Donald Trump’s reversal of the TikTok ban in the United States has been widely described as a decision motivated by self-interest.

The president-elect originally proposed the ban during his first term. But his position shifted after he gained a strong following on the app on which he boasts almost 15 million followers worldwide. In this sense, he has benefited from TikTok’s meteoric rise. The app’s short video format and fine-tuned algorithm have redefined social media and made it (among many other things) a major source of news for its mostly young users. For a politician who hates mainstream media, TikTok represents alternative platform for Trump.