All information about TikTok: What you need to know about the popular app | Life & Knowledge

Dance, music, comedy: TikTok has everything for your entertainment!

Launched in 2018 and unstoppable: the social media platform is growing and thriving! With almost 1.59 billion users, TikTok is more successful than ever.

But how did TikTok come about, who is behind it and what makes the app so popular? You can read all about it here at BILD!

Development of TikTok

The original dance app was developed by Zhang Yiming, the founder of ByteDance. Musical.ly is considered the predecessor of TikTokIn 2018, the app was renamed and has since been running under the well-known name “TikTok”.

Before this, there was already the app Douyin in China, which follows the same principle but is subject to much stricter censorship requirements by the Chinese government.

TikTok Ban: Will the app be banned soon?

For years, TikTok has been in the USA under observation – and on March 13, 2024, the time has come: a law will be passed that requires the ByteDance company to sell the app within nine months.

If this does not happen, TikTok will be banned from the USA. This would mean that Apple and Google would have to remove the app from their stores. On April 24, 2024, the “National Security Act 2024” finally came into force.

This gives TikTok until January 24, 2025 to find a new entrepreneur. However, the deadline can be extended by 90 days by the president. The main reason for this ban is national security.

In addition to the USA, these countries have already banned or restricted TikTok:

• Great Britain
• New Zealand
• Belgium
• Denmark
• Canada
• India
• Taiwan
• Pakistan
• Afghanistan
• EU institutions

The founder of TikTok

Before TikTok conquered the world, Zhang Yiming had already proven his skills with other apps. In 2012, he tried his luck with the news portal Toutiao. The next success was not long in coming: the invention of the mega video platform TikTok!

Since founding his company ByteDance, Chinese entrepreneur Zhang Yiming has invested heavily in his internet company. And it's paying off! Zhang Yiming is now among the top wealthiest people in the USA with a fortune of an incredible 43.4 billion US dollars (as of 2024).

TikTok revenue

In 2018, TikTok was one of the fastest-growing apps in the world and the leading short video platform in Asia. Since 2020, TikTok has been moving further and further abroad. With an estimated market value of an incredible $250 billion, TikTok is catapulting itself to dizzying heights.

The concept of the social media app

Create and upload dance, comedy, vlogs and much more in just a few minutes. With TikTok you can record short videos in 9:16 format up to a maximum of ten minutes.

You do not need an account to view the content, but if you want to comment, like or publish content yourself, you must log in.

The filters, effects and editing options available in the app allow even new users to easily control their own videos.

And many content creators earn money with TikTokOn the one hand, influencers are supported by the TikTok Creator Fund, on the other hand, they can also generate income through advertising partners.

TikTok’s recipe for success

The app's success tactic? You are only shown what you want. On the “For You” page, TikTok's homepage, you are shown content that is generated using a strong algorithm and only shows accounts that you do not follow.

The algorithm also learns very quickly: every interaction is remembered and the homepage is optimized for you according to your interests. However, there is a high risk of only seeing videos on one topic.

In addition to the “For You” page, “Following” allows you to view videos from the accounts you follow.

Rules and violations

Whether you're a social media star or a simple user, every account on TikTok has to follow certain rules. If you violate the rules for the first time, you'll receive a warning or reprimand. If you violate them repeatedly, your account may be blocked.

Attention! Warnings expire after 90 days and are then no longer considered for a permanent account suspension.

The Community Guidelines (as of April 17, 2024) can be found in your account under Support and Info > Terms and Policies > Community Guidelines.