TikTok is one of the most popular apps in the world, especially amongst Generation Z users for its dance challenges and with brands seeking to target that coveted segment. But the social media platform ran into trouble this summer when it found itself at the center of an international power struggle that had all the twists and turns of a soap opera. The U.S. and Chinese governments sparred over the app's fate, with American tech giants, including Microsoft, Oracle and even Walmart, all jockeying for the chance to own a piece of it.

So why is the short-form video app facing a potential ban -- and what do you really need to know about it? On this installment from our "dot.LA Explains" series, host Kelly O'Grady runs through the key points in the saga and looks at what may lie ahead for TikTok.