What's new for TikTok in 2024: from changes in its structure and application to being part of the geopolitical context?

TikTok, the Chinese-based social network that is making waves, continues to set the standard with its ability to evolve and adapt to the changing demands of its users. In recent months, the popular short-form video platform has undergone a series of significant transformations that are redefining the experience for creators and viewers alike. Below, we’ll take a look at the latest developments that are shaking up the world of TikTok in 2024 and social media and what they mean for its global community.

New format in TikTok 2024: long horizontal videos

Just a month ago we learned from content creators’ networks that TikTok will editorially favor content longer than one minute and in horizontal format, in order to receive more views in the first 72 hours. This announcement appears in the context of a platform that was created and popularized based on its videos in vertical format and 15-second maximum duration, but that in the last year has extended the maximum time to 10 minutes, and in the case of some select content creators, up to 30 minutes. @kenlyealtumbiz reported through his TikTok channel that the company sent him an alert indicating that it will reward content creators who share horizontal videos longer than 10 minutes.

This novelty has not left anyone indifferent, and several content creators have publicly protested. One example of this is Noah Jennings, who argued that TikTok has lost perspective on what makes them unique: short videos in vertical format.

However, this whole situation is better understood if we put it in context. A study conducted by Qustodio in 2020 made it clear that, since Covid-19, TikTok has been fighting with Youtube to be the app most used by the youngest audience. This circumstance would explain the most recent modifications in the social network, since a large number of streamers use the app to promote the content they share through Twitch or Youtube. Moreover, if we add to this the fact that gaming and streaming are the categories in which the most is invested in advertising through mobile(data.ai), we can understand the reasons that motivate TikTok in 2024 to open ground within this format.

It is not surprising then that the most recent headlines on this subject state that “TikTok wants to devour Youtube” or that “TikTok is going after Youtube” (according to news from La Vanguardia and El Confidencial) respectively.

Future challenges of the Chinese social network

If we study this format, we realize that it requires much more effort, since the extended duration requires a more expensive edition. This, undoubtedly, is one of the reasons behind the wave of criticism from content creators most loyal to the platform, although the streaming sector has not remained silent either, and have addressed issues such as TikTok’s algorithm, comparing it to an arcade machine, stating that uploading a video to this social network is like pulling a lever and hoping to get lucky. This situation is very different from Youtube, which works more like a catalog, where the published content receives visits even months and years later, with an algorithm that is not so volatile.

All this is also related to the economic aspect, since TikTok also enters to compete with a platform whose monetization is exponentially higher than the one it has been offering, contrasting the 40 cents on average for every 1000 visits on Youtube against the 0.04 that TikTok pays.

Therefore, the Chinese platform will have to consider a new content monetization policy if it wants streamers to abandon other platforms in its favor, in addition to facing the barrier posed by the huge drop in the attention window of the younger population, which uses TikTok mainly for the purpose of consuming short and stimulating content.

TikTok, “under suspicion” by the European Commission

In this changing context, the European legislator seeks to adapt regulation to the new business models, in order to address the risks they pose. In this regard, the entry into force of the recent Digital Services Package has caused a stir in the world of social networks, especially after learning that the European Commission has initiated formal proceedings against TikTok this 2024, under suspicion of non-compliance with several legal provisions:

• Seeks to know what measures TikTok is taking to prevent minors from accessing inappropriate content, such as, for example: the presence of age verification tools. This is one of the most talked-about issues.
• Another issue that is receiving more attention: the EU has expressed concern about the UX design of the Chinese platform, as it may generate behavioral addictions, and cause the famous “rabbit-hole effect”.

• The judicial authority operates under the suspicion that the social network does not provide access to its investigators to publicly accessible data to check systemic risk in the EU.

• Finally, it will check whether the advertising repository used by TikTok is reliable and searchable.

Undoubtedly, this is a case that can change the rules of the game: with a legislator and judicial bodies increasingly focused on ensuring security and control within digital platforms, a case like this could affect the operation of all social networks within the European space, therefore, we will have to pay attention to the conclusions of a case that promises to be controversial.

TikTok and the United States

Also controversial is the law passed by the U.S. House of Representatives just a week ago, which puts the Chinese platform on the ropes.

Two options: either sell or be banned.

Under the belief that TikTok poses a threat to national security, the House of Representatives has passed, with a surprising absolute majority, a law that forces the social network to sell its platform in the next 6 months or face a ban throughout the United States, where it accumulates more than 170 million users.

Faced with these accusations, TikTok denies its ties to the Beijing government, and argues that its headquarters are in California. However, despite hundreds of millions spent on lobbying in Washington, to no avail, they have chosen to urge their users to publicly oppose the measure.

A decision that surprises the world, and that plunges us into a sea of uncertainty with more questions than answers.

What will be the outcome and what consequences will it bring?