What’s now in question is whether it will be around much longer and, if so, in what form?
Starting in 2017, when the Chinese social video app merged with its competitor Musical. ly, TikTok has grown from a niche teen app into a global trendsetter. While, of course, also emerging as a potential national security threat, according to U.S. officials.
On Wednesday, President Joe Biden signed legislation requiring TikTok parent ByteDance to sell to a U.S. owner within a year or to shut down. It’s not clear whether that law will survive an expected legal challenge or that ByteDance would agree to sell.
Here’s how TikTok came to this juncture:
MARCH 2012
ByteDance is founded in China by entrepreneur Zhang Yimin. Its first hit product is Toutiao, a personalized news aggregator for Chinese users.
JULY 2014
Startup Musical.ly, later known for an eponymous app used to post short lipsyncing music videos, is founded in China by entrepreneur Alex Zhu.
JULY 2015
Musical.ly hits #1 in the Apple App Store, following a design change that made the company’s logo visible when users shared their videos.
2016
ByteDance launches Douyin, a video sharing app for Chinese users. Its popularity inspires the company to spin off a version for foreign audiences called TikTok.
NOVEMBER 2017
Byte Dance acquires Musical.ly for $1 billion. Nine months later, ByteDance merges it with TikTok.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 03, 2024-Ausgabe von AppleMagazine.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der May 03, 2024-Ausgabe von AppleMagazine.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
AMAZON REPORTS BOOST IN QUARTERLY PROFITS.EXCEEDS REVENUE ESTIMATES AS IT INVESTS IN AI
Amazon reported a boost in its quarterly profits and exceeded revenue estimates, sending the company’s stock up in after-hours trading.
SOUTH KOREA FINES META $15 MILLION FOR ILLEGALLY COLLECTING INFORMATION ON FACEBOOK USERS
South Korea’s privacy watchdog this week fined social media company Meta 21.6 billion won ($15 million) for illegally collecting sensitive personal information from Facebook users, including data about their political views and sexual orientation, and sharing it with thousands of advertisers.
CHINESE ONLINE RETAILER TEMU FACES EUROPEAN UNION INVESTIGATION INTO ROGUE TRADERS AND ILLEGAL GOODS
Chinese online retailer Temu is facing a European Union investigation over suspicions it’s failing to prevent the sale of illegal products, the 27-nation bloc’s executive arm said.
CORNING FACES EU ANTITRUST SCRUTINY OVER GORILLA GLASS DEALS WITH PHONE MAKERS
Corning is facing European Union antitrust scrutiny after the bloc’s watchdog said this week it’s investigating the speciality glass maker’s exclusive deals for its Gorilla Glass used in cellphones.
NEW CEO AT CVS BEGINS TO BUILD HIS TEAM WITH A GOAL OF REVIVING THE STRUGGLING HEALTH CARE GIANT
CVS Health fell short on third-quarter profit, but it posted strong sales and the health care giant shook up leadership under new CEO David Joyner after a rough year that has sent shares plunging.
AS THE DATA CENTER INDUSTRY BOOMS. AN ENGLISH VILLAGE BECOMES A BATTLEGROUND
Originally built to store crops from peasant farmers, the Tithe Barn on the edge of the English village of Abbots Langley was converted into homes that preserve its centuries of history.
YOU MAY HAVE BLOCKED SOMEONE ON X BUT NOW THEY CAN SEE YOUR PUBLIC POSTS ANYWAY
Elon Musk’s X has been modified so that accounts you’ve blocked on the social media platform can still see your public posts.
NINTENDO REPORTS LOWER PROFITS AS DEMAND DROPS FOR ITS AGING SWITCH CONSOLE
Nintendo, the Japanese video game maker behind the Super Mario franchise, said Tuesday that its profit fell 60% in the first half of the fiscal year, as demand waned for its Switch console, now in its eighth year since going on sale.
THE BEST SMALL SUVS FOR CITY DRIVING
SUVs are popular in part due to their elevated ride height, commanding view of the road, and roomy interiors.
MANY RETAILERS OFFER 'RETURNLESS REFUNDS.' JUST DON'T EXPECT THEM TO TALK MUCH ABOUT IT
It’s one of the most under-publicized policies of some of the biggest U.S. retailers: sometimes they give customers full refunds and let them keep unwanted items too.
