Explainer | What makes TikTok’s technology so special, that the app may be banned in the US?

TikTok showed that an algorithm, driven by understanding a user’s interest, could be more powerful, than building their algorithm on a ‘social graph’ like Meta

The positioning of TikTok as an app built for mobile devices from the start gave it an advantage over rivals that had to adapt interfaces from computer screens

Reading Time:3 minutes

Published: 8:00pm, 26 Apr 2024

The content recommendation algorithm that powers the online short video platform TikTok has once again come under the spotlight after the US ordered its Chinese owner, ByteDance, to sell the app’s US assets or face a nationwide ban.

Here is how it works and why it has attracted more discussion than technology used by its rivals such as Meta’s Instagram, Google’s YouTube and Snapchat:

Algorithms

The algorithms are deemed core to ByteDance’s overall operations, and ByteDance would rather shut down the app than sell it, Reuters reported citing sources.

China made changes to its export laws in 2020 that give it approval rights over any export of algorithms and source codes, adding a layer of complexity to any effort to sell the app.

Academics and former company staff said that it is not just the algorithms, but also how it works with the short video format, that has made TikTok so successful globally.

It’s the app too

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