San Francisco (AFP)
TikTok took the world's most downloaded mobile app spot in 2020, ahead of Facebook and its messengers, a sign that the pandemic has amplified the light-weight video platform's success beyond its initial audience, teens.
According to the specialist firm App Annie, the app owned by the Chinese group ByteDance came at the top of downloads last year, followed by Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram and Messenger, four services of the Californian giant of social networks.
Next come Snapchat and Telegram.
TikTok had a rough time at the end of 2019, when former United States President Donald Trump tried to ban it through executive orders that accused it of being used to spy on Americans on Beijing's behalf.
But that has not dented its popularity, which has exploded in favor of measures of health restrictions and lockdowns.
In June, Joe Biden announced the revocation of his predecessor's executive orders, while asking his administration to investigate the real risks posed by internet applications owned by certain foreign powers.
The rhythmic video platform, often musical or humorous, claims close to 700 million monthly users worldwide.
Facebook keeps a big lead: more than 3.5 billion people use at least one of its four platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp) every month.
But Instagram and other networks have copied the format of short videos with easy-to-use special effects that made TikTok so successful.
© 2021 AFP