TikTok Spearheads Community Event in Atlanta to Discuss Safety, Business

ATLANTA – Blinking on the city’s creative map, the social media giant TikTok recently hosted a community event at the chic Sugar Baby Creamery in Atlanta. The event put on the spotlight several influential local TikTokers and high-ranking TikTok officials, fusing a discussion around user safety, particularly for those under 18, and ways the platform can fuel business growth.

A Confluence of VIPs in the TikTok Arena

The event roster was packed with TikTok celebrities and insiders, namely Suzy Loftus, who is head of Trust and Safety for TikTok USDS, and Kiley Smith, public policy manager at TikTok. Representing the community of local TikTokers were Lynda and Paul Truong of @loveandpebble, an innovative skincare company; Glennda Baker (@glenndabaker), an accomplished local real estate agent; Josh Wikoff, the CEO of @peachtreehearing, a revered Atlanta audiology practice; and Robert Lucas, known in the TikTok sphere as @thesweetimpact, a talented self-taught cake artist and baker.

TikTok’s Unprecedented Safety Measures

With a massive user base exceeding 150 million Americans and over 7 million businesses, TikTok hosts a myriad of niches from food enthusiasts to bookworms to families. As such, the platform’s safety maintenance is paramount. It boasts an impressive force of over 40,000 trained safety professionals who oversee the platform in more than 70 languages. This security team implements over 30 distinct community guideline policies and operates numerous community empowerment tools, such as screen time limits, age-restricted livestreams, comment restrictions, and a robust system to control direct messages. A jump of $2 billion in investment for its Trust and Safety operations was announced for the current year.

Local Business Growth through TikTok

Local business owners turned TikTokers shared rich insights into how the platform has propelled their ventures to new heights. The Truongs credit their skyrocketing success, including national television appearances and a surge in orders, to their May 2023 product launch on TikTok. Glennda Baker, the “Queen of Real Estate Video”, utilizes the platform to showcase homes for sale and share expert advice. Peachtree Hearing’s surprisingly popular TikTok content, notably featuring earwax removal videos, spearheaded by Dr. Wilkoff brings to light often overlooked aspects of audiology. Robert Lucas, followed by over 3 million people, displays intricate cake designs on his platform, providing step-by-step tutorials and captivating his audience with unique character cakes.

In Georgia alone, TikTok claims an active user base of 5.4 million people and 300,000 businesses. Additionally, 91% of Georgia’s small businesses reported increased growth after promoting their products and services on TikTok.

TikTok Ban: A Topic of Concern

The potential TikTok ban in the United States surged as a topic of concern among participants. The ban advanced considerably when lawmakers attached it to a bill funding military equipment for Ukraine and missile defense for Israel. If signed into law, TikTok would have 270 days to find a new owner.

TikTok, owned by ByteDance, has its headquarters in Los Angeles and Singapore, with a formidable American presence, housing 13 offices and nearly 7,000 employees in the U.S.

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