TikTok is a video sharing app on which users create and share short videos or live feed on a topic of their choice. When TikTok was first launched in 2016, videos were limited to 15 seconds but can now be up to 10 minutes long. Livestream, added in 2019, can be broadcast by users who are aged 16+ and have at least 1,000 followers. TikTok is hugely popular in the U.S. and internationally, with approximately 1 billion monthly active users.

The top 3 most popular types of content on TikTok as of July 2020 were:

• Entertainment,
• Dance, and
• Pranks.  

Popular types of videos on TikTok are:

• Trends/Challenges: a popular song or hashtag prompts users to attempt a challenge or activity, or create their own variation on a theme. Dance moves were initially popular but more dangerous trends and activities have become common.
• Tutorial: a short lesson on a specific topic, such as creating a hairstyle.
• Livestream: live coverage of an activity or event, also known as live feed or going live.
• Dancing and lip-syncing: users dance or lip-sync to a popular song and share it with other users.
• TikTok duets: users sample another person’s video and add themselves to it, whether as a genuine collaboration, a joke, or for enjoyment.

TikTok has approximately 1 billion users worldwide. Its popularity has been driven by a number of factors, including:

• Celebrity Endorsements (Paid and Unpaid)
  TikTok uses partnerships with celebrities and influencers to increase the visibility of the platform and drive user numbers and engagement. TikTok also benefits when celebrities use the app independently because it attracts their fanbase to TikTok. Celebrities have platforms other than TikTok such as TV, other social media apps, and general media attention to draw people into engagement on TikTok.
  
  
• Personalized and Localized Content
  TikTok suggests content to users based on local trends and events. It also sends personalized recommendations to users based on their individual profile and activity, both of which increase user engagement on the app.
  
  
• Simplicity of Use
  TikTok made video creation and sharing straightforward and convenient for anyone with a smart device. The original 15 second video format made videos quick to record and to watch. The app also plays videos automatically when it is opened and when a previous video ends so users remain engaged without any effort or action.

TikTok’s For You Page is the first screen that a user sees when they open the app. It contains videos that TikTok has chosen for you based on your past activity. TikTok uses an algorithm to try to present you with content that you will want to watch.

The personalization of TikTok’s FYP based on an AI-driven algorithm differentiated TikTok from other social media platforms. It increased viewer engagement because users had easy access to content that interested them, and increased content creation because influencers were reaching more people who were interested in their content. By satisfying both sides of the TikTok user so successfully, TikTok was able to increase its popularity over other social media apps.

The TikTok algorithm is a confidential system that determines which videos are displayed on a user’s For You Page. TikTok personalizes the content for each user in an attempt to give the user content that they will be interested in watching, and keep them engaged on the app.  Although the algorithm is confidential, TikTok has said that some of the factors that it takes into account are:

• User Interactions: TikTok continually monitors key data signals including videos that are viewed, liked, disliked, or shared; how long a user watched a video; content that is created; comments posted; and creators that are hidden or often scrolled past.
• Video Information: TikTok uses information about the content to decide if it should be offered to the user suchs captions, hashtags, and audio content.
• Device and Account Settings: Factors such as the type of device, the country setting, and the language preference carry less weight in the algorithm but are still relevant.

There is no child version of TikTok though TikTok has introduced some rules and restrictions for tween and teen users. There is also a new section called TikTok for Younger Users for kids under 13 (see Question 9.) It should be noted that any of these account settings are only automatic on accounts that were registered as younger users’ accounts after the restrictions were introduced:

Under 13: cannot post videos or comment; content is curated for a younger audience.

Aged 13 to 15: accounts are private by default; comments on videos limited to friends only; cannot use the Duet or Stitch features (which allow users to integrate their own video in a split screen with another user’s video.)

Aged 16-17: Duet and Stitch features set to friends only by default; cannot buy, send, or receive virtual gifts.

TikTok also allows users to set their own privacy settings, restrictions, and parental controls, however a standard TikTok account is set to public with minimal restrictions by default.

Yes. Anyone with access to the app, including children under the age of 13, can use it. In the U.S.A., TikTok has created a section for kids under 13 called TikTok for Younger Users. It has additional safety and privacy restrictions which limit the type of content and will not allow the user to comment, search, or post their own videos. TikTok for Younger Users is accessed when a user enters a birth date indicating that they are under 13, and can be easily bypassed by entering a false birth date.

TikTok is a commercial platform that was built to promote content and maximize profits, not to nurture or protect children. It contains mature content (both visual and verbal), advertisements to buy products and services, functionality to communicate with other people, and the ability to share personal information widely. It also collects personal and behavioral information, monitors user activity, and suggests content that they might not otherwise find in order to maximize their time on the app.

TikTok offers privacy settings and parental controls to limit the content and functionality of the platform for younger users. However, even with these settings enabled, users can have access to content that may be considered inappropriate (such as sexually explicit song lyrics or dances) or unsafe (such as certain pranks and challenges.)

TikTok requires users to be at least 13 years old though, in the U.S.A., it has recently introduced TikTok for Younger Users for children aged under 13. Common Sense Media recommends that the app is only used by children aged 15 and older, primarily because of privacy issues and mature content.

TikTok’s security has been questioned and investigated by the general population, journalists, financial institutions, and even the U.S. government. There has been particular concern that TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, uses the app to spy on users. ByteDance does surveil users of the app in China but has not conclusively been found to be spying on users in other countries. Investigations of TikTok have revealed that its privacy policy and data collection practices are similar to other social media apps. However, TikTok has been guilty of gaps in its policies and practices, including a bug that allowed the app to access user content when the user is not using the app, and illegally storing the data of minors.

Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking app. It was first launched in October 2010, and is now owned by Meta (formerly Facebook.) Instagram allows users to post and share their own videos and photos, comment on those of other people, and follow specific users. Users can also send messages directly to other people on the platform (known as direct messaging.)

Snapchat, sometimes called Snap, is an instant messaging service that allows users to share photos, video, text, and drawings directly with other users. The unique feature of Snapchat is that the shared message, video, or picture (known as a snap) is only available to the receiver for a short time before it automatically becomes inaccessible. Snapchat was originally only a person-to-person messaging service but now allows live video chatting and broadcasting of video stories to a user’s followers. Snapchat has features that allow the user to show their location on a map, or add filters and effects to their snaps.

Twitter is a news and social networking site that allows users to post short messages (known as tweets) of 280 characters or less. It also allows users to share images; links to articles or websites; or the tweets of other users (re-tweet.) Users can follow other users on the platform, and be followed. Celebrities and major organizations have a huge number of followers, and therefore their tweets will be seen by a wide audience. The vast majority of tweets are recreational but Twitter has also become popular for users sharing breaking news, business content, academic research, and similar such content.