Whether you love it or hate it, you can't deny that TikTok has changed the face of the West. With its short, engaging and sometimes controversial videos, the Chinese app has become a dominant force in global pop culture, redefining how we consume and create content, interact with brands and perceive the world around us.
Perhaps too much, judging by the "hardening" reactions we see around, between concerns about privacy, data security and an unspecified influence of Beijing on our society. Care to take a look with me at TikTok's multifaceted impact on the West, including viral trends, political campaigns and geopolitical battles? Because, like it or not, TikTok is here to stay. Or maybe not.
Chinese soul, global phenomenon
TikTok, officially launched in the West in 2018, has become a true cultural phenomenon in just a few years. With over a billion active users worldwide, including a significant portion in Europe and North America, the app has emerged as the most downloaded social platform in the world in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
Behind the global success of TikTok, however, lies a Chinese soul. The app is in fact owned by ByteDance, a technology giant based in Beijing, and this has raised many concerns among Western governments. The fear is that the Chinese Communist Party could use TikTok to access sensitive user data or influence content on the platform to advance its own interests.
Music, fashion, politics: the 360-degree impact of TikTok
Geopolitical issues, what is striking about TikTok is its ability to shape Western culture and society at 360 degrees. From the music industry to the film industry, from fashion to politics, there is no area that has not been touched by the influence of the Chinese app.
Thanks to an extraordinarily effective algorithm in suggesting content in line with users' tastes, TikTok has become a powerful promotional tool for artists, brands and emerging trends. Unknown songs become global hits after going viral on the app, movie studios and fashion houses are starting to consider the app as an indispensable marketing channel to reach the younger generation.
The near future of TikTok will also be beyond entertainment. The app is also establishing itself as a platform for information and political debate, especially among 18 to 29 year olds. No obstacles, therefore, in his way? No.
The prospects of a “TikTok-ized” West
The rise of TikTok represents both an opportunity and a challenge for Western society. On the one hand, the app has democratized the creation and distribution of content, giving voice to communities and requests that are often underrepresented in traditional media. On the other, it has raised questions about privacy, disinformation and the influence of foreign powers on our public discourse.
Emblematic in this sense is the debate on the national security risks linked to TikTok in the United States. As we reported to you here (even anticipating the first signs a year earlier), the US Congress recently passed a law that could force ByteDance to sell TikTok's US operations or face a total ban. Indeed, the "censorship" measure of the Chinese app was put in the car package to Israel and Ukraine, to armor it.
Not just Stars & Stripes, however. Concerns are also growing in Europe, with several countries considering measures to limit the use of the app, especially among public employees and younger people.
The future is uncertain: TikTok between globalization and fragmentation
In this context of geopolitical tensions and security fears, the future of TikTok in the West appears truly uncertain. On the one hand, it seems difficult to imagine a world without the Chinese app, given its pervasiveness in our culture and daily habits. On the other hand, the pressure for more stringent regulation or even a ban on TikTok is becoming increasingly stronger, in the name of defending digital sovereignty and data protection.
The picture is complex. Contradictory. Pushes for globalization, calls for closure… she IS a charade. The truth is that TikTok represents the tip of the iceberg of a much broader process, which sees the digital world increasingly divided between opposing spheres of influence: the West on one side and China on the other.
I have no idea how the situation will evolve. I can say, however, that the future of world balance is also played out on those few seconds of video that scroll on our screens. I would like to swipe to find out what awaits us.
