Despite the recent controversy surrounding video-sharing app TikTok, it has trumped Facebook to become the most downloaded app on Apple's App Store with India contributing to a majority of the new users. TikTok's astounding popularity among the younger lot could be gauged from the fact that it added 188 million users in the first quarter of 2019 throughout the world, data from apps intelligence firm Sensor Tower revealed.
The app installs, according to the report, grew by 70 per cent year-on-year from March 2018 quarter. India alone added 47 per cent of the new downloads in this time frame and along with China, has the most number of TikTok users. Over 88 million people used TikTok in this quarter compared to just 13 million users from the US.
The tracker report said that the individual entertainment experience that TikTok offers to youth has particularly made it a favourite among teenagers and youngsters in the age group of 20-25 years. TikTok said that it is working on giving the next million users of the app in India their first social media experience.
"India is an important market for Tikok and we constantly gather feedback and insights from our users to enhance the in-app experience. We will continue to build TikTok as a safe and positive platform and as the preferred content platform for creative expression," a TikTok spokesperson told The Times of India.
The short-video content and ability to express oneself creatively added with entertainment value has made TikTok the number one app, the industry trackers said. TikTok has also aggressively launched its advertisement campaigns on rival social media apps like Facebook and Instagram.
In response to the demand made by certain sections of society, the Madras High Court had recently ordered for banning the TikTok app when there were reports of it being used for child pornography and other illicit activities. However, the ban was lifted soon after TikTok's parent company Beijing Bytedance Technology Co assured the legal authorities that all safety standards and age limit usage instructions will be followed.
TikTok has also stated that it has put in place as many as 13 safety measures, including parental control, to prevent any illicit use by minors. It added that "a very minuscule" proportion of the app's content is obscene or inappropriate. On account of the ban, TikTok said that it incurred losses worth $50,000 a day.
