Following TikTok: The Chinese video platform storming the West
Bilibili is relaunching its international app, removing the requirement to identify with a passport, and recruiting employees worldwide. The goal is clear: to bring in creators and viewers from the West - and enter an arena where YouTube is already facing increasing competition.
Bilibili, the Chinese video platform considered one of the most prominent local alternatives to YouTube, wants to go beyond China's borders - and this time officially. According to a report by Semafor, the company has relaunched the international version of its video app on Android and has begun courting content creators on YouTube with the goal of getting them to publish videos on its platform as well.
Technically, Bilibili was available to users outside of China before, but the recent moves signal a significant change in strategy: instead of settling for the Chinese audience, the company wants to actively attract viewers and creators from the West.
One of the most significant changes in the new version is the removal of the identity verification requirement. In the past, users who wanted to publish content on Bilibili's main Chinese site were required to register using a passport or other identification document. This requirement has been canceled in the new international version, which removes a significant barrier for creators who want to try the platform.
According to the report, Bilibili also plans to integrate content from China alongside international content in the app. At the same time, it is recruiting employees in Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, São Paulo, Istanbul, and Tokyo, and plans to launch an English version of its site, which will make it easier for creators to upload videos.
However, the expansion of a Chinese video platform into Western markets today comes with baggage that was not there before. If Bilibili succeeds in gaining a significant audience in the USA, it may find itself facing questions similar to those directed at TikTok, which was eventually forced to sell its American operations following concerns regarding national security.
There is another angle here: YouTube. Google's video platform still enjoys immense popularity, but the competition for creators is intensifying. Netflix, for example, is expanding its operations into the fields of video podcasts and content that is increasingly identified with the creator economy.
According to a Bloomberg report, the competition is already causing YouTube to consider more aggressive steps: the company is working on deals in which channels will receive payment in exchange for uploading content to YouTube first, instead of publishing it simultaneously on multiple platforms.
If Bilibili succeeds in convincing even some of the big video creators to add it to the list of platforms where they are active, it will not necessarily become the "next YouTube" overnight. But it may add another major player to a struggle that has long been not just about the viewers - but about the people who create the content for which they come.
