TikTok now reaches more than 200 million people across Europe every month, the company announced. This represents an increase of nearly 15% from the 175 million users reported last year, with the platform now approaching nearly one-third of the continent’s population across the European Economic Area and UK.

The ByteDance-owned platform hosts millions of businesses across Europe. Oxford Economics research indicates that small and medium enterprises (SMEs) on TikTok contributed €4.8 billion to the economies of Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium, supporting more than 51,000 jobs.

TikTok partnered with major cultural events, including the Festival de Cannes, and sporting events such as the Tour de France and Six Nations Rugby. During Euro 2024, the platform partnered with the German men’s football team, and supported TeamGB and ParalympicsGB at the Paris Olympics.

The #BookTok phenomenon continues to drive book sales, with research by the UK Publishers Association finding that 59% of 16 to 25 year olds have discovered a passion for reading because of BookTok. The platform also launched a dedicated Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) feed across Europe last year, with 25% of teens globally visiting this feed weekly.

In the UK specifically, TikTok reports more than 30 million monthly users, making it the platform’s largest European market. The platform hosts more than 1.5 million UK businesses, with SMEs contributing an additional £1.6 billion to the UK economy while supporting 32,000 jobs.

TikTok highlights that political figures and institutions are joining its platform to connect with their citizens, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, as well as the UK government, among others.

Regulatory Challenges

The platform faces ongoing regulatory scrutiny in Europe. Ireland’s Data Protection Commission recently launched a new investigation into TikTok’s transfer of European user data to China, following a €530 million fine imposed earlier this year for General Data Protection Regulation violations.

TikTok continues the expansion of its European data infrastructure through Project Clover, a €12 billion initiative aimed at storing European user data within what the company calls its “European Enclave.” The platform operates data centers in Ireland and Norway, with a recently announced €1 billion investment in Finland.

Updated Terms of Service

TikTok also announced updates to its Terms of Service for users in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, effective July. The changes introduce stricter content moderation policies and enhanced user safety measures.

The updated terms prohibit content that “spreads harmful misinformation,” including election misinformation, and strengthen its stance against content promoting violence or discrimination based on protected characteristics. For younger users, the platform maintains age restrictions for specific features: users must be 16 or older to use direct messaging and 18 or older to live stream.

Checkout Our Latest Podcast