Fact Check: "TikTok is a social media platform launched in 2016."
What We Know
The claim that TikTok was launched in 2016 is misleading. TikTok is the international version of the Chinese app Douyin, which was released by the company ByteDance in September 2016. However, the app that became known as TikTok was launched internationally in September 2017, after ByteDance acquired the app Musical.ly and merged it with TikTok in August 2018 (source-5). Therefore, while the parent app Douyin did debut in 2016, TikTok as it is recognized today was not available until a year later.
Analysis
The distinction between Douyin and TikTok is crucial to understanding the timeline of the platform's launch. Douyin was specifically designed for the Chinese market, while TikTok was tailored for international users. The acquisition of Musical.ly, a popular lip-syncing app, played a significant role in TikTok's growth and user base expansion (source-5).
While the claim might stem from the initial launch of Douyin, it fails to accurately represent the timeline of TikTok's availability to the global audience. The sources that discuss TikTok's launch date clarify that the international version did not exist until 2017 (source-5).
Furthermore, the reliability of the sources used to verify this claim is high, as they include reputable platforms like Zhihu, which is known for its quality content and user-generated knowledge sharing (source-7).
Conclusion
Verdict: False
The claim that TikTok was launched in 2016 is inaccurate because it conflates the launch of Douyin with that of TikTok. TikTok was officially launched internationally in September 2017, following the acquisition of Musical.ly in 2018. Therefore, the statement does not reflect the correct timeline of events.
