By Emil Bjerg, journalist and editor
One day, they negotiate with Universal Music, the next day with the White House. As part of our series on power influencers, here we portray social media with enormous power to influence politics, commerce, and culture.
For better or worse, TikTok has been the most defining social media of the last five years. Their blend of short-form videos and algorithmic curation has captivated younger generations, while the politicians around the world are grappling with how to regulate it.
TikTok is owned by Chinese parent company Bytedance, which also runs Douyin, the Chinese equivalent of TikTok. Lately, Bytedance’s Chinese origins have stirred controversies, in particular in the US. We’ll come back to the controversies – first a look inside TikTok’s engine for success.
An addicting blend of familiarity and novelty
TikTok’s meteoric rise didn’t come out of the blue. They hit the market in 2016, building on the foundation laid by another popular app, Musical.ly. Musical.ly focused on short-form lip-syncing videos, by doing so capturing the interest of an audience of young adopters. On top of the core concept, TikTok added several game-changing innovations:
First of all, an algorithm that set them apart from the competition from Meta and others. While Musical.ly relied on users following accounts to discover content, TikyTok introduced a ‘For You’ tab powered by a sophisticated algorithm. This personalized feed served users a curated selection based on their watch history and preferences, ensuring a constant stream of engaging content.
To some users, TikTok offers a good blend of consumption and production. TikTok expanded from the initial lip-syncing and dancing videos partly by offering users an easy-access set of editing tools. Users could now add filters, special effects, and transitions, allowing for more elaborate storytelling within the short video format. With collaborative features such as duets and challenges TikTok encourages users to build on top of the content of other users. All that with a mobile- first approach.
Part of their success has come through their e orts to engage with diverse cultures worldwide. By having users create content around the world, there’s been something relevant to specific regions and demographics, helping TikTok to successfully penetrate markets across the globe, resonating with users from different backgrounds and languages. Their localization strategy has not only fueled user growth but also enhanced TikTok’s influence on a global scale.
Controversies and criticism
While TikTok’s algorithm has been incredibly successful, the relentless pursuit of virality by their active users has raised significant concerns. Critics argue that the algorithm’s focus on promoting videos that quickly gain traction can inadvertently amplify misinformation, hate speech, and dangerous challenges.
TikTok has also faced criticism for its reactive approach to content moderation, often scrambling to remove harmful content after it has already reached a wide audience. The platform has been accused of prioritizing engagement and growth over the well-being of its users, leading to calls for greater transparency and accountability in its content moderation practices.
Lastly, TikTok’s short-form video format and the constant stream of new content have raised concerns about its impact on attention spans, particularly among younger users. Studies have suggested a potential link between excessive social media use and decreased attention spans, prompting discussions about the platform’s potential negative effects on cognitive development and mental health.
Despite the critique, TikTok still has an estimate of 2 billion users, half of them active monthly. And with that a lot of eyeballs and power to influence culture, politics and commerce.
The algorithm that enables artists, influencers and commerce
TikTok’s influence extends beyond entertainment and commerce, shaping social norms and cultural trends.
The last few years of TikTok dominance have seen unknown artists launch their careers with a single viral video on TikTok. Some are getting lasting cultural influence like Lil Nas X. Cultural critics have argued that the algorithms of social media like TikTok are a make-it-or-break-it for artists today, especially in the music industry.
Social movements and political campaigns use TikTok to spread their message and mobilize supporters. Everything from celebrity boycotts to pro-Palestine demonstrations to gender rights is being communicated via the platform, increasing its relevance for politically engaged Gen Z’ers. While activity on other social platforms have gone down, TikTok has become a virtual town square for the young generations.
Finally, TikTok has also proven itself as a vital media for commerce: TikTok’s algorithm excels at surfacing content relevant to user interests. This creates a powerful discovery engine for new products, where a viral video can turn an unknown product into a must-have item overnight. Seamless e-commerce integration that eliminates purchase friction allows users to buy directly from videos.
All of this made possible by meticulous collection of user data. But the intensive data collection is also bringing the social media giant in trouble.
Increasing scrutiny and regulation
With great power comes great responsibility – something policymakers across continents are questioning if TikTok lives up to. In 2024, rising concerns over TikTok’s operations have resulted in heavy scrutiny in the US and the EU.
In Europe, TikTok’s controversial monetization program, which rewarded users for spending extended periods on the platform, has been put on hold after raising concerns from the European Union about potential data privacy violations.
Meanwhile, in the US, the situation surrounding TikTok has become a high-stakes drama about national security. US lawmakers have raised concerns about the potential for user data collected by TikTok to be accessed by the Chinese government. That has fueled fears of national security risks, with some speculating this data could be used for espionage or targeted in uence campaigns.
It is not entirely clear if TikTok actually does that, but it’s well known that the big social media platforms – American or Chinese – collect substantial amounts of user data to enhance user experience and targeted advertisement. And with the tense geopolitical situation, the persistent rumors alone have been enough to initiate the ban of TikTok.
President Biden has signed a bill that requires ByteDance to sell TikTok’s US operations within 270 days – or alternatively have the app banned. The deadline falls just around the time of the next presidential inauguration in January 2025, potentially allowing the incoming president to extend the sale process.
Sell or leave – or sue
Bytedance, TikTok’s parent company, has been left with a dilemma: Sell the US operations to comply with the new US law or face a potential ban in the country.
Reports suggest that ByteDance might be leaning towards a complete shutdown of TikTok in the
US, even if it means sacri cing a signi cant chunk of their annual revenue, rather than sell o the American branch, sources close to TikTok have said. That’s because TikTok relies heavily on the algorithm and selling would mean disclosing the details of it.
After a few weeks of processing the ban, TikTok has responded, threatening to sue The United States, arguing that the ban infringes on Americans’ First Amendment rights and censors their speech. The legal battle could potentially delay the process beyond the January 2025 deadline.
Meanwhile TikTok has closed another battle with Universal Music Group (UMG). Their May 2024 agreement is a turning point for the tested relation after disagreements over artist compensation and the use of AI-generated music. After months of a UMG boycott against TikTok, the new deal represents a strategic partnership that addresses these concerns while also capitalizing on the mutual bene ts of their collaboration.
A scaling social media in trouble
For the last five years, TikTok has been the social media scaling the most. From 2020 to 2022 alone, TikTok has doubled its number of users. Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat have added reels short videos following each other – to get a part of the market TikTok has created.
But with scrutiny from both the EU and especially the US, the next year will de ne if TikTok continues to be a power influencer among social media. Meanwhile, young American users are preparing themselves for a near future that might not include their new social media: “I’ll miss this platform” users write, preparing themselves to part ways with a platform that has reshaped social media.
