According to the latest reports from NBC Business Channel, large tech companies like Meta and Google are adjusting their strategies and making efforts in the short video race, seeking to take a share of the pie from TikTok.
Image: U.S. media report (How TikTok's rise triggered a short video competition)
According to media reports, since its launch in 2017, TikTok has attracted over 1 billion monthly active users globally with its unique short video format and rich content community. In the view of Jasmine Enberg, chief analyst at market research firm eMarketer, TikTok is the 'center of the young people's online world': 'Young people come here for entertainment, to get news, to learn about trends, and even to shop. TikTok has set the tone for all other platforms.'
The rise of TikTok has made Meta and Google feel threatened.
(The Washington Post) revealed in 2022 that Meta hired one of the largest consulting firms in the U.S. to launch a smear campaign against TikTok nationwide. After the 'Sell or Be Banned' bill passed in 2024, British media (Daily Mail) exposed that Meta and Google had been lobbying Congress and the White House behind the scenes to ensure the bill passed smoothly.
Recently, Meta was accused of monopolizing the market, and its CEO Mark Zuckerberg admitted in court that this app under ByteDance has been a key focus of competition for Meta over the years. He emphasized that TikTok poses a 'top priority' and 'highly urgent' threat to Meta.
In addition to suppressing TikTok, Meta and Google are also trying to carve out a place in the short video market. The two tech giants added TikTok-like short video features to their social media applications in 2020 and 2021, respectively. Although criticized by U.S. media for 'cloning', after years of development, Meta's Instagram Reels and Google's YouTube Shorts have become strong competitors to TikTok.
Especially in the past year, taking advantage of the U.S. government's pressure on TikTok through the 'Sell or Be Banned' law, Meta and Google have accelerated their expansion efforts.
In January 2025, TikTok briefly went offline in the U.S. due to a ban bill, and Instagram head Adam Mosseri immediately announced consideration of launching Reels as a standalone application. At that time, Meta employees were busy contacting TikTok creators, promising cash rewards of $10,000 to $50,000 per month for those willing to create short videos for Reels.
According to previous reports by (The New York Times), Google is also actively adjusting its platform layout in an attempt to attract TikTok creators. Around January, YouTube directly invited some TikTok creators to participate in its shopping 'boot camp' project, helping them quickly adapt to platform rules and manage content.
Even Microsoft, which originally had no social media platform, has set its sights on TikTok's market share in the short video field. LinkedIn, owned by Microsoft, was originally a job-seeking software, but last spring, LinkedIn also attempted to launch TikTok-style short videos. LinkedIn data shows that in the first quarter of 2025, total views of short videos on its platform surged by 36%. After tasting success, LinkedIn has recently doubled down on its short video strategy. Foreign media have discovered that LinkedIn is testing a new feature allowing users to participate in trending topics through short videos.
Although TikTok currently still dominates the short video market, it faces a ban dilemma in the U.S.
Public information shows that in April 2024, then U.S. President Biden signed the 'Sell or Be Banned' law targeting TikTok, requiring TikTok to separate from its parent company ByteDance by January 19, 2025, or face a ban in the U.S. Although current U.S. President Trump has twice postponed the 'Sell or Be Banned' law, it remains uncertain whether TikTok can survive this challenge.
TikTok's situation in the U.S. has provided opportunities for various competitors, all of whom want to seize the chance to capture the short video market. According to eMarketer, if TikTok faces restrictions in the U.S., the market may be reallocated, allowing Meta and YouTube to capture advertising shares that originally belonged to TikTok, potentially gaining up to 50% of advertising revenue.
