Why the Ownership of TikTok Matters to Marketing

As the U.S. and China negotiate the terms of TikTok's operation in America, the question of who controls the platform remains at the center of the debate. The shift from social media to what we now call attention media has reshaped the landscape. What was once a domain dominated almost entirely by U.S. tech companies has become far more TikTok-positive.

TikTok vs. Other U.S. Platforms

TikTok is no longer a fringe player—it is one of the most popular apps in the United States. It is now the single largest market on the platform, with tens of millions of users, and its cultural influence is established among young people. Nearly three-quarters of American teens and young adults already use TikTok, making it one of the defining platforms of a generation. In fact, it is projected to surpass Facebook in daily user engagement as early as 2025.

When it comes to reach, YouTube still leads the pack, followed by Facebook and Instagram, but TikTok has carved out a spot alongside them. Its brand awareness is nearly universal—on par with Facebook and YouTube—while its cultural influence is arguably more substantial. Among Generation Z, TikTok is now the third most-used platform, trailing only Instagram and Snapchat. More importantly, its strength is not just in reach but in engagement: people spend more time per day on TikTok than almost any other platform.

A Market the U.S. Thought It Owned

For years, U.S. companies assumed they would face little competition at home. Facebook, Twitter, and Google had perfected the strategy of buying or crushing their rivals. Europe never produced a global challenger, and smaller American startups rarely stood a chance. TikTok broke that pattern. Since its launch in 2016, it has not only survived but thrived, quickly shifting consumer preferences toward video-driven, algorithm-first entertainment.

There is an irony here: Twitter bought Vine in 2012, effectively killing off a product that could have been the American answer to TikTok. In attempting to control the space, U.S. companies inadvertently left the door open for a foreign competitor to dominate it.

Why Ownership Matters

This is why ownership has become such a flashpoint. Shifting TikTok to American control—or at least creating a governance framework with U.S. oversight—would align the platform more closely with American values and regulatory expectations. This matters to marketers because the dynamics of social media have undergone significant evolution. What we now call attention TikTok and YouTube dominate media, leaving brands with fewer, but far more powerful, platforms to reach audiences.

There’s also a question of reciprocity. U.S. platforms, such as Google, are banned in China. By the same logic, many argue it makes little sense to allow TikTok unfettered access to the U.S. market without equivalent safeguards. From a national security perspective, the argument is clear. From a brands perspective, the concern is stability and predictability.

The Marketing Lens

For brands, the platform’s ownership structure is not an abstract issue—it directly affects advertising strategy. Many companies are hesitant to invest heavily in TikTok because of its ties to China. If ownership were transferred, or even partially shared with U.S. interests, advertising on the platform could disrupt the attention economy, where time spent is the most valuable commodity, and TikTok’s control matters enormously. Its future is not just a political or security issue—it is a marketing one.