TikTok has solely been round within the US since August 2018, but it surely’s change into the defining social media app of Gen Z.
The app as soon as referred to as Musical.ly was purchased by the Beijing-based web firm ByteDance in 2017. Although it relaunched as nearly equivalent to Musical.ly, TikTok rapidly remodeled into one thing extra like Vine: a goofy place for bizarre comedy, memes, and ironic inside jokes. In doing so, the platform has made well-known tons of fledgling comedians, singers, dancers, actors, and regular youngsters — changing into “TikTok well-known” is now a preferred aim for top schoolers.
Its legions of underage customers, in fact, have landed the corporate in scorching water on a number of events. In February 2019, it was hit by a record-breaking $5.7 million FTC effective for illegally accumulating knowledge from kids underneath 13.
At the least one different individual will not be thrilled about TikTok’s rise to dominance: Mark Zuckerberg. The Fb founder has tried and failed to purchase, then kill TikTok along with his copycat product, Lasso, which didn’t make any inroads.
To be taught extra about TikTok, hearken to At present, Defined. Vox’s every day explainer podcast has an episode all concerning the app and one other one which breaks down a TikTok meme, OK boomer.