logo
Brief Publisher Logo
FACT BRIEF

Has TikTok increasingly become a news source for Americans under age 30?

By Tom Kertscher
View this fact brief on Wisconsin Watch
Copy link
email
Copy featured image
email
YES

TikTok, the social media platform known for video-sharing, is used for news by an increasing number of Americans under age 30.

About 32% of U.S. adults age 18 to 29 regularly get news from TikTok, up from 9% in 2020, according to a Pew Research Center poll of U.S. adults done Sept. 25-Oct. 1, 2023.

Globally, 20% of 18- to 24-year-olds use TikTok for news, according to a June 2023 report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. That’s up from 15% a year earlier.

Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher, who represents northeast Wisconsin, introduced legislation in December 2022 to ban TikTok in the U.S.

On March 11, 2024, the House of Representatives approved a different Gallagher-sponsored bill that would ban “foreign adversary-controlled” TikTok unless its Chinese owners gave up ownership the company.

TikTok said in March 2023 it has 150 million U.S. users.

See a full discussion of this at Wisconsin Watch
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Pew Research Center More Americans are getting news on TikTok, bucking the trend seen on most other social media sites
Reuters Fewer people trust traditional media, more turn to TikTok for news, report says
U.S. Rep. Mike Gallagher Gallagher, Rubio Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Ban TikTok
US Congress H.R.7521 - Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act
US Congress Summary: H.R.7521 — 118th Congress (2023-2024)
TikTok Celebrating our thriving community of 150 million Americans
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Wisconsin Watch
Wisconsin Watch, the news arm of the nonpartisan, nonprofit Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, increases the quality and quantity of investigative reporting in Wisconsin, while training current and future investigative journalists. Its work fosters an informed citizenry and strengthens democracy.
FACT BRIEF BY
Brief Publisher Logo
Latest fact briefs from Wisconsin Watch
facebook
twitter
email
email
About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.