One billion users, but trouble mounts for TikTok

TikTok's breakneck rise from niche video-sharing app to global social media behemoth has brought plenty of scrutiny, particularly over its links to China.

Several governments have banned the app over fears that data could be viewed by officials in Beijing, and the United States is now trying to force Chinese parent company ByteDance to sell its prized asset.

TikTok was among the Chinese apps barred after deadly clashes on the border between India and China.

The same year, US President Donald Trump threatened a ban and accused TikTok of spying for China, an idea that has gained ground in Washington.

TikTok has admitted ByteDance employees in China accessed details of American accounts but it has always denied turning over data to the Chinese authorities.

Bans have not halted TikTok's growth. With more than one billion active users it is the sixth most used social platform in the world, according to the We Are Social marketing agency.

Although it lags behind the likes of Meta's long-dominant trio of Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, its growth among young people far outstrips its competitors.