TikTok reaches 2 million users in Ireland
Later that year, TikTok announced plans to build a €420m data centre in Dublin, and earlier this year, confirmed that a second data centre would also be built in the capital.
There are now 2 million monthly Irish users on TikTok, with the milestone being passed in just five years since its Irish launch in 2018.
Announcing the news, the Chinese-owned social media site welcomed the achievement, adding that its growth has been largely led by the increasing number of large Irish creators making a name for themselves on the platform.
The company said Irish creators were particularly successful across farming, music, literature and LGBTQIA+ content on the site, with a number of celebrities including Cork's Cian Ducrot, Irish singer/songwriter CMAT and pop trio, Chasing Abbey also using the app to share and communicate with fans.
In addition, the app has seen a number of previously unknown faces rise to stardom since its launch, citing the success of social media influencer Lauren Whelan, who now boasts more than 1.7m followers on the site, as well as activist and entertainer, Jacob Donegan, with 1.2m followers and make-up artist, Niall Casey who has 1.3m followers.
A number of small Irish businesses have also become popular on the site, including Deasy's Centra in Co Clare, Sound Quality in Co Monaghan and several Irish bookshops, whose content has continuously gone viral, reaching far beyond a domestic audience.
Since TikTok's launch in Ireland, the company has continued to expand its presence and in 2020, announced the launch of its EMEA Trust & Safety Hub in Dublin which would be run by former Google and Facebook employee, Cormac Keenan.
Later that year, TikTok announced plans to build a €420m data centre in Dublin, and earlier this year, confirmed that a second data centre would also be built in the capital.
The social media company has been strongly backed by the IDA and last year, announced plans to create 1,000 further jobs in Ireland.
However, TikTok has come under sustained scrutiny for its privacy settings and last month, was fined €345m by the Data Protection Commission for violating children's privacy.
The company has also been fined for similar reasons in the UK, and continues to battle privacy concerns in Europe and the US.
"It has been a privilege to see how TikTok has embedded itself into Irish culture over the past five years," said Cormac Keenan, Head of Trust and Safety at TikTok.
"I want to say a big thank you to the incredible community of creators in Ireland who have helped us reach this incredible milestone."
