TikTok & Consumer Privacy Concerns

Earlier this month, President Trump signed an executive order to ban TikTok if it is not sold to an American buyer by September 20th. Bringing issues around consumer data privacy to the forefront, TikTok is raising concerns across the industry and causing many marketers to become wary of investing on the platform. As a competitive offering to TikTok, Instagram’s newly launched “Reels” feature may be in a position to capture users if they are displaced from the Chinese-owned app.

With the fate of TikTok’s U.S. operations hanging in the balance, this week we surveyed our audience to learn how often they use the popular social media app. We asked TikTok users whether they’re concerned that a Chinese company has access to their data, and if they’d feel more comfortable if the app were purchased by an American buyer. In the event that TikTok does get banned, we asked our audience which social platforms they’d spend their time on instead.

August 18, 2020

How often do you use TikTok?

58

of Americans surveyed use TikTok daily.

Circle chart showing how often Americans use TikTok

Gen Zers are the most frequent TikTok users, with 74% of this age group using the app daily.

A bar graph comparing the usage of TikTok by generation

Are you concerned that your TikTok data is owned by a Chinese company?

29% of TikTok users are concerned that their data is owned by a Chinese company.

While Gen Zers are the most frequent TikTok users, they are also among the most concerned when it comes to Chinese data ownership.

A bar graph comparing how concerned each generation is about TikTok's ownership

Would you prefer to use TikTok if it was purchased by an American company?

61

of TikTok users would prefer to use the platform if it were purchased by an American company.

61% of TikTok users would prefer to use it if it were purchased by an American company

Compared to other age groups, Gen Zers and baby boomers are most likely to prefer American ownership of TikTok.

A bar graph comparing if TikTok users would prefer the platform to be American owned by generation.

If TikTok is banned in the US, which social media app will you spend time on instead?

39% of Americans will spend more time on Facebook, followed by Instagram (31%) and Snapchat (18%).

Women are more likely to shift to Facebook while men report equal preference for both Facebook and Instagram.

A bar graph comparing what app women vs. men would spend more time on if TikTok is banned

In the event that TikTok is banned, younger generations will shift to Instagram and Snapchat, while older generations will spend their time on Facebook.

A bar graph comparing which platform users would swith to by generation

Are you using the new Instagram Reels feature?

21% of TikTok users are also using the new Instagram Reels feature, while 30% do not know what Instagram Reels are.

A circle graph comparing if Americans are using Instagram Reels

Male TikTok users are most likely to use Instagram Reels.

A bar graph comparing women vs. men's use of Instagram Reels

Millennials TikTok users are most likely to also use Instagram Reels. Compared to other age groups, Gen Z TikTok users are least likely to have heard of Instagram Reels.

A bar graph comparing the use of Instagram Reels by generation

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FAQs

How is this data collected?

‘Fluent Pulse’ reflects a daily online survey collected across Fluent’s portfolio of owned & operated websites.

Who is the audience?

Fluent attracts a massive audience across its network of owned media properties. While all segments of the US population are represented, the below are our most prevalent demographic skews:

Demographic Attribute	Over Penetrated Among
Age	Median: 38 61% between the age of 18 & 44
Gender	50/50 Male/Female
Education	High School Degree or Some College
Homeownership	61% Renters
Households with Children	42% of Audience

How many people were surveyed?

On average, 150,000 – 175,000 consumers respond daily.

How often do you engage with this audience?

Daily

Is the data weighted?

No, but representative of the overall Fluent Audience.

How do you protect consumers data privacy?

All responses related to this survey are anonymized; only survey responses will be disclosed. At no point will consumer’s personal information will ever be disclosed.

What was your methodology?

Data has been collected from U.S. adults on a daily or weekly basis, dependent upon topic, since March 10, 2020. All data is sourced from Fluent’s portfolio of owned and operated media properties. Results are specific to the Fluent audience and not reflective of the general U.S. population.

The data presented on this site does not reflect the official opinion, policy or position of Fluent, Inc. This research is only meant to inform and illustrate, as an example, the rich data assets Fluent can derive insights from to drive in-market strategies.