Daily US Times: The popular micro video-sharing app TikTok was the world’s most downloaded app in 2020 as it took the top spot from Facebook Messenger, digital analytics company App Annie’s data shows.
This is the only app not owned by Facebook to make the global top five of downloads.
In its home country of China, TikTok’s owner ByteDance also holds the top spot with the Chinese language video app Douyin.
The Chinese app’s continued popularity emerged even after former US President Donald Trump tried to ban it in the US.
Facebook-owned apps, like that of Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram, have held the top spot since the survey started in 2018 and the company still dominated the chart.
Mark Zuckerberg’s social media giant accounted for the rest of the top five with Facebook’s flagship app as well a Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram all making an appearance.
During his last days in office, then-President Donald Trump issued an executive order to ban new downloads of the TikTok app in the United States.
The Trump administration claimed that the Chinese owned app posed a national security risk as the Chinese government had access to its user data, the allegation was repeatedly denied by the company.
A potential deal to resolve the issue that would have seen TikTok’s parent company ByteDance selling part of its US operation to US retailer giant Walmart and technology giant Oracle was given the tentative green light from Donald Trump but was never approved by the Chinese government.
After taking the White House in January this year Joe Biden has withdrawn Mr Trump’s executive order.
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