At the same time, a TV app could help TikTok get its content in front of new viewers who may be wary of downloading the smartphone app some lawmakers have labeled a national security threat. 

“People are looking for community right now and TikTok is connecting users to content and people that resonate and are meaningful to them,” TikTok’s Head of Global Marketing Nick Tran said in a statement. “We’ve been thinking through what the adoption of streaming devices like Fire TV means for connecting with our users and how we can offer them more dynamic experiences, and we feel bringing our content to the TV to some extent is a natural next step.”