The Information, a business publication focused on the technology industry, reported this week that Instagram’s boss, Adam Mosseri, told staff about the possible move, citing a person who heard the remarks. Instagram’s parent company, Meta, did not immediately respond to a BBC request for comment.
As the future of Chinese-owned TikTok in the US remains uncertain, Instagram is reportedly considering launching its short-form video feature, Reels, as a separate app. In January, US President Donald Trump granted TikTok a 75-day extension to comply with a law signed by then-President Joe Biden that requires the platform to be sold or banned.
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He suggested that the business might be handled through a joint venture at the time, stating that he was looking for a 50/50 collaboration between “the United States” and ByteDance, the company’s Chinese owner. He did not, however, elaborate on how that may operate.
With 170 million US users, the Biden administration had claimed that China would use TikTok as a tool for political influence and eavesdropping.
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Freedom of speech has been invoked by those opposed to a ban as justification for maintaining the platform.
In an attempt to compete with TikTok, Meta released the stand-alone app Lasso in 2018, but it was eventually shut down.
SOURCE: BBC
