of the company's handling of user data by stating that
TikTok does not operate in China, though the company does have an office there.
[347]

In November 2022, Christopher A. Wray, director of the Federal Bureau of

Investigation, told U.S. lawmakers that "the Chinese government could use [TikTok]
to control data collection on millions of users or control the recommendation
algorithm, which could be used for influence operations."[348]
In December 2022, Senator Marco Rubio and representatives Mike Gallagher and Raja
Krishnamoorthi introduced the Averting the National Threat of Internet
Surveillance, Oppressive Censorship and Influence, and Algorithmic Learning by the
Chinese Communist Party Act (ANTI-SOCIAL CCP Act), which would prohibit Chinese-
and Russian-owned social networks from doing business in the United States.[349]
[350] That month, Senator Josh Hawley also introduced a separate measure, the No
TikTok on Government Devices Act, to ban federal employees from using TikTok on all
government devices.[351] On 15 December, Hawley's measure was unanimously passed by
the U.S. Senate.[352] On 27 December, the Chief Administrative Officer of the
United States House of Representatives banned TikTok from all devices managed by
the House of Representatives.[353]

As of February 2023,[354][355] at least 32 (of 50) states have announced or enacted

bans on state government agencies, employees, and contractors using TikTok on
government-issued devices. State bans only affect government employees and do not
prohibit civilians from having or using the app on their personal devices.

In March 2023, Politico reported that TikTok hired SKDK to lobby amid a possible
federal ban.[356] This preceded TikTok's CEO appearance before Congress to address
the concerns surrounding the app. He stated that TikTok's data collection practices
did not differ from those of other US social media platforms.[357] A researcher at
the Citizen Lab believes that governments around the world should better protect
user information in general from being exploited by Big Tech, not focus exclusively
on one app.[270]

Montana became the first state to pass legislation banning TikTok on all personal
devices from operating within state lines and barring app stores from offering
TikTok for downloads.[358][359][360] State governor Greg Gianforte signed the bill
in May 2023 with the law going into effect in January 2024.[358][359][361] TikTok
is paying the attorney fees for a lawsuit from Montana content creators who had
expressed concerns about the legislation. The company is filing a separate case on
its own behalf to overturn the ban.[362]

Commentary
Security officials have few details to offer about the move against TikTok.[14]

Attempts to ban TikTok by the United States have been regarded as hypocritical and
politically motivated. The U.S. is headquarters to major global Internet companies,
and its intelligence agencies such as the NSA can broadly interpret Section 702 of
the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) to search user communications even
without a warrant. Non-US persons are more easily targeted, numbering 232,432 in
2021, but US citizens' communications can also be caught up.[363]

The types of data collected by TikTok are also collected by other social media
platforms and available for purchase through brokers, often without oversight, by
both private and state entities.[363] A researcher at Georgia Tech's Internet
Governance Project raised the question of whether protectionism of U.S.
corporations, rather than privacy concerns, is the primary motivation of the US
government. An analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies writes
that it would make more sense to focus on the protection of data directly rather
than on any particular platform.[364]

Project Texas
Following Trump administration's attempt to ban the platform, TikTok has been
working to silo privileged user data within the United States under oversight from
the US government or a third party such as Oracle.[270] Named Project Texas, the
initiative focuses on unauthorized access, state influence, and software security.
A new subsidiary, TikTok U.S. Data Security Inc. (USDS), was created to manage user
data, software code, back-end systems, and content moderation. It would report to
the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), not ByteDance or
TikTok, even for hiring practices. Oracle would review and spot check the data
flows through USDS. It would also digitally sign software code, approve updates,
and oversee content moderation and recommendation. Physical locations would be
established so that Oracle and the US government could conduct their own reviews.
[365] The company has been engaged in confidential negotiations over the project
with CFIUS since 2021 and submitted its proposal but received little response from
the panel afterward.[366]

In March 2023, a former employee of the company said Project Texas did not go far
enough and that a complete "re-engineering" would be needed. TikTok responded by
saying that Project Texas already is a re-engineering of the app and that the
former employee left in 2022 before the project specifications were finalized.[367]

Oceania
By 7 March 2023, 68 Australian federal agencies had banned TikTok on work-related
mobile devices. Liberal Party Senator James Paterson called for a federal ban on
all government-related devices.[368] In April, West Australian Premier Mark McGowan
banned TikTok from government phones.[369]

