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TikTok

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TikTok is a social media[1] platform, owned by ByteDance, a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands with major bases in Singapore and Los Angeles. Launched in 2017, TikTok is well-known worldwide for its short video creation and content recommendation features. The platform’s parent company, ByteDance, is owned by a mix of founders, Chinese investors, global investors, and employees. TikTok has grown rapidly since its launch, surpassing one billion global downloads in 2019. However, it has faced significant scrutiny over issues such as data privacy[3] and content moderation. Despite these challenges, the platform continues to expand, diversify its revenue streams and build partnerships globally. It’s worth noting that TikTok’s algorithm[2] is renowned for its aptitude in understanding user preferences and emotions better than other platforms.

Terms definitions
1. ↑ social media. Social media is a broad term encompassing a variety of digital tools and platforms that facilitate the sharing of information and the creation of virtual communities. Emerging from early systems like PLATO and ARPANET, it has evolved into modern platforms like Facebook and Twitter. These platforms offer unique features that differentiate them from traditional media, including the ability for users to generate content and engage in dialogic communication. They cater to over 100 million users globally and offer different forms of services, such as messaging apps and collaborative content creation platforms. The use of social media has far-reaching impacts on individuals, society, and businesses, influencing everything from marketing practices to political processes. However, it's also associated with ethical concerns, such as the spread of misinformation and potential addiction.
2. ↑ algorithm. An algorithm is a well-defined sequence of instructions or rules that provides a solution to a specific problem or task. Originating from ancient civilizations, algorithms have evolved through centuries and are now integral to modern computing. They are designed using techniques such as divide-and-conquer and are evaluated for efficiency using measures like big O notation. Algorithms can be represented in various forms like pseudocode, flowcharts, or programming languages. They are executed by translating them into a language that computers can understand, with the speed of execution dependent on the instruction set used. Algorithms can be classified based on their implementation or design paradigm, and their efficiency can significantly impact processing time. Understanding and using algorithms effectively is crucial in fields like computer science and artificial intelligence.
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TikTok (Wikipedia)
For other uses, see Tik Tok (disambiguation).

TikTok, whose mainland Chinese counterpart is Douyin (Chinese: 抖音; pinyin: Dǒuyīn; lit. 'Shaking sound'), is a short-form video hosting service owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which can range in duration from three seconds to 10 minutes.

TikTok Pte. Ltd.
Developer(s)ByteDance
Initial releaseSeptember 2016; 7 years ago (2016-09) (in China and India only)
Operating system
Predecessormusical.ly
Available in40 languages
List of languages
TypeVideo sharing
LicenseProprietary software with Terms of Use
Websitetiktok.com Edit this at Wikidata
Douyin
Developer(s)Beijing Microlive Vision Technology Co., Ltd
Initial release20 September 2016; 7 years ago (2016-09-20)
Stable release(s)
iOS/iPadOS26.6.0 / August 14, 2023; 7 months ago (2023-08-14)
Android26.6.0 / August 15, 2023; 7 months ago (2023-08-15)
Windows2.7.0 / August 11, 2023; 7 months ago (2023-08-11)
macOS2.7.0 / August 16, 2023; 7 months ago (2023-08-16)
Operating system
Available inSimplified Chinese, English
TypeVideo sharing
LicenseProprietary software with Agreement
Websitedouyin.com
Douyin
Chinese抖音
Literal meaning"Vibrating sound"

Following its launch, TikTok has become one of the world's most popular platforms, using recommendation algorithms that were better than alternative apps at connecting content creators with new audiences. In April 2020, TikTok surpassed two billion mobile downloads worldwide. Cloudflare ranked TikTok the most popular website of 2021, surpassing Google. The popularity of TikTok has allowed viral trends in food and music to take off and increase the platform's cultural impact worldwide.

TikTok has come under scrutiny due to data privacy violations, mental health concerns, misinformation, offensive content, and its role during the Israel–Hamas war. Countries have fined, banned, or attempted to restrict TikTok to protect children or out of national security concerns over possible user data collection by the Chinese government through ByteDance.

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