Mobile phone users scrambled over the weekend to prepare for TikTok and WeChat's disappearance. That was before it emerged that the bans on the two China-based social apps had been delayed.
Data from third-party analytics firm Apptopia show a 181% increase in WeChat downloads compared to the prior weekend. Several other competitors in the short-form video space also saw big gains, including L.A.-based apps Triller (4x increase on the previous weekend), Clash and Byte (both over 5x).
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Although TikTok was far and away the most popular in absolute terms, its weekly growth was relatively low.
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Both WeChat and QQ, which many view as a WeChat replacement, hit all-time highs in U.S. daily downloads on Sunday, according to Apptopia.
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Sensor Tower, another 3rd party analytics firm, told dot.LA that according to its data, Triller's rank in the U.S. iOS app store rose from 208 on Friday to 39 by Sunday. Their data also show that a cohort of TikTok competitors – Triller, Byte, Clash, New York-based Dubsmash and Singapore-based Likee – collectively saw a 204% increase in U.S. installs compared to the prior weekend. QQ saw an 850% increase.
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Each data firm has their own methodologies to estimate the figures they release.
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President Donald Trump told reporters he approved a deal in concept between Oracle and TikTok's parent company ByteDance in which Oracle and Walmart would partner with the app in the U.S. The move could avert the ban in U.S. app stores that was set to go into effect on Sunday.
<p>"I have given the deal my blessing," Trump<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-signs-off-on-deal-allowing-tiktok-to-continue-u-s-operations-11600551352" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"> said to reporters at the White House Saturday.</a> "If they get it done, that's great. If they don't, that's okay, too."</p><p> It is unclear whether ByteDance will remain a majority owner of TikTok.</p><p>"It will have nothing to do with China. It'll be totally secure; that'll be part of the deal," Trump said. "All of the control is Walmart and Oracle, two great American companies."</p><p>But Trump said the company, now seated in Culver City, will likely be headquartered in Texas and bring 25,000 jobs. </p><p>He added that TikTok has agreed to donate $5 billion to an education fund, which Trump said would satisfy his demand that the government receive a payment from the deal.</p><p>"They're going to be setting up a very large fund," <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-09-19/trump-says-he-s-approved-oracle-deal-for-u-s-tiktok-operations?sref=4Kf8RwDw" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Trump told reporters. </a>"That's their contribution that I've been asking for."</p><p>Various outlets with reporters at the White House reported on Trump's sign off. It came after the president signed an executive order in August that called the viral social video app owned by Chinese internet company ByteDance a national security threat. It also called on the Beijing based parent company to sell TikTok to a U.S. firm or face a ban. </p><p>The administration accuses TikTok of sharing user data with the Chinese Communist government. TikTok denies the charges. </p><p>This week, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/17/technology/tiktok-deal-revisions-trump-review.html" target="_blank">the New York Times reported</a> that TikTok is hunting for a new CEO and that Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom is being considered for the position.</p>
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TikTok's Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance is reportedly planning to hold an initial public offering in the U.S. if President Donald Trump approves a deal with Oracle. The move hopes to avert Trump's ban of the popular app set to take effect next week.
<p>On Wednesday, the Treasury Department provided ByteDance with revisions to the agreement the two companies have tentatively signed off on. Various media reported that Oracle will own a stake of TikTok, but how much each would own is unclear. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/white-house-concerns-grow-over-emerging-tiktok-deal-with-oracle-11600359798" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Walmart may also be part of that arrangement</a>. Any deal still must be cleared by Trump.</p><p>Walmart had previously sought to join a deal with Microsoft Corp, but <a href="https://dot.la/oracle-wins-bid-for-tiktok-2647641268/a-tiktok-timeline-the-rise-and-pause-of-a-social-video-giant" target="_self">their bid was rejected</a> by ByteDance. </p><p>TikTok is also <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/17/technology/tiktok-deal-revisions-trump-review.html" target="_blank">reportedly</a> hunting for a new CEO and multiple outlets Thursday report Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom is being considered. </p><p>Sunday will mark 45 days since Trump signed an executive order stating TikTok must strike a deal in the country or risk being banned. The administration accuses TikTok of collecting U.S. users data and sharing it with the Chinese government, a risk to national security. TikTok denies this.</p>If TikTok went public, it could be one of the largest tech IPOs yet. Some investors have valued the company <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bytedance-tiktok-exclusive/exclusive-bytedance-investors-value-tiktok-at-50-billion-in-takeover-bid-sources-idUSKCN24U1M9" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">at $50 billion</a>.
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