Popular short-video sharing platform – TikTok – announces that they have hit one billion monthly active users from around the world.
This is one of the most exclusive achievements in the tech industry.
In a blog entry posted on Monday, the company announced that they have over one billion active users monthly.
“More than 1 billion people around the world now come to TikTok every month to be entertained as they learn, laugh, or discover something new,” they said.
This is monumental as TikTok is now the rare social media platform, neither owned by Facebook nor Google, to garner that large of an audience.
The app’s popularity surged due to people spending more time on their phones during the pandemic.
TikTok is now both benefitting from and fueling the growth of the creator industry.
More people are now trying to make a living through content creation on social media sites.
COMPETING WITH GIANTS
The announcement cements TikTok’s place among the competitive ranks of other social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
Western tech giant are now seeing TikTok as a threat.
Instagram advised creators that if they recycle watermarked TikToks as posts on Reels, the content will be less discoverable.
Even discussion forums like Reddit are enticed by the concept of short-form video feeds.
MAINTAINING POPULARITY THROUGH THICK AND THIN
The Chinese-owned app observed a steady growth despite the various hurdles that they faced.
First was the former Trump administration’s futile attempt at shutting down TikTok in the United States in September last year.
Next was India banning TikTok completely.
The app also currently faces scrutiny from European regulators over its dubious data protection practices and for children’s safety.
TikTok has also maintained its popularity despite rival social media platforms launching imitation features.
These include Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Snapchat Spotlights.
However, by an ongoing trend where users will simply post TikToks on the platforms mentioned prior proves TikTok’s supremacy.
During the pandemic, TikTok succeeded in attracting more millennials and high-profile creators from Instagram and other sites.
They have also launched a $1.38 billion creator fund last year to encourage users to create content on TikTok.
