TikTok
TikTok, whose mainland Chinese counterpart is Douyin, is a short-form video hosting service owned by Chinese internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from three seconds to 60 minutes. It can be accessed with a smartphone app.
Some of the key events about TikTok
- 2016Launched as a short-form video sharing platform, initially known as Douyin in China
- 2017Expanded internationally under the name TikTok
- 2018Merged with Musical.ly, significantly increasing its user base
- 2018TikTok was fined $5.7 million by the US Federal Trade Commission for illegally collecting personal information from children under 13
- 2019Introduced educational content initiative #EduTok in India
- 2019The app was temporarily banned in India due to concerns about pornographic content and predatory behavior
- 2020Launched $200 million Creator Fund to support content creators
- 2020Implemented new features to combat misinformation and promote digital literacy
- 2020TikTok was accused of censoring content related to Hong Kong protests and other politically sensitive topics
- 2020The app faced scrutiny over its data collection practices and potential ties to the Chinese government
- 2020TikTok was banned in India along with other Chinese apps due to national security concerns
- 2020The Trump administration attempted to ban TikTok in the US, citing national security risks
- 2021Introduced TikTok for Business to help brands engage with users
- 2021Partnered with Shopify to enable in-app shopping experiences
- 2021TikTok paid $92 million to settle a class-action lawsuit over alleged privacy violations
- 2022Launched TikTok Kitchen, a virtual restaurant delivery service
- 2022TikTok admitted that employees in China had accessed US user data
- 2022The app faced criticism for its addictive nature and potential negative impact on mental health, especially among young users
- 2023Introduced new screen time controls to promote digital wellbeing
- 2023TikTok was fined €5 million by French authorities for failing to provide an easy way to refuse cookies
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.
TikTok Latest news
Popular
Young Democrats plan big shake-up as party leaders refuse to step down
Family trust mess-up: Expert explains what happens when you miss important deadlines
Former UK deputy PM's passing marks end of unique political era in Britain
Women's sports hits record views but old problems still lurk in shadows
Royal Mail plans price hikes after unexpected £120m tax burden hits operations
Strange weakness of North Korean troops revealed in unexpected battlefield report
A peculiar discovery about North Korean soldiers in Ukraine shows how modern tech affects military readiness. The finding brings new perspective on warfare in digital age
Rich backers join forces: Meet Trump's $400 billion support network
A powerful group of billionaires with combined wealth over $400bn now backs Trumpʼs political plans. From tech giants to Wall Street veterans these mega-rich supporters could shape US future