More younger members of Generation Z use TikTok than Facebook
Adapted from the Morning Consult's Influencer Report; Chart: Axios Visuals
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.
