Short video app TikTok said Monday it now has 150 million monthly active users in the United States, up from 100 million in 2020.
The Chinese-owned app confirmed the figure ahead of testimony that TikTok CEO Xu Ziqiu is scheduled to give Thursday before the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Last Friday, six other US senators endorsed bipartisan legislation to give President Joe Biden new powers to ban TikTok on national security grounds. Last week, TikTok said the Biden administration had demanded the app’s Chinese owners give up their stake in the app or face a US ban.
The app is facing mounting pressure from President Joe Biden’s administration and lawmakers, including calls to ban the app from many in Congress who fear the potential for US user data to fall into the hands of the Chinese government. TikTok said in September 2021 that it has more than 1 billion monthly users globally.
TikTok said it had spent more than $1.5 billion on aggressive data security efforts and rejected the allegations of espionage. “If protecting national security is the goal, divestment does not solve the problem. The change in ownership will not impose any new restrictions on data flow or access,” it said. .
The new numbers are a sign of the app’s widespread popularity, especially among young Americans. US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo told Bloomberg News that there might be political ramifications for banning TikTok.
“The politician in me thinks we will literally lose all voters under the age of 35 forever,” she added.
