WASHINGTON: Once dismissed as a platform for dance trends and viral memes, TikTok has emerged as a powerful force in global politics — a tool for influence, propaganda, and narrative control.
From Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailing it as the “most important weapon,” to US President Donald Trump brokering a $14 billion takeover deal, the app now sits at the center of battles over security, free expression, and the future of digital power.
“Weapons change over time… the most important ones are the social media,” Netanyahu told American influencers, adding: “The most important purchase going on right now is TikTok… I hope it goes through because it can be consequential.”
His remarks came days after US President Donald Trump approved a deal transferring TikTok’s US operations to an American-led consortium including Oracle, tech entrepreneur Michael Dell, and media mogul Rupert Murdoch — a move billed as resolving national-security concerns but raising fresh questions about political influence.
The numbers behind TikTok’s power
TikTok is not the largest social platform by raw users — Facebook and YouTube remain bigger — but its attention dominance sets it apart.
TikTok now boasts 1.6 billion monthly users worldwide, with its biggest audiences in the United States (136 million), Indonesia (108 million), Brazil (92 million), Mexico (85 million) and Pakistan (67 million).
Nearly half of its user base is under 30, giving the app a strong cultural foothold among Gen Z and millennials. In the US alone, people spend an average of 35 to 45 hours a month on TikTok — more than on YouTube and far exceeding Facebook.
This intense engagement has made it a major arena for politics, with surveys showing that 43 per cent of Americans under 30 now turn to TikTok for news, up sharply since 2020.
Why governments fear it
Governments from Washington to Brussels have tried to rein in TikTok, citing:
Data security risks from its Chinese owner, ByteDance.
Election interference — researchers have tracked coordinated political influence campaigns on the app.
Narrative dominance — its algorithm can amplify voices and movements at record speed, making it harder for authorities to control information flow.
The US has repeatedly threatened to ban TikTok unless ByteDance divests. Europe has restricted its use on official devices. India imposed a full ban in 2020.
Shaping the information war
Netanyahu’s statement laid bare why TikTok matters for states under international scrutiny. Israel is facing unprecedented global condemnation over its Gaza offensive, which has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians since October 2023, according to UN agencies.
Delegates walked out of Netanyahu’s recent UN speech in protest.
For Israeli leaders, control over platforms like TikTok and Elon Musk’s X offers a way to counter rising grassroots criticism online. Trump himself credited TikTok with helping him reach young voters during his campaigns.
A conservative rebrand?
Trump’s deal with Oracle — led by Larry Ellison, a longtime Israel supporter — and Rupert Murdoch’s involvement have fueled speculation of a conservative rebranding of TikTok.
The White House pegs the deal at $14 billion, far below TikTok’s estimated market value, raising eyebrows in Washington.
Critics warn the arrangement could tilt the app’s moderation policies, echoing shifts already seen on Musk’s X and Zuckerberg’s Facebook, where claims of bias have reshaped rules.
The bigger picture
TikTok’s future remains uncertain, caught between Washington’s politics, Beijing’s approval, and a rapidly shifting social media landscape. But Netanyahu’s words capture the underlying reality: in today’s world, the battle for hearts and minds is fought less on the battlefield than in the algorithmic feeds of billions of smartphones.
