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TikTok's Chinese version, Douyin, is now raking in international users as the registration is open to all. All one needs to do is to switch their App Store region to Hong Kong, Mainland China, or Macau, while Android users can just go ahead and download the APK directly to their phones.
The move comes on the heels of the ban on the popular entertainment app, and given that the news has since broken out on X, users have been responding with varied reactions. Here's what one user pointed out, for instance:
"Americans switching their App Store region to china:"
Many netizens shared similar reactions:
"They already making TikTok 2.0," one user jested.
"sounds like it was all planned in advance," someone else speculated.
"I did not realize the sheer number of people who were emotionally attached to tiktok. This is beyond baffling, bro," another added.
"Is it a must for people to use tiktok ?" someone asked.
The comments didn't end there, as users were weighing in with their opinions from all over the world:
"The American government after they realize that they can't monopolize short form videos," a user wrote.
"Douyin owners taking advantage of the situation. Can’t blame them for that. Americans downloading anything to avoid the crappy American alternatives: FB/ Instagram and YouTube," one user opined.
"So TikTok is just Douyin's international twin, but now we're all playing region hopscotch to use it? Interesting move, but feels like a workaround too many," another asserted.
"The chinese are overworking in the digital arena," someone else joked.
"It's time to resurrect youtube and with it music videos," one more quipped.
Users were visibly divided in the online space. While some believed that there was no need to find ways to circumvent the ban on the app, others were grasping for additional details like how to switch the app store and how to tackle Douyin's Chinese interface.
All we know about Douyin: Does it welcome everyone?
Douyin, which is also a Chinese social media app that lets users create and upload short-form videos, is also owned by TikTok's parent company, ByteDance. While users can register with their phone numbers, they will need to verify their identity, as is mandated by Chinese cybersecurity laws.
Verification of identity can be done with the help of a Chinese ID card, a Hong Kong/Macau travel permit, or a foreign permanent residence permit. As for foreign passports, there is no option to identify the same. Some users on X complained of this, noting that they could only watch videos and not create an account to post one themselves.
The Vice President of ByteDanc took to Weibo, a local social media platform, to clarify that using an overseas IP does not make one an international user, citing troll groups that create sham profiles and upload videos taken from international sources with the sole aim of gaining followers.
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TikTok was banned on January 19 by the lawmakers, who cited concerns for security and data mining.
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