TikTok’s growth has been phenomenal. But a combination of its growth trajectory and geo-political tensions, government device bans, the misuse of children’s data, and the admission from ByteDance (TikTok’s parent company) that they have spied on reporters, has hindered platform trust.

Horizon has conducted an in-depth analysis, taking the time to both ask and listen to Canadians to gain insights into their trust in the platform. To do this, we utilized proprietary methods to gain insights via survey data and social listening.

To download the full report, click ‘Download PDF.’

Executive Summary

• Trust in TikTok is limited
  The platform sits near the bottom across all age groups. Older users perceive the app to be invasive and take more personal data than other social platforms. The lowest trust was found in resident of Quebec and Alberta.
  
• Views on banning vary by age
  Unsurprisingly, the younger 18-34 age group is the most uneasy about calling for a complete ban, whereas the oldest 65+ group is the least likely to oppose a ban.
  
• An effective and engaging platform
  18-34-year-olds are significantly more likely to engage with brands they like on TikTok and to discover brands they had no previous knowledge of.
  
• Mainstream media drives perceptions
  59% of all Canadians have become more cautious about using TikTok after hearing about data privacy issues in the media.
  
• Privacy concerns increase with age
  Over half of Canadians 65+ feel that TikTok is invasive to privacy, while only 1/5th of 18-34-year-olds feel the same.
  
  

To read the full report, click ‘Download PDF’ below.