While concerns about Tiktok's security gaps are growing in US politics, the app is enjoying increasing popularity among the population. More and more people are using it every day, only Netflix has more users. Meanwhile, Congress is working on general ban plans.
Usage of the short video service Tiktok in the US has risen sharply, including among older internet users. According to a study by industry watcher Insider Intelligence, US users only spend more time on Netflix than on Tiktok on average. The experts assume that the gap will narrow even further in the coming year, while other networks such as YouTube, Instagram and Facebook continue to fall behind.
Tiktok is considered a platform popular with young people in particular. According to Insider Intelligence, however, 25 to 54 year olds in the USA now spend an average of 45 minutes a day watching videos on Tiktok. In this age group, too, the service is clearly ahead of YouTube.
Tiktok has long been a strong competitor for the major US platforms. At the same time, attempts to imitate how it works have met with limited success. The industry experts explain that YouTube's short video function "Shorts" has not turned around. "Reels", which the meta group offers on its platforms Facebook and Instagram, are comparatively successful, but at the expense of the classic offers, which in turn bring more advertising revenue.
At the same time, Tiktok is politically controversial, especially in the USA. There are massive data protection concerns and fears that the Chinese state will have access to Tiktok's Chinese parent company, Bytedance. The White House has since ordered the app removed from all federal service devices. The US Congress is even working on a total ban on the service.
