Timeline: How TikTok reached global fame and now faces a US ban

TikTok is probably one of the most notable Chinese success stories in tech. With about 800 million monthly active users and a valuation of around US$50 billion, the short-video app rose to become a global smash hit in less than three years.

Photo credit: ByteDance

But its immense popularity has also brought it into the crosshairs of international regulators. It’s now banned in India and is facing the same scenario in the US – its two major overseas markets – over data security concerns.

The company is now mulling several options, including a potential sale to US tech giant Microsoft.

Here’s a timeline of what has happened so far.

Global fame

September 2016: ByteDance launched short-video app Douyin in China.

May 2017: ByteDance launched an international version of Douyin called TikTok.

November 2017: ByteDance acquired Shanghai-based app Musical.ly reportedly for US$800 million to US$1 billion. With 200 million users, Musical.ly was predominantly used by teens in North America and Europe.

See also: A visual timeline of TikTok’s rise

August 2018: TikTok’s US dominance started as it merged with Musical.ly, which had 100 million monthly active users. The accounts, content, and fan base of its users were migrated to the TikTok app following the merger.

In the crosshairs

February 2019: The popular short-video app, downloaded 1 billion times globally, was starting to draw attention from global regulators. In the US, TikTok was fined US$5.7 million for illegally collecting the names, email addresses, pictures, and locations of users under the age of 13. With 65 million users in the country, TikTok was the fourth and 25th most popular app on Google and Apple devices, respectively.

April 2019: TikTok was temporarily banned for two weeks in India after a court ruled that it could expose children to inappropriate content, such as pornographic material, as well as sexual predators and cyberbullying. The move caused the app to miss out on potentially acquiring about 15 million new users, according to one estimate.

October 2019: As the tech war between the US and China continued to rise, US senators Chuck Schumer and Tom Cotton urged the government to investigate the app, saying that “with over 110 million downloads in the US alone, TikTok is a potential counter-intelligence threat we cannot ignore.”

December 2019: US regulators accused TikTok of transferring user data to servers in China. The app later clarified that the Chinese government does not have access to its users’ data and personal information and that all data is stored in the US. “There is zero truth to the accusations the Chinese state has access to TikTok users’ data,” said Theo Bertram, head of public policy for Europe at TikTok.

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