TikTok launches new feature that allows users to share videos up to 20 minutes long

Accordingly, this new feature will allow selected content creators to share longer videos than before, up to 20 minutes long per video and share up to 80 videos with fees ranging from $0.99 to $189.99.

Illustration photo.

Users were previously only able to share videos of 15 seconds, 1 minute, 3 minutes, or a maximum of 10 minutes in length on the TikTok app.

TikTok’s new feature, which allows users to share longer videos, will further heat up the competition with social media platforms like YouTube. However, the competition between YouTube and TikTok is not new. In August 2021, YouTube also introduced a short-form video sharing platform called YouTube Shorts to directly compete with TikTok. Other companies like Meta and Snap have also introduced short-form video features to test and counter TikTok’s rapid rise in the US market.

TikTok said in a release that the Series option is currently available to a select group of creators, and the company plans to open it up to others to sign up in the coming months.

However, the TikTok application is currently facing bans in several countries around the world due to concerns about data privacy and threats to national security.

Governments around the world are grappling with the expansive scope of China’s digital regulations, which have paved the way for Beijing’s global data collection. As data crosses borders without explicit consent, experts say the privacy of individuals, organizations and even government agencies is at risk, posing a potential threat to national security.

TikTok, owned by the Chinese company Bytedance, has long maintained that it does not share data with the Chinese government and that its data is not stored in China. TikTok has also denied allegations that it collects more user data than other social media platforms. But many countries remain cautious about the platform and its ties to the Chinese government.

Here are the countries and regions that have implemented partial or full bans on the TikTok app:

India

India banned TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps, including messaging app WeChat, in 2020 over privacy and security concerns. The ban came shortly after a clash between Indian and Chinese troops on a disputed Himalayan border left 20 Indian soldiers dead and dozens injured.

Taiwan

In December 2022, Taiwan imposed a public sector ban on TikTok after the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) warned that TikTok posed a national security risk. Government devices, including mobile phones, tablets and desktop computers, are not allowed to use Chinese-made software, including apps like TikTok.

America

The US has given government agencies 30 days to remove the TikTok app from federal devices and information systems over data security concerns. The ban only applies to government devices, although some US lawmakers are advocating a complete ban. China has lashed out at the US for the TikTok ban, describing it as an abuse of state power and suppression of companies from other countries. More than half of the 50 US states have also banned the app from government devices.

European Union

The European Parliament, the European Commission and the European Council, the three top bodies of the European Union, have imposed a ban on TikTok on staff devices. The EU has also recommended that lawmakers and staff delete the app from their personal devices.

Canada

Joining the US and European Commission's TikTok ban movement, the Canadian government recently announced that it will also start banning the TikTok app on government-issued electronic devices from March 2, 2023. Accordingly, government-issued devices will be blocked from downloading TikTok and existing app installations will be deleted. This is the latest time the Canadian government has announced restrictions on the short-form video app due to cybersecurity concerns.

Pakistan

Pakistani authorities have temporarily banned TikTok at least four times since October 2020, citing concerns that the app promotes immoral content.

Afghanistan

The Afghan government has called for a ban on TikTok by 2022, citing the need to protect youth from “misdirection.”

Denmark

On March 6, the Danish Ministry of Defense announced a ban on its employees using the TikTok app on their phones and other official devices as a cybersecurity measure. Accordingly, employees were asked to uninstall TikTok from their phones and other official devices as soon as possible if they had previously installed it.