Elon Musk Once Revealed Why He 'Stopped' Using TikTok: It's 'Probing My Brain'

While TikTok’s future in the U.S. is in doubt, let’s fo back a few months when tech billionaire Elon Musk disclosed the reason behind his discontinuation of using the platform, which now seems like a common concern around the ByteDance-owned platform. 

What Happened: Last year in August, a graphic designer at Dogecoin DOGE/USD shared a meme on X, saying, “TikTok is destroying civilization.” In response, Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, didn’t hold back and said, “I tried using TikTok and felt their AI probing my brain, so I stopped.” 

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Previously, Musk also called TikTok “extremely destructive,” citing a report.

The tech billionaire’s revelation about TikTok provides a glimpse into the platform’s powerful AI algorithm that keeps users hooked. 

Whether it’s the workings of the recommendation engine or the platform’s ability to connect users with engaging content, TikTok’s AI has undoubtedly played a significant role in its global success.

In January last year, Musk decided to replace the “Home” and “Latest” tabs on X with “For You” and “Following — leading to many people calling his social media platform an inferior version of TikTok.

Why It’s Important: Earlier that month, due to security concerns, New York City declared a ban on TikTok use on government-owned devices. Other U.S. states and cities have also restricted TikTok on government devices, with Montana passing a bill to ban the app statewide.

However, despite all this, in March this year, it was reported that Chinese companies, including TikTok, own four out of the top 10 most downloaded apps in the U.S. 

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