

TikTok owes much of its success to its AI algorithm, particularly its information flow funnel mechanism. Globally, it has amassed over three billion downloads and boasts over one billion monthly active users.Ĭoncerns surrounding TikTok primarily stem from its Chinese identity, despite the common safety challenges faced by the entire industry regarding data collection and analytics. TikTok experienced rapid market success upon its launch in the US in 2017, becoming the most downloaded app in the country by October 2018. While TikTok is owned by ByteDance, its diverse shareholding structure means it is inaccurate to classify it solely as a Chinese company. The company has attracted investments from 30 prominent investors, including Softbank, Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Tiger Global, KKR Japan, Sequoia Capital, as well as Chinese investors. ByteDance, founded by Chinese entrepreneur Yiming Zhang in 2012, has become the world's largest unicorn with a valuation of $220 billion (as of 2022). The distinction lies in the fact that TikTok is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance. It is primarily an entertainment platform, connecting content creators with audiences. TikTok is not fundamentally different from similar platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and many emerging competitors when it comes to data security.

Some argue that the use of security and privacy concerns by Washington is a thinly veiled excuse, as the essence of the "TikTok ban" issue lies in politics rather than genuine security or privacy concerns. Banning TikTok in the US could be seen as a form of political censorship like what is already enforced in China.
