Media365
Beijing-based ByteDance launched the international version of its short video app in 2017. TikTok soon became a global hit thanks to its advanced algorithm. This success, however, drew the attention of the US government and others, which raised concerns about data privacy and national security.
After a rocky few years, TikTok seems ready to secure a permanent foothold in the US market via a deal that would see American investors control the US operations.
The following timeline plots TikTok’s journey.
2012
March – Zhang Yiming establishes ByteDance in Beijing.
2016
September – ByteDance launches Douyin, a social media platform based on user-generated short videos. Douyin would only be available in mainland China.
