Albania ban only latest setback for TikTok

Washington: TikTok may boast more than one billion users worldwide, but a ban set to be enforced in Albania this week is only the latest setback for the social network that has been in the sights of regulators from Washington to Bucharest.

Here is a closer look at the rise of the platform:

Born in China

TikTok's surge from niche video app to global powerhouse is one of the most significant shifts in digital entertainment since the advent of social media.

From teenage dancers to grandmothers sharing cooking tips, TikTok can transform ordinary users into global celebrities virtually overnight, revolutionizing the traditional path to stardom.

Originally launched in 2016 by Chinese tech company ByteDance as Douyin for the Chinese market, the international version TikTok was released in 2017.

It gained massive momentum after merging with Musical.ly, a lip-synching app, a year later.

Secret sauce 

The secret sauce to the app's rapid expansion was its innovative recommendation algorithm.

Unlike other platforms that primarily showed content from accounts users already follow, TikTok's "For You" page served content based on viewing habits, engagement patterns and sophisticated content analysis.

A video from a complete unknown can reach millions if the algorithm determines it is engaging enough.

Its short-form video also helps keep users hooked.

Initially limited to uploads of 15 seconds, this was later expanded to up to 10 minutes. Videos as long as 60 minutes are currently being tested.

YouTube (with Shorts) and Instagram (with Reels) have chased its success.

The TikTok interface of users thumb-scrolling through machine-recommended content has been widely duplicated, notably on Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter).
Influencers

TikTok's signature feature -- the ability to easily create, edit and share videos -- quickly captured the attention of Generation Z users before spreading.

Its success grew during the coronavirus pandemic with the world locked at home and desperate for entertainment and shared experiences.

By 2021, TikTok had over a billion active users worldwide. It has been downloaded more than three billion times since its creation.

The platform has emerged as a powerful marketing tool and cultural catalyst.

Businesses increasingly leverage TikTok for advertising, while creators -- or influencers -- can monetize their content.

Political suspicions

TikTok's power to direct mass attention means its rise has not been without controversy, mainly for its Chinese ownership and the site's built-in unpredictability.

The platform has faced intense scrutiny from governments worldwide, particularly in the United States, over data privacy and potential ties to the Chinese government -- including accusations of spying and propaganda.

In 2020, India permanently banned TikTok along with other Chinese apps, citing national security concerns.

And in Romania, authorities believe a Russian influence campaign through platforms including TikTok helped far-right candidate Calin Georgescu to take the lead in the first round of the nation's presidential election.

Georgescu was this month excluded from a re-run of the poll after the first ballot was cancelled by the Constitutional Court.

The European Commission has also opened an investigation into TikTok's recommendation systems.

Fears for teenagers

Albania's ban, set to last at least a year, comes after a 14-year-old schoolboy was killed and another hurt in a brawl in the capital Tirana following a social media clash.

Prime Minister Edi Rama called the app a "neighbourhood thug" at the time.

Other jurisdictions have also expressed fears about TikTok's potential effects on young users, with accusations it funnels them into echo chambers and fails to contain illegal, violent or obscene content.

Britain's data regulator this month opened investigations into social media including TikTok on how the platforms use data from children and teens.

Australia notably banned access to social media for all under-16s late last year.

In France a group of families is taking legal action against TikTok, accusing the network of showing their children content that could have encouraged them to commit suicide.

And in late December, Venezuela fined the company $10 million for "negligence" over the deaths of three teenagers participating in a dangerous online challenge.

TikTok last year withdrew a programme in its TikTok Lite app that rewarded users based on screen time.

The EU Commission had opened a probe after a backlash to the app's launch in France and Spain, saying it saw potentially "very addictive consequences".

Sell or be banned

In the United States, Donald Trump's first administration attempted to force a sale to American companies of TikTok's US operations with 170 million users.

But the billionaire president has made an about-face on his return to office, granting TikTok a 75-day extension to a January 19 deadline to find a US buyer.

Trump said in early March that Washington was in talks with four groups interested in acquiring the app.

"A lot of people want it, and it's up to me," Trump said.