TikTok: Facebook wants to connect you, we just want to entertain you

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Comparisons are often made between Facebook and TikTok. TikTok says it has no plans to become big blue as a result of Facebook's retooling.

According to the president of global business solutions at TikTok, the differences between the two companies are obvious. The social graph is the basis of all their computations. Their main competency is that. It's not ours. He said that they're an entertainment platform. It's significant. There is a huge difference.

The data that tracks connections between people is referred to as a social graph.

And she would be aware. Prior to joining TikTok, he was an executive at Facebook for 12 years. TikTok will win out in its current battle because of its experience at Facebook, according to the man.

You remember when the internet company created a social network? We had war rooms at Facebook. It was a significant event. Everyone was concerned about the situation. As time went on, it became clear that Google+ would fail, as it was clear that Facebook was really good at social.

The same thing is happening now. We do what we do well. People have a unique experience on TikTok. Unless Facebook walks away from its social values, they won't have that on Facebook.

It's a good idea to take these comments with a pinch of salt. It is the job of company executives to differentiate what they do from their competitors. TikTok isn't laser focused on social connections, but it does pay attention to their benefits. TikTok is very interested in gaining access to your contact book and using that network to keep you on the app more.

By describing TikTok as an entertainment app rather than a social one, the company hopes it can avoid some of the issues that have plagued Facebook. It's more likely that it will find its own problems.