There’s no denying that TikTok has captured the attention of many smartphone users around the world. Despite some political roadblocks in some countries, such as the United States and India, TikTok recently announced its 1 billion monthly active users worldwide.
The US government scrutinized TikTok, a Chinese company, for its data-collection practices and accusations of spying on American citizens. It also faced a US ban during the Trump administration unless it struck a deal with an American company. Months later, reports surfaced that all talks of a deal fell through after Biden took office.
Instagram hit this same milestone in the summer of 2018 and has been scrambling to maintain its status as a popular social media platform ever since. With the rise of TikTok and its short-video formats, Instagram and YouTube attempted to mimic TikTok with Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, respectively.
@tiktok ✨ 1 billion✨ people on TikTok! Thank you to our global community 🎉
♬ original sound – TikTok
In July, Instagram’s Head of Product Adam Mosseri admitted that TikTok was becoming a significant competitor and that the app’s focus needed to shift from its original premise of being a photo-sharing app to four important focuses: creators, video, shopping, and messaging.