TikTok is latest social media company to try its hand at gaming - The UpStream

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TikTok is latest social media company to try its hand at gaming

posted Monday Aug 1, 2022 by Scott Ertz

TikTok is latest social media company to try its hand at gaming

TikTok, the latest social media company to try its hand at gaming, is in for a bit of controversy. The app, which is best known for its short videos, has been downloaded over a billion times, and now it's looking to get into the gaming space. TikTok is not the only social media company to foray into gaming; Facebook, Instagram, and even Snapchat have all integrated games into their platforms. However, TikTok may be in for a bit of trouble because of its history with censorship and data privacy issues.

TikTok and Gaming

TikTok's gaming ambitions have already been met with some criticism from the gaming community. Some gamers are concerned that TikTok's short videos will take away from the gaming experience. Others are worried about TikTok's history of censoring certain content and that this will carry over into the gaming world. TikTok has not yet responded to these concerns, but it remains to be seen how the app will fare in the gaming space.

So far, TikTok has only released a few games, and it's unclear how successful they've been. However, given TikTok's massive user base, it's likely that the app will continue to invest in gaming. Only time will tell whether TikTok can overcome its controversy and become a major player in the gaming industry.

How Gaming Works on the Platform

TikTok's gaming offerings are a bit different from what you might find on other social media platforms. TikTok's games are more like minigames that you can play within the app. For example, one game lets you control a character as they try to collect as many coins as possible. TikTok has also partnered with some major gaming companies, such as Gameloft, to bring more well-known titles to the platform.

The entire system works using HTML5, which TikTok says will make it easy for developers to create games for the app. TikTok's gaming offerings are still in their early stages, but the app has already seen some success with its minigames. TikTok says that its games have been played over a billion times, and the app has even partnered with some major gaming companies. Only time will tell whether TikTok can become a major player in the gaming industry, but the app is off to

TikTok's Controversial History

TikTok has been embroiled in controversy for years. The app has been accused of censoring certain content, and it was even banned in India for a time. Tests have been conducted that indicate that the company specifically limits the reach of certain types of content, including banning accounts outright. This usually includes mentioning anything that the Chinese Communist Party disagrees with.

TikTok has also been criticized for its handling of data privacy issues. The Federal Trade Commission famously fined the company for its violation of child privacy laws. TikTok has also been accused of collecting data on users, including scraping iPhone clipboards, without their consent and sharing it with the Chinese government.

All of this controversy makes it difficult to trust TikTok, and it remains to be seen how the app will fare in the gaming space. Only time will tell whether TikTok can overcome its checkered past and become a major player in the gaming industry.

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