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If TikTok wasn’t so popular, U.S. lawmakers might not consider the app a national security threat. But it is—so they do.
Unless Chinese parent company ByteDance breaks ties with the app or the U.S. Supreme Court decides to intervene, TikTok is set to shut down in America on Jan. 19.
Data reveals how the Chinese-owned platform became a major part of American life in just a few short years.
Thanks in part to the app’s ability to keep interesting and entertaining content flowing with each flick of the thumb, people can’t seem to keep it closed. Since the start of 2020, the percentage of U.S. adults who report using TikTok several times per day has climbed from 4% to 20%, according to data intelligence firm Morning Consult.
Meanwhile, the number of people without an account has shrunk to a point where the nation is now split in half: Around 50% of the population uses TikTok; the other 50% don’t.
More than just funny dances or workout advice, TikTok has also become a source of information about world events. Recent figures suggest that 17% of U.S. adults rely on the platform for news.
“Since 2020, no social media platform we’ve studied has seen faster growth in the share of Americans who regularly turn to it for news,” two members of the Pew Research Center concluded in their analysis.
Part of TikTok’s appeal has also been the opportunity to buy goods straight from the app.
Since debuting in September 2023, TikTok Shop has moved millions in merchandise, especially in the health and beauty category. Consumer intelligence firm NIQ estimates U.S. consumers spent more than $1 billion shopping on TikTok in November alone.
All this activity has attracted brands and their advertising dollars.
Market research firm Emarketer forecasts TikTok’s U.S. business is on track to bring in $18.7 billion in ad revenue by 2026.
Although TikTok’s U.S. hiring slowed as staff departures accelerated in the second half of 2024, data shows a steady employee increase over the past few years. The jump from around 6,200 employees at the start of 2019 to nearly 17,000 at the end of 2024 highlights the platform’s rapid rise.
“During the 2020-2024 period, TikTok grew its U.S. workforce more than any other major social platform,” said Jason Saltzman, director of growth at Live Data Technologies, an employment and job-change research provider.
