I often bring up the following point in classes I teach on Internet Fundamentals: did anyone see the application TikTok before it arrived on the scene? Ofcourse the answer is no. I then usually follow up with: did anyone adjust traffic capacity planning for the arrival of an application like TikTok? Again, the answer is no, along with a few “how could you/we?”
Fair enough. So what is the next big app? What should we be planning for? No one has a crystal ball.
As of January 2025, TikTok has approximately 1.04 billion monthly active users worldwide, accounting for about 19.26% of global internet users. As of January 2025, TikTok’s official website, tiktok.com, ranked 14th globally, with an estimated 2.5 billion total visits in that month. Similarweb
Backlinko In the United States, the platform boasts around 170 million users.
While specific data on TikTok’s share of overall internet traffic is limited, its substantial user base and high engagement levels indicate a significant contribution to global internet traffic volumes.
It’s also noteworthy that TikTok experienced a temporary shutdown in the U.S. on January 19, 2025, due to legal challenges. This led to an 85% drop in traffic, but services were restored after 14 hours following assurances from then-President Trump. The Cloudflare Blog
Given TikTok’s extensive reach and user engagement, it continues to be a major player in global internet traffic. In terms of global internet traffic, video streaming services dominate a significant portion. For instance, in 2022, Netflix accounted for nearly 15% of global downstream traffic, while YouTube held around 11.6%. TikTok’s share was smaller in comparison, though exact figures were not specified. Focus on Business
Given TikTok’s substantial user base and high engagement levels, it contributes significantly to global internet traffic volumes. However, precise data quantifying its exact share of total internet traffic is limited.
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