More young teenagers use TikTok than Facebook, according to a new report from Morning Consult. Instagram and Snapchat still beat TikTok by wide margins, but the viral Chinese karaoke app has quickly become popular amongst Generation Z.
Why it matters: TikTok is following a familiar trajectory, beginning with beating out Facebook as a more popular app for young teens.
- As its popularity rises, so does the scrutiny that comes with it, putting more pressure on it to innovate commercially and arm itself politically.
Driving the news: TikTok "unveiled new tools to let third-party developers integrate their content onto its platform, seeking to deepen ties in the U.S." between app developers and the platform, Bloomberg reports.
The big picture: The news comes on the heels of policymaker concerns that the Chinese-owned app could be a national security threat to Americans.
- The CFIUS, or Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, is reportedly reviewing the TikTok parent company ByteDance's year-old acquisition of U.S. karaoke app Musical.ly.
- Republican Sen. Josh Hawley told Kim Hart in an interview for "Axios on HBO" that he invited TikTok to a hearing that his committee is hosting on Capitol Hill Tuesday, but that TikTok hasn't responded.
- "Maybe it's growing popularity, but what exactly does that company do? And again, what's happening to our data when we use that app? ... Americans deserve answers, I think."
Meanwhile, news organizations, brands and celebrities are all rapidly flocking to the platform, in search for their next digital big audience.
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