U.S. Ban of TikTok Is Set to Deal a Major Blow to ByteDance, Its Chinese Owner

[Han Patriot]

by Felix Richter,
Jan 17, 2025
In recent years, TikTok has surged in popularity in the U.S. and across the globe, captivating users with easily consumable content. With its innovative short-form video format, TikTok has become a cultural phenomenon, influencing trends in music, dance, comedy and beyond. Its algorithm-driven content recommendation system has proven highly effective in keeping users engaged, inspiring other social media platforms to lean heavily into algorithm recommendations as well (hello Instagram!).

According to Statista Consumer Insights, 4 in 10 U.S. adults aged 18 to 64 regularly used TikTok in 2024, making it the fourth most popular social media platform in the U.S., trailing only Facebook, YouTube and Instagram. That’s up from just 14 percent in 2020, showing how quickly TikTok has established itself as a key player in the social media landscape following its arrival in the United States in 2018. As our chart shows, the app is particularly popular among younger users with almost 60 percent of 18 to 29-year-olds using it regularly. It is also the most popular social media platform for U.S. teens according to another recent survey, which is why some lawmakers fear it could be used by the CCP to “indoctrinate” the American youth.

I see alot of coping from the cheerleaders as usual. TIKTOK just gave them a finger up their x, and they blinked. Now Trump is talking about JV for their US business. LOLOLOLOL. STRONK AMERICA!

 

[Hamartia Antidote]

MrBeast Is Officially Trying to Buy TikTok

The guy who brought you a bunch of dumb online videos wants to buy the site that distributes dumb online videos.

gizmodo.com

© Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Prime Video

Ever since our new president, Donald Trump, temporarily saved TikTok from a nationwide ban, Americans have wondered which deep-pocketed businessman will throw his hat in the ring to buy the popular social media platform. Now, we have a new contender: viral influencer Jimmy Donaldson (aka MrBeast). “Okay fine, I’ll buy Tik Tok so it doesn’t get banned,” Donaldson posted on X last week. “Unironically I’ve had so many billionaires reach out to me since I tweeted this, let’s see if we can pull this off,” he added.

On Tuesday, Donaldson’s attorney communicated to CNN that the reality TV star was serious about buying the social media platform, and that Donaldson is now part of a group of U.S. investors who are pushing to procure the site. The Paul Hastings law firm, which is representing the group, has said that the bid comes in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the previously issued law that would force TikTok to be sold or banned in the U.S.

It makes total sense that Donaldson—whose whole business revolves around generating braindead viral content—would want to own the platform most responsible for distributing braindead viral content. Buying TikTok would effectively hand him an infotainment monopoly which, for the world’s most powerful influencer, is basically the equivalent of winning the lottery.

 

[SolarWarden]

MrBeast Is Officially Trying to Buy TikTok

The guy who brought you a bunch of dumb online videos wants to buy the site that distributes dumb online videos.

gizmodo.com

© Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images for Prime Video

Ever since our new president, Donald Trump, temporarily saved TikTok from a nationwide ban, Americans have wondered which deep-pocketed businessman will throw his hat in the ring to buy the popular social media platform. Now, we have a new contender: viral influencer Jimmy Donaldson (aka MrBeast). “Okay fine, I’ll buy Tik Tok so it doesn’t get banned,” Donaldson posted on X last week. “Unironically I’ve had so many billionaires reach out to me since I tweeted this, let’s see if we can pull this off,” he added.

On Tuesday, Donaldson’s attorney communicated to CNN that the reality TV star was serious about buying the social media platform, and that Donaldson is now part of a group of U.S. investors who are pushing to procure the site. The Paul Hastings law firm, which is representing the group, has said that the bid comes in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the previously issued law that would force TikTok to be sold or banned in the U.S.

It makes total sense that Donaldson—whose whole business revolves around generating braindead viral content—would want to own the platform most responsible for distributing braindead viral content. Buying TikTok would effectively hand him an infotainment monopoly which, for the world’s most powerful influencer, is basically the equivalent of winning the lottery.

Is this beast/satanist a billionaire that can buy tiktok?