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Every Screen on the Planet

The Secret Story of TikTok
Brief Description
The global story of the world’s most controversial social media network and the struggle to control it. TikTok boasts 1.6 billion active users worldwide and wields unprecedented power over our culture. Its crown jewel is the most addictive algorithm ever invented. As a result, it has... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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The incredible story of TikTok, exploring its rise, influence and relationship to China.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The global story of the world’s most controversial social media network and the struggle to control it.

TikTok boasts 1.6 billion active users worldwide and wields unprecedented power over our culture. Its crown jewel is the most addictive algorithm ever invented. As a result, it has become a political football all over the world.

In Every Screen on the Planet, Harvard-trained lawyer and investigative journalist Emily Baker-White charts TikTok’s rise – from its Chinese founders’ early ambitions to its emergence as the world’s most valuable startup. She examines its potential value as a surveillance and propaganda tool for strongmen and the huge controversy it has fostered, from India to Washington, DC.

Based on explosive reporting that caused TikTok to track the author and led to an ongoing criminal investigation, Baker-White’s engrossing narrative takes us inside the company as the US government seeks backdoor access to observe and influence TikTok’s data stream and eventually gives the company an ultimatum: divorce from your Chinese founders or be banned. Touching on politics, business and technology, Every Screen on the Planet takes us behind the scenes of TikTok’s incredible growth and its astounding – and ongoing – impact on society.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781035049271

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 02 October 2025

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Macmillan Business

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 153.0mm

Height: 234.0mm

Weight: 452g

Pages: 368

About the Author

Emily Baker-White works as a technology reporter for Forbes. She previously covered tech at Buzzfeed News. Before becoming a journalist, Baker-White earned her JD from Harvard Law School and practised criminal defence law, launching a multi-year investigation into police misconduct on Facebook. With her unique mix of legal and tech expertise, she is well-situated to cover the intricate landscape of TikTok and ByteDance.

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  • Every Screen on the Planet
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