TikTok tops 1 billion users as social media app's growth surges
Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø than one billion people around the world now use TikTok, according to an ÌýMonday from the app.
TikTok is a popular video streaming and social media platform founded in 2016.ÌýUsers flock to TikTok's mobile app for music, humor, dance and more, andÌýits "For You" feed is generated by algorithms that learn what you like.
In 2016, TikTok's current parent company, Bytedance, launched the app, which is known as Douyin in China. In 2017, Bytedance announced it would acquireÌýanother video app called Musical.ly. The following year, into one and launched TikTok as an international brand.
TikTok's growth has been explosive since then, going from 55 million global users in January 2018 to 689 million by July 2020, according to .Ìý
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In contrast, rival Facebook hasÌý2.9 billion monthly active users across the globe as of June 2021, according to its second quarter .
TikTok has also spawned several rivals, including Instagram Reels. ÌýEarlier this year, Google launched its own version of short-form videos called YouTube Shorts. Ìý
Last year, President Trump threatened to ban TikTok unless it transferred ownership to a U.S. company, citing cybersecurity concerns. As a result, TikTok agreed to partner with Oracle and Walmart, selling its U.S. operations to the companies.
However, a judge ruled to postpone the ban, and the sale has been put off as the Biden administration overturns Trump's banÌýand reevaluates the national security risk TikTok potentially might pose.
Michelle Shen is a Money & Tech Digital Reporter for USATODAY. You can reach her @michelle_shen10 on Twitter.Ìý