Did you know that TikTok is a China-owned company, but the app itself is blocked in China?
If you’ve been on the internet in the past year, you’ve probably heard of TikTok. It’s the popular short-form video platform that’s taken over social media with its quirky, yet relatable content.
But did you know that it’s not available in China?
TikTok was developed and launched by the Chinese company ByteDance in 2016, but it was later banned in the country due to censoring issues.
If you search for TikTok in China, you will find another app called Douyin. Douyin interface is Exactly the TikTok.
The only difference is that Douyin doesn’t allow content from outside China on this platform.
The Chinese government has strict regulations when it comes to online content and it felt that the platform was not compliant with those rules. To comply with the Chinese government’s requirements, ByteDance developed a Chinese version of the app called Douyin, which is available only in China.
Douyin For You page doesn’t have slow motion and dance trending videos.
Instead, the only videos allowed on Doyun’s For You page are videos related to science and maths. By controlling what the Chinese citizens see, the Chinese government has a lot more control over the Chinese citizens’ mindsets and ideologies. And this is why they have blocked TikTok in China.
The app has similar features to TikTok but with some added features that are tailored to the Chinese market. Despite the ban, TikTok is still growing in popularity all around the world. It has over 800 million monthly active users and is the most downloaded app in the world.
It’s especially popular with the younger generation and has become a great platform for content creators to share their ideas and showcase their talents.
Take Away
Overall, TikTok is an incredibly popular app, but it is not available in China due to censorship from the Chinese government. This is an interesting fact that many people may not have known. While TikTok is not available in China, there are other apps such as Douyin that offer similar services. Therefore, users in China can still enjoy the benefits of short-form video sharing.