TikTok, a Chinese soft-power time bomb in US living rooms?

The coronavirus has fuelled explosive growth of the app, which now has 800 million users, few of whom will know it is owned by China’s ByteDance

While videos of dancing teens may seem benign, there are growing fears in America it could be a Trojan Horse for mass surveillance by Beijing

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TikTok is seen by some as the latest front in the US-China tech war. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 7:00pm, 28 Mar 2020Updated: 7:06pm, 28 Mar 2020

Your average, not-so-hip adult would have probably drawn a blank at the mention of TikTok not long ago – unless they have a child addicted to the wildly popular app, on which users make and share short, amusing videos.

It has grown explosively since its 2016 launch, with 800 million monthly active users now – 300 million of them outside China in places such as India (120 million) and the United States (37 million). And many have no idea it is owned by a Chinese company, ByteDance.

The first Chinese app to mount a real global challenge to Facebook and Instagram, it is seen as one of the shiniest new weapons in the US-China technology war. And a boost, perhaps, to Chinese soft power.

It experienced a growth spurt in 2019 that analysts predicted would slow a little this year. That, however, was before the coronavirus, which seems to be giving the app a bump, especially beyond its core teenage fan base.

As pandemic fears rise and millions are stuck indoors, major Hollywood celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, 50, have taken to posting their own all-singing, all-dancing videos, which then go viral on other media platforms.

Even the World Health Organisation has jumped on the bandwagon, joining the app in late February to share public health advice.

The TikTok logo on a smartphone. Photo: Getty Images

TikTok, a Chinese soft-power time bomb in US living rooms?

The coronavirus has fuelled explosive growth of the app, which now has 800 million users, few of whom will know it is owned by China’s ByteDance While videos of dancing teens may seem benign, there are growing fears in America it could be a Trojan Horse for mass surveillance by Beijing

The coronavirus has fuelled explosive growth of the app, which now has 800 million users, few of whom will know it is owned by China’s ByteDance

While videos of dancing teens may seem benign, there are growing fears in America it could be a Trojan Horse for mass surveillance by Beijing