Owned by ByteDance, a Beijing-based tech company, TikTok’s popularity has exploded over the past year. It’s gotten a new boost from the coronavirus pandemic, drawing in users looking to escape the boredom of quarantine. The app has been downloaded more than 2 billion times, according to research firm Sensor Tower, with 623 million coming during the first half of this year. India is its largest market, followed by Brazil and the US. (TikTok isn’t available in China, where ByteDance distributes a domestic version called Douyin.)
![a close up of a sign: TikTok, popular among teens, lets you add music and effects to short videos.]({"default":{"load":"default","w":"80","h":"57","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB16zTxS.img?h=568&w=799&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f"},"size3column":{"load":"default","w":"62","h":"44","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB16zTxS.img?h=443&w=624&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f"},"size2column":{"load":"default","w":"62","h":"44","src":"//img-s-msn-com.akamaized.net/tenant/amp/entityid/BB16zTxS.img?h=443&w=624&m=6&q=60&o=f&l=f"}})
TikTok, popular among teens, lets you add music and effects to short videos.
Now TikTok’s growth is under fire because governments are concerned the Chinese government might have sway over the app. Citing national security concerns, India banned TikTok last week. The US and Australia are also considering blocking the app. The US Army and Navy have banned service members from downloading the app to government-issued phones