TikTok says it now has more than 1 billion monthly active users

Part 1. Vocabulary

 

surged (past participle)	/sərj/ n - a sudden large increase, typically a brief one The sales of milk tea surged high during summer.
fizzled (past participle)	/ˈfizəl/ v - end or fail in a weak or disappointing way. The plan to have a party fizzled all of a sudden.
scrutiny	/ˈskro͞otnē/ n - critical observation or examination Some online stores are under scrutiny because of bad reviews.
platforms	/ˈplatfôrm/ n - an opportunity to voice one's views or initiate action Many people use the internet as a platform for selling.
millennials	/miˈlenēəl/ n - a person reaching young adulthood in the early 21st century The millennials are considered creative and innovative generation.

 

 

Part 2. Comprehension Questions

What social media application reached its 1 billion monthly active users?

When did the popularity of this social media platform surge?

Who was the president that attempted to shut down Tik Tok in their country?

What are the reasons why Tik Tok is banned in other countries?

What were the other social media platforms that also reached 1 billion monthly?

 

Part 3. Article Reading

New York (CNN Business) TikTok has hit one of the most exclusive milestones in the tech industry.

The company said in a blog post, Monday, that it now has more than 1 billion monthly active users around the world, making it the rare social media application not owned by Facebook (FB) or Google (GOOGL GOOGLE) to claim an audience of that size.

 The short-form video app's popularity surged as people spent more time on their phones during the pandemic. It has also both benefited from and fueled the growth of the creator industry, as more people look to make a living from posting content to social media sites.

The growth of the Chinese-owned app comes despite an effort by former President Donald Trump's administration last year to shut down TikTok in the United States. And while Trump's effort ultimately fizzled, the app has been banned in India and faces scrutiny from European regulators over its data protection practices and children's safety.

 TikTok has also maintained its popularity despite rivals launching copycat products, including Instagram's Reels, YouTube's Shorts, and Snapchat's Spotlight.

The app's monthly active users in August were up 25% compared to the same month last year, according to app store intelligence firm Sensor Tower.

 The announcement solidifies TikTok's place among the competitive ranks of legacy social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Facebook-owned Instagram, the latter of which hit 1 billion monthly users in June 2018. By contrast, Snapchat (SNAP), which has been around nearly twice as long, said earlier this year that it had reached 500 million monthly active users. When Twitter (TWTR) last reported this metric in 2019, it had 330 million monthly active users.

During the pandemic, TikTok was successful in drawing in more millennials and high-profile creators from Instagram and other sites. TikTok also launched a $1 billion creator fund last year to encourage users to create content on the platform.

 

Source: By Clare Duffy, CNN Business, September 27, 2021, https://edition.cnn.com/2021/09/27/tech/