More than half of TikTok users turn to the app as a news source: Poll

A GROWING NUMBER OF AMERICANS ARE TURNING TO TIKTOK FOR NEWS CONSUMPTION –

THAT’S ACCORDING TO A RECENT PEW RESEARCH CENTER ANALYSIS. 

SINCE 2020 –

THE PLATFORM HAS SEEN THE FASTEST GROWTH OUT OF ALL OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA SITES FOR USERS SAYING THEY SCROLL FOR THE NEWS.

THIS GOES AGAINST RECENT TRENDS OF USERS USING SOCIAL MEDIA FOR ENTERTAINMENT RATHER CURRENT EVENTS.

IN JUST FOUR YEARS –

THE PERCENTAGE OF ADULTS WHO REPORT REGULARLY GETTING NEWS FROM TIKTOK SURGED FROM 3% TO 17%.

THAT NUMBER INCLUDES AMERICANS WHO DON’T HAVE A TIKTOK ACCOUNT.

WHEN LOOKING AT AMERICANS WHO **HAVE A TIKTOK ACCOUNT –

52 PERCENT SAY THEY’RE USING THE APP FOR NEWS.

A JUMP FROM 43% LAST YEAR.

AND 22% IN 2020.

SO IN A FOUR YEAR SPAN – THE NUMBER OF USERS TURNING TO TIKTOK FOR NEWS HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED.

TIKTOK USERS ARE NOW MORE LIKELY TO GET NEWS FROM THE PLATFORM THAN FACEBOOK USERS ARE FROM FACEBOOK –

OR INSTAGRAM USERS ARE FROM INSTAGRAM.

ALTHOUGH THEY ARE STILL LESS LIKELY THAN USERS OF X TO USE THE SITE FOR NEWS CONSUMPTION.

BUT FOR THE HALF OF AMERICANS WHO USE TIKTOK FOR NEWS –

THEY SOON MAY HAVE TO FIND ANOTHER SOURCE TO TURN TO.

WHILE COURT CHALLENGES ARE CURRENTLY PLAYING OUT –

AS OF NOW – TIKTOK STILL FACES A JANUARY 19TH DEADLINE TO SEVER TIES WITH ITS CHINESE OWNERSHIP OR FACE A BAN IN THE U.S.

SOME ELECTED OFFICIALS IN CONGRESS WORRY THAT TIKTOK’S TIES TO CHINA COULD BE STEALING AMERICAN’S DATA – AND IMPACTING THE APP’S ALGORITHM –

WHICH THEY SAY MIGHT BE INFLUENCING USERS’ POLITICS OR VIEWS ON SOCIAL ISSUES BY CONTROLLING WHAT CONTENT THEY SEE.

PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR A TIKTOK BAN HAS **DECREASED OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS – WITH SOME USERS SAYING ITS AN INFRINGEMENT ON FREE SPEECH.

WHILE THE GOVERNMENT CALLS THE APP A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT.

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