What happened to Tik Tok?

Tik Tok, an app thats used for creating any kind of video you could imagine! From DIY's to dances and memes, this app is loaded with nearly endless hours of entertainment.  However, as most know, on July 31st fear and sadness is what filled the app when President Trump announced he was going to shut down the app.  With many young influencers, brands, and talent agencies using the app to grow their careers/businesses, the app shutting down would cause a great loss for many users.  Is it really going to be shut down though?

The reason President Trump wanted to ban the app was because of the accused "Chinese Spyware" that collects information from millions of users and sends it to the Chinese government.  However, Microsoft has come up and is talking with the President about the company taking over the app instead.  The company states: "[Microsoft] is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury," TikTok also stressed that the users data was stored on a "US based server that is also backed up in Singapore." As each day passes new information arises and changes, so the future of TikTok will depend on what happens within the next week. 

Why does TikTok appeal so well to Gen Z? With a large number of teens using the app, there's a few reasons why the platform is one of their favorites.  With an algorithm catered to each individual based on their likes, short easy to view videos, and nearly endless scrolling, it's hard not to accidentally spend hours watching these short skits.  While all these contribute to the success on the app, there is also success from Gen Z itself within the app itself.  Anyone who has the app downloaded is able to create whatever content that they choose, and the authenticity from each individual is celebrated.  For example, a new Beyonce song comes out, a user can create a dance to that song, next thing they know some major Tik Tok users copy it, then they both become viral.  

With the possibility of the Microsoft deal possibly falling through, and some unsureness about the future of TikTok, many users are beginning to transfer over to Triller to continue their content creation. Triller functions and looks similarly to TikTok, but includes a social star button, and automatic video swiping.  Some TikTok stars have already taken advantage of Triller and moved content to this app instead. With all this back and forth with TikTok, it's hard to say where the app will end up, but one way or another, we'll soon see.  

Written by Abby Weese, Rebecca Adele PR and Event intern