What is TikTok? Thanks for asking!
Social network Tiktok allows users to publish short-form mobile videos. It’s been downloaded over 2 billion times since it was created in 2016, and its influence is growing bigger and bigger. That’s especially true within the music industry. There have been numerous success stories of new artists emerging on TikTok to become internet celebrities. The app has a reputation for being popular with members of Gen Z around the world. And the stats back it up; 70% of users are under the age of 25. With light-hearted features like comedy clips, dance choreographies and lip-syncing, it’s mostly seen as an entertainment app. Indeed, the “OK Boomer” catchphrase first went viral thanks to a TikTok clip. Listen to our previous episode on the subject to find out more! But TikTok has become increasingly political in different ways. Some countries are even considering banning it!
It seems like harmless fun - why would anyone want to ban such an app?
Much of the controversy stems from the fact that TikTok is owned by a Chinese company; that’s Byte Dance in case you didn’t already know. Countries like India, the United States and Australia suspect TikTok of feeding user data to the Chinese government. Like many mobile apps, TikTok collects information on its users. That includes their location, smartphone model and even the rhythm at which they type. TikTok directors have denied the accusations, but not everyone is convinced. India was first to introduce a ban, a real blow as it was the company’s second largest market after China. Even if the official reasoning is to do with security concerns, there’s also no doubt some countries want to sanction China for some of its foreign policies. Many have referred to the rivalry between China and the US as a New Cold War. It’s arguably in American interest to limit the influence of Chinese tech companies. But the political aspect is not just to do with TikTok’s ownership. Users themselves have begun posting more political content this year.
How did TikTok go from dance videos to political activism? What did TikTok users have to do with that? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!
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