How TikTok grew from a fun app for teens into a potential national security threat
How TikTok grew from a fun app for teens into a potential national security threat
TikTok is facing an impending ban in the US unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells it to a US owner. The Supreme Court upheld a law mandating the sale due to national security concerns, prompting TikTok to file a lawsuit claiming First Amendment violations.
If it feels like TikTok has been around forever, it’s probably because, in internet terms, it has. What’s now in question is whether it will continue to exist and, if so, in what form.
Starting in 2017, when the Chinese social video app merged with its competitor Musical.ly, TikTok grew from a niche teen app into a global trendsetter. However, it has also emerged as a potential national security threat, according to U.S. officials.
On April 24, President Joe Biden signed legislation requiring TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, to sell to a U.S. owner within a year or face shutdown. TikTok and ByteDance filed a lawsuit against the U.S., claiming the security concerns were overblown and that the law violated the First Amendment. The Supreme Court unanimously upheld the federal law banning TikTok on January 17, 2025, unless it’s sold by ByteDance. The ban will take effect on January 19, 2025. Here's how TikTok reached this point:
Timeline of TikTok’s Journey:
March 2012: ByteDance is founded in China by entrepreneur Zhang Yimin, launching Toutiao, a personalized news aggregator.
July 2014: Musical.ly, a startup for short lipsyncing music videos, is founded by Alex Zhu in China.
July 2015: Musical.ly hits #1 in the Apple App Store after a design change made the logo visible when users shared videos.
2016: ByteDance launches Douyin, a video-sharing app for China, followed by TikTok for international audiences.
November 2017: ByteDance acquires Musical.ly for $1 billion and merges it with TikTok, fueling the app's global rise.
February 2019: Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" goes viral on TikTok, propelling the song to a 17-week run at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
September 2019: Reports reveal TikTok's content moderation practices, sparking concerns over censorship, especially regarding sensitive topics related to China.
October 2019: U.S. politicians raise alarms about TikTok's influence, prompting federal investigations.
December 2019: The Pentagon bans TikTok on military devices, citing security risks.
May 2020: Privacy groups file complaints alleging TikTok violates U.S. child protection laws. TikTok hires Kevin Mayer as CEO, but he resigns after three months.
July 2020: India bans TikTok in response to a border clash with China. President Trump threatens to ban the app in the U.S.
August 2020: Trump issues executive orders demanding ByteDance divest TikTok's U.S. operations, but potential deals with Microsoft and Oracle fall through.
November 2020: Joe Biden is elected president, and Trump’s TikTok ban plan stalls.
February 2021: Biden postpones legal cases regarding TikTok, halting Trump’s proposed ban.
September 2021: TikTok surpasses a billion monthly active users.
June 2022: Reports reveal ByteDance employees accessed TikTok user data, raising new concerns.
December 2022: FBI Director Wray voices concerns over TikTok's potential manipulation by Chinese authorities.
February 2023: The White House orders federal agencies to remove TikTok from government devices.
March 2023: TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testifies before Congress to address national security concerns.
March 2024: A bill to ban or force TikTok’s sale gains momentum in Congress, passing the House and Senate before being signed by President Biden.
May 2024: TikTok and ByteDance file a lawsuit challenging the law requiring the sale of ByteDance’s stake in the app.
December 2024: A federal appeals court upholds the law banning TikTok, delivering a blow to the platform.
January 2025: The Supreme Court upholds the ban, citing national security concerns over TikTok’s ties to China, with a ban set to take effect on January 19, 2025.
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