On 17 March 2023, the New Zealand Parliamentary Service banned TikTok on devices
connected to Parliament, citing cybersecurity concerns.[370][371]

Other legal issues

Some countries have shown concerns regarding the content on TikTok, as their
cultures view it as obscene, immoral, vulgar, and encouraging pornography. There
have been temporary blocks and warnings issued by countries including Indonesia,
[372] Bangladesh,[373] India,[374] and Pakistan[375][376] over the content
concerns. In 2018, Douyin was reprimanded by Chinese media watchdogs for showing
"unacceptable" content.[377]

On 27 July 2020, Egypt sentenced five women to two years in prison over TikTok
videos. One of the women had encouraged other women to try and earn money on the
platform, another woman was sent to prison for dancing. The court also imposed a
fine of 300,000 Egyptian pounds (UK�14,600) on each defendant.[378]

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita filed lawsuits against TikTok, alleging that
the platform exposed inappropriate content to minors. The complaint also alleges
that TikTok "intentionally falsely reports the frequency of sexual content, nudity,
and mature/suggestive themes" on their platform which made the app's "12-plus" age
ratings on the Apple and Google app stores deceptive.[379][380]

Tencent lawsuits
Tencent's WeChat platform has been accused of blocking Douyin's videos.[381][382]
In April 2018, Douyin sued Tencent and accused it of spreading false and damaging
information on its WeChat platform, demanding CN�1 million in compensation and an
apology. In June 2018, Tencent filed a lawsuit against Toutiao and Douyin in a
Beijing court, alleging they had repeatedly defamed Tencent with negative news and
damaged its reputation, seeking a nominal sum of CN�1 in compensation and a public
apology.[383] In response, Toutiao filed a complaint the following day against
Tencent for allegedly unfair competition and asking for CN�90 million in economic
losses.[384]

Data transfer class action lawsuit

In November 2019, a class action lawsuit was filed in California that alleged that
TikTok transferred personally identifiable information of U.S. persons to servers
located in China owned by Tencent and Alibaba.[385][386][387] The lawsuit also
accused ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, of taking user content without their
permission. The plaintiff of the lawsuit, college student Misty Hong, downloaded
the app but said she never created an account. She realized a few months later that
TikTok has created an account for her using her information (such as biometrics)
and made a summary of her information. The lawsuit also alleged that information
was sent to Chinese tech giant Baidu.[388] In July 2020, twenty lawsuits against
TikTok were merged into a single class action lawsuit in the United States District
Court for the Northern District of Illinois.[389] In February 2021, TikTok agreed
to pay $92 million to settle the class action lawsuit.[390]

Voice actor lawsuit

In May 2021, Canadian voice actor Bev Standing filed a lawsuit against TikTok over
the use of her voice in the text-to-speech feature without her permission. The
lawsuit was filed in the Southern District of New York. TikTok declined to comment.
Standing believes that TikTok used recordings she made for the Chinese government-
run Institute of Acoustics.[391] The voice used in the feature was subsequently
changed.[392]

Market Information Research Foundation lawsuit

In June 2021, the Netherlands-based Market Information Research Foundation (SOMI)
filed a �1.4 billion lawsuit on behalf of Dutch parents against TikTok, alleging
that the app gathers data on children without adequate permission.[393]

Blackout Challenge lawsuits

Multiple lawsuits have been filed against TikTok, accusing the platform of hosting
content that led to the death of at least seven children.[394] The lawsuits claim
that children died after attempting the "Blackout challenge", a TikTok trend that
involves strangling or asphyxiating someone or themselves until they black out
(passing out). TikTok stated that search queries for the challenge do not show any
results, linking instead to protective resources, while the parents of two of the
deceased argued that the content showed up on their children's TikTok feeds,
without them searching for it.[395]

Cooperation with law enforcement

In June 2023 The New Zealand Herald reported that TikTok, working in cooperation
with both New Zealand and Australian police, deleted 340 accounts and 2,000 videos
associated with criminal gangs including the Mongrel Mob, Black Power, Killer Beez,
the Comancheros, Mongols, and Rebels. TikTok had earlier drawn criticism for
hosting content by organised crime groups promoting the gang lifestyle and fights.
A TikTok spokesperon reiterated the platform's efforts to countering "violent" and
"hateful" organisations' content and cooperating with police. New Zealand Police
Commissioner Andrew Coster praised the platform for taking a "socially-responsible
stance" against gangs.[396]

See also