Douyin to Open for International Users? Official Response

Source: OT-Team(G)，澎湃新闻

  Has Douyin opened registration for international users? The platform has responded to the speculation.

  On January 16, TMTPOST, a tech news outlet, reported that Douyin, China's popular short-video platform, has opened up international registration. This move allows users from various countries to access Douyin, with many users from regions such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, and Thailand already sharing videos on the platform. The registration page for Douyin also displays international dialing codes for multiple countries, indicating its broader appeal.

  However, when contacted by media outlets for clarification, Douyin customer service denied the announcement, stating that there were no official updates and that registration details should be verified based on what appears on the page. The customer service representative also pointed out that many overseas users had been registering on Douyin using foreign phone numbers for some time and suggested that international users could attempt to receive verification codes to test whether the service was fully functional abroad.

  Sources familiar with the situation, however, have suggested that the information regarding international registration is inaccurate. According to them, Douyin continues to follow the requirements of China's Cybersecurity Law and the Internet User Account Information Management Regulations, which mandate real identity verification during the registration process.

  In response to the growing confusion, Li Liang, Vice President of Douyin Group, addressed the matter on Weibo. He emphasized that simply having an overseas IP address does not equate to being an international user. Li also pointed out that some individuals are taking advantage of the situation, particularly certain black-market groups, by impersonating foreign users and uploading stolen content. These accounts, he said, have posed a challenge for detection. Douyin is currently working on cleaning up these accounts and has already removed over 10,000 fake foreign user profiles.

  Netizens have mixed opinions on Douyin's potential international registration. Some view it as a positive opportunity to introduce Chinese culture globally, while others worry about an increase in fake accounts and fraud. Some also believe the move is a strategy to compete with Xiaohongshu for traffic and market share. Overall, many are adopting a wait-and-see approach, hoping Douyin will strengthen regulation while expanding internationally. 

  What do you think? Should Douyin open up to international users freely, or remain selective? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.