This popular app will benefit greatly if TikTok is shut down

These days, it's hard to tell what is not soaked in politics: sports, shows, films, and even technology. The TikTok issue that's been making headlines in recent headlines may seem like it's about software and apps, but in reality, it's just another manifestation of the same zeitgeist.

As you know, last year, Biden's administration passed a bill into law that forces ByteDance to sell (to a US-based buyer) one of its most precious assets – TikTok… or face a nation-wide ban in the US. Trump being Trump, gave another 75 days for TikTok; right now, it's debated who'll buy (if ByteDance wants to sell) the popular social media app that's some 170 million Americans' favorite pastime.

If TikTok goes dark in the US, however, some social media platforms will benefit. One such is Snapchat.

Snap has experienced a rise in user engagement as uncertainty looms over TikTok's future, a trend CEO Evan Spiegel acknowledged during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call. While he refrained from making definitive conclusions about the impact of TikTok's temporary downtime, he noted that the uncertain landscape has benefited Snap.

One of Snapchat's key attractions is Spotlight, its short-form video feature designed to compete with TikTok. As concerns about TikTok persist, more creators are turning to Snapchat, with thousands joining its Snap Star program in the past year.

The number of creators posting content grew by over 40% year-over-year in the fourth quarter, further strengthening the platform's appeal. 40% is by no means a marginal number.

Spiegel also highlighted the expansion of Snapchat's public content, stating that the platform now sees a billion public posts per month. He emphasized that this growth reflects a healthy and thriving content ecosystem, which remains a key focus for Snap moving forward.

The company reported strong user growth, reaching 453 million daily active users in the fourth quarter, an increase of 39 million from the previous period. Revenue also climbed to $1.55 billion, up from $1.36 billion the previous year.

Beyond Snap, TikTok's uncertain status has influenced the broader social media industry, with platforms like YouTube, Meta, and the China-based RedNote also seeing increases in user engagement.

Are you ready to jump aboard?