Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Bilibili Relaunches International App to Court Western Creators

Lowering posting barriers with an Android relaunch aims to attract Western creators, raising the prospect of regulatory scrutiny.

Overview

  • Bilibili relaunched an international Android app on Friday that removes the prior passport or ID requirement for people who want to post videos.
  • The company is hiring local teams in Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, São Paulo, Istanbul and Tokyo and says it will launch an English website to make uploads easier.
  • Bilibili has begun direct outreach to Western influencers, using channels such as Discord and creator documents to recruit YouTubers and other creators to post on its platform.
  • The push comes as rival services are spending heavily to keep creators, with reports that YouTube has offered sizable payments and other platforms are also targeting creator content.
  • Observers say Bilibