TikTok Is Making a Play for Search

TikTok is making a play for the search market, encouraging users to use it in place of traditional search engines.

TikTok may be the hottest social media platform, but the company has designs on much more. With many young people turning to social media for answers and advice, TikTok is trying to position itself as a search engine alternative.

If using the app for search seems far-fetched, one only has to look at one of its latest ads to see what the company is planning. Of course, given the scrutiny the Chinese firm is already under, TikTok’s efforts to compete with traditional search may backfire.

US lawmakers and regulators are concerned about the amount of user data TikTok has access to and whether that data makes its way to Chinese authorities. Making a play for the search market, and the additional data that encompasses, is likely to make those lawmakers even more nervous and lend more weight to a possible ban.