Inside the rise of TikTok, the viral video-sharing app wildly popular with teens and loathed by the Trump administration

Tolga Akmen/AFP/Getty Images; Clancy Morgan/Business Insider

• TikTok, the short-form video app, has become one of the most popular social platforms among Generation Z. It has more than 2.3 billion all-time downloads, and 100 million users in the US alone.
• However, the future of TikTok's presence in the US is uncertain: The Trump administration is threatening to ban the app, citing national security risks over its ties to China through its parent company, ByteDance.
• Trump says he'll ban the app if an American company doesn't buy TikTok's US operations by mid-September. He escalated his attack with Thursday night's executive order barring US companies from doing business with ByteDance.
• Microsoft has emerged as a frontrunner in TikTok acquisition talks. The possible deal — in which Microsoft would take over TikTok operations in US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia — is valued between $10 million and $30 million.
• Here's the story of how TikTok got its start and grew into a wildly popular platform, and where the status of TikTok's future in the US stands.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
• Follow INSIDER on TikTok.

One of the most popular apps is a short-form video platform called TikTok.

In just a few years of its existence, TikTok has become a staple of internet culture and social interaction for Generation Z. The app has surpassed 2 billion all-time downloads, thanks to its flurry of short-form videos where users participate in viral challenges, lip sync and dance to music, show off comedic skits, and share their hot takes on society at large.

But TikTok's rise into the mainstream — especially in the US — has also led to increased scrutiny. TikTok is owned by the colossal Chinese tech company ByteDance, a connection that's raised concerns about how much access and influence the Chinese government has to user data and content moderation. To appease concerns, ByteDance recently appointed a new CEO for TikTok, Kevin Mayer, an American ex-Disney streaming executive who is now based out of TikTok's Los Angeles offices.

Nonetheless, the Trump administration has stepped up threats in recent month to ban TikTok in the US, where the app has more than 100 million users. Reports have emerged indicating ByteDance could sell TikTok's US operations to an American company to avoid a ban, and Microsoft has been revealed as the leading buyer.

Now, the pressure is on ByteDance to close a deal before September 15, the date Trump has said he'll ban TikTok on if a deal is not reached. These hints at action against the app in one of its biggest markets could mean trouble for TikTok's future and the millions of users loyal to its content.

Here's how TikTok rose to become a social network loved by teens and scrutinized by US authorities:

To trace the history of this incredibly popular short-form video sharing app, it's important to note that TikTok didn't start as TikTok, but as two distinct apps that eventually merged: Musical.ly and Douyin.

Musical.ly was a short-form app where users could create and share 15-second lip sync music videos. It was founded in 2014 by Alex Zhu and Louis Yang.

Source: Business Insider

Musical.ly was originally intended for short-form educational videos, but Zhu said that idea was "doomed to be a failure."

Source: Business Insider

See Also:

• The best speaker deals — save $50 on Bose's portable smart speaker
• Trump is considering banning Chinese social media app TikTok. See the full list of countries, companies, and organizations that have already banned it.
• Democratic and Republican parties warn staff not to use TikTok over security concerns

SEE ALSO: No, Donald Trump can't 'ban' TikTok