Yesterday, TikTok gave creators another way to leverage their content on the social networking platform – the new Series feature.
The new feature, called Series, will allow select creators to share longer videos that will be available for purchase behind a paywall. Each “Series” can include up to 80 videos that can be up to 20 minutes long each. Individual creators will be able to charge between $0.99 and $189.99 for their paywalled content, a TikTok spokesperson said.
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Users were previously only able to share 15-second, 1-minute, 3-minute, or 10-minute videos on TikTok.
The new feature will further heat up competition with platforms like YouTube — which is known for its long-form videos. But the competition between YouTube and TikTok is nothing new. In August 2021, YouTube introduced YouTube Shorts as a direct alternative to TikTok. Other companies like Meta and Snap have also introduced short-form video features to try to compete with TikTok.
According to a statement released by TikTok, the Series option is currently only accessible to an exclusive group of content creators. However, applications for others who wish to participate will open in the near future.
Growing concerns about data privacy have plagued TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance. As the company is based in China and privately held, it raises even more questions about what information may be shared or potentially accessed by third parties.
See also: Australia: TikTok Ban on Government Devices – Control on Other Social Media
Last week, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee voted in favor of a bill that would give President Joe Biden the authority to ban TikTok and other similar foreign tech companies, such as China’s ByteDance. To take this legislation even further, Senators Mark Warner and John Thune, D-Calif., joined forces to introduce a bipartisan bill that would give the Commerce Secretary the authority to take action against these tech giants.
Information source: cnbc.com
