{"entity":{"id":9871,"slug":"tiktok","name":"TikTok","type":"company","role":null,"description":"Short-form video platform owned by ByteDance.","imageUrl":null,"createdAt":"2026-04-16T16:21:06.843Z","updatedAt":"2026-07-07T19:01:52.973Z"},"electedOffice":null,"significance":{"score":10,"components":{"totalFindings":0,"connectionDegree":8,"recentFindings90d":0,"activeResearchJobs":0,"goblinAttributions":2,"recentSyntheses90d":0,"moneyFlowChainsTotal":0,"closedLoopMemberships":0,"moneyFlowHopsRecent90d":0},"computedAt":"2026-10-15T01:32:54.708Z"},"facts":[{"id":20663,"text":"TikTok filed filing with the SEC on 2025-04-25. Accession number: N/A.","confidence":"inferential","dateOccurred":"2025-04-25","source":{"title":"SEC EDGAR: filing — TikTok (2025-04-25)","url":"https://efts.sec.gov/LATEST/search-index?q=%22TikTok%22&dateRange=custom&forms=4,SC%2013D,SC%2013G,DEF%2014A,10-K,10-Q","publication":"SEC EDGAR"}}],"connections":[{"id":20806,"relationshipType":"investment by member","description":"BitFund, a venture capital firm co-founded by PayPal Mafia member Ken Howery, has invested in ByteDance, parent company of TikTok.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2018","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":4149,"name":"PayPal Mafia","slug":"paypal-mafia","type":"organization"}},{"id":20680,"relationshipType":"investor","description":"SoftBank Vision Fund has been reported as an investor in ByteDance.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2019","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":121,"name":"SoftBank Vision Fund","slug":"softbank-vision-fund","type":"company"}},{"id":20679,"relationshipType":"investor","description":"Sequoia Capital has been reported as an investor in ByteDance, TikTok's parent company.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2018","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":119,"name":"Sequoia Capital","slug":"sequoia-capital","type":"company"}},{"id":20678,"relationshipType":"competitor/commentator","description":"Musk has commented publicly on TikTok, and his platform X/Twitter competes with TikTok for advertising and users.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2022","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":3,"name":"Elon Musk","slug":"elon-musk","type":"person"}},{"id":20677,"relationshipType":"former banned platform","description":"The US Air Force banned TikTok from government-issued devices in 2020 over security concerns.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2020","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":82,"name":"US Air Force","slug":"us-air-force","type":"institution"}},{"id":20676,"relationshipType":"former banned platform","description":"The US Army banned TikTok from government-issued devices in 2020 over security concerns.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2020","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":81,"name":"US Army","slug":"us-army","type":"institution"}},{"id":20675,"relationshipType":"competitor/antagonist","description":"Zuckerberg (Meta CEO) has publicly criticized TikTok and Meta has developed competing products like Reels.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2020","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":9080,"name":"Mark Zuckerberg","slug":"mark-zuckerberg","type":"person"}},{"id":20674,"relationshipType":"regulatory reviewer","description":"CFIUS reviewed TikTok's acquisition of Musical.ly and has ongoing national security reviews of TikTok's operations.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2019","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":450,"name":"Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States","slug":"committee-on-foreign-investment-in-the-united-states","type":"government_agency"}},{"id":19390,"relationshipType":"competitor","description":"TikTok competes indirectly with WhatsApp for overall user engagement and attention.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2018","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":31232,"name":"WhatsApp","slug":"whatsapp","type":"company"}},{"id":18525,"relationshipType":"financial_benefit_from_policy","description":"Fields purchased Oracle stock days before President Trump announced Oracle would play a leading role in TikTok's U.S. spinoff, raising questions about potential inside knowledge.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2025","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":10863,"name":"Cleo Fields","slug":"congress-f000110","type":"person"}},{"id":18180,"relationshipType":"subsidiary","description":"ByteDance is the parent company of TikTok, which appears as a known entity in the database.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2020","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":9872,"name":"ByteDance","slug":"bytedance","type":"company"}},{"id":18168,"relationshipType":"competitor","description":"YouTube (Alphabet) competes directly with TikTok for short-form video content and advertising.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2018","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":9876,"name":"Alphabet","slug":"alphabet","type":"company"}},{"id":16674,"relationshipType":"competitor","description":"Meta competes with TikTok and ByteDance in short-form video and social media; Facebook MAUs reached 3.07 billion.","confidence":"inferential","firstDocumented":"2022","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":9869,"name":"Meta Platforms","slug":"meta-platforms","type":"company"}},{"id":20673,"relationshipType":"country of origin","description":"TikTok is owned by ByteDance, a Chinese company, and has faced scrutiny over potential data sharing with the Chinese government.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2017","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":36198,"name":"China","slug":"china","type":"institution"}},{"id":20672,"relationshipType":"regulatory target","description":"President Trump issued executive orders attempting to ban TikTok in the US in 2020, citing national security concerns.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2020","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":9122,"name":"Donald Trump","slug":"donald-trump","type":"person"}},{"id":19446,"relationshipType":"vote_intersection_civil_liberties","description":"Scanlon voted yea on H.R. 7521 (Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act) on 2024-03-13, supporting TikTok divestiture despite opposition from civil liberties organizations including ACLU chapters, marking a departure from her civil rights attorney professional identity on First Amendment grounds.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2024","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":10903,"name":"Mary Gay Scanlon","slug":"congress-s001205","type":"person"}},{"id":19392,"relationshipType":"competitor","description":"TikTok competes with Meta's Facebook and Instagram properties for social media users.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2018","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":196,"name":"Facebook Technologies LLC","slug":"facebook-technologies-llc","type":"company"}},{"id":19391,"relationshipType":"competitor","description":"TikTok competes with Google/YouTube for video content and digital advertising revenue.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2018","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":31231,"name":"Google","slug":"google","type":"company"}},{"id":19389,"relationshipType":"competitor","description":"TikTok competes with Snapchat for short-form video and social media users.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2018","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":9874,"name":"Snapchat","slug":"snapchat","type":"company"}},{"id":19388,"relationshipType":"competitor","description":"TikTok competes directly with Instagram Reels.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2018","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":9870,"name":"Instagram","slug":"instagram","type":"company"}},{"id":19387,"relationshipType":"competitor","description":"TikTok competes with YouTube, particularly YouTube Shorts.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2018","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":9875,"name":"YouTube","slug":"youtube","type":"company"}},{"id":19330,"relationshipType":"legislative target","description":"Rep. Fine voted yea_unverified on H.R.7084 (Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act) on 2026-03-27, legislation directly targeting TikTok/ByteDance.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2026","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":10822,"name":"Randy Fine","slug":"congress-f000484","type":"person"}},{"id":19292,"relationshipType":"acquisition_attempt","description":"Microsoft attempted to acquire TikTok's US operations in 2020 after the Trump administration ordered ByteDance to divest.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2020","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":9146,"name":"Microsoft","slug":"microsoft","type":"company"}},{"id":19230,"relationshipType":"employment","description":"Shou Zi Chew serves as CEO of TikTok.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2021","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":2273,"name":"Shou Zi Chew","slug":"shou-zi-chew","type":"person"}},{"id":17694,"relationshipType":"legislative target","description":"McCaul introduced and led the House bill to ban TikTok unless divested from ByteDance, citing national security concerns. Passed March 13, 2024.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2024","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":9302,"name":"Michael McCaul","slug":"michael-mccaul","type":"elected_official"}},{"id":16158,"relationshipType":"regulatory_filing","description":"TikTok filed a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on 2025-04-25. The accession number was not available.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2025","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":391,"name":"Securities and Exchange Commission","slug":"securities-and-exchange-commission","type":"government_agency"}},{"id":13590,"relationshipType":"legislation sponsor affecting company","description":"Co-authored H.R. 7521 (Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act) which forced ByteDance to divest TikTok or face a U.S. ban.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2024","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":11103,"name":"Raja Krishnamoorthi","slug":"congress-k000391","type":"person"}},{"id":13410,"relationshipType":"oversight","description":"Lofgren voted nay on H.R. 7521 (Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act - TikTok ban) on 2024-03-13, defecting from party majority due to civil liberties concerns.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2024","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":11014,"name":"Zoe Lofgren","slug":"congress-l000397","type":"person"}},{"id":13248,"relationshipType":"oversight","description":"Ryan voted yea on H.R. 7521 (Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act) on 2024-03-13, mandating TikTok's divestiture, positioning his national security background against tech sector donor interests and younger constituents.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2024","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":10944,"name":"Patrick Ryan","slug":"congress-r000579","type":"person"}},{"id":13161,"relationshipType":"voted on legislation","description":"Salinas voted for the TikTok ban (H.R. 7521) in March 2024, which restricts a social media platform owned by ByteDance.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2024","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":10914,"name":"Andrea Salinas","slug":"congress-s001226","type":"person"}},{"id":12753,"relationshipType":"competitor","description":"Snap Inc. (Snapchat) competes with TikTok in the short-form video and social media space.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2017","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":9873,"name":"Snap Inc.","slug":"snap-inc","type":"company"}},{"id":12729,"relationshipType":"legislation/regulation","description":"Warner authored the RESTRICT Act (S. 686), which was marketed as targeting TikTok and Huawei, and voted yea on H.R. 6570 (TikTok Divestment Act) to ban TikTok, citing national security concerns about Chinese government access to American data.","confidence":"primary","firstDocumented":"2023","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":9289,"name":"Mark Warner","slug":"mark-warner","type":"elected_official"}},{"id":21371,"relationshipType":"coverage_subject","description":"TechCrunch has published numerous articles about TikTok's operations, regulatory challenges, and corporate developments.","confidence":"secondary","firstDocumented":"2018","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":3312,"name":"TechCrunch","slug":"techcrunch","type":"company"}},{"id":19291,"relationshipType":"policy_restriction_target","description":"The Pentagon banned TikTok from government-issued devices due to security concerns.","confidence":"secondary","firstDocumented":"2019","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":94,"name":"US Department of Defense (Pentagon)","slug":"us-department-of-defense-pentagon","type":"institution"}},{"id":19290,"relationshipType":"legal_restriction_target","description":"TikTok faced potential bans or divestiture orders under the Trump and Biden administrations due to national security concerns, with DHS involved in enforcement.","confidence":"secondary","firstDocumented":"2020","lastDocumented":null,"other":{"id":80,"name":"US Department of Homeland Security (DHS)","slug":"us-department-of-homeland-security-dhs","type":"institution"}}],"contradictions":[],"permalink":"https://www.goblinhouse.net/entity/tiktok","timelineUrl":"https://www.goblinhouse.net/entity/tiktok/timeline"}