With over 170 million TikTok users facing a potential ban in the U.S., the ByteDance-owned social media company has
announced that its user base in Europe is steadily growing, with 5 million more active users compared to this time last year.
“More than 200 million people across Europe now come to
TikTok every month,” the company said on Monday, adding that this number is approaching “a third of the population of the continent across the European Economic Area (EEA) and the
U.K."
The update builds on the United Kingdom's recent announcement regarding TikTok's impact on European economies.
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According to Oxford Economics, the operations of small
and medium-sized businesses on the platform added €4.8 billion [or about $US5.6 billion] to the economies of Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands and Belgium and supported more than 51,000
jobs.
Per TikTok's increased usage in the region, Statista estimations show that by 2028, the social
app's active users in the EU could reach 192 million, with higher adoption rates in Germany and France.
Beyond TikTok's growing impact on the EU's economy, the company also highlights the
app's growing cultural relevance overseas, with engagement boosts in reading and book-selling, arts initiatives, and the app's dedicated STEM feed.
However, with more European regulators posing
challenges for the social media company -- including the U.K. launching privacy probes into TikTok's data practices, or the European Commission banning specific content on the app -- TikTok's
announcement harkens back to the company's previous attempts to prove its positive economic impact in the U.S. following the federal government's selloff bill.
On September 17, TikTok could be banned in the U.S. if China's government is not willing to sell
TikTok's proprietary algorithm to a U.S.-based buyer.
By sharing highlights about its growing business in Europe -- along with its essential position in millions of lives and businesses --
TikTok may be preparing an enhanced focus on its opportunities overseas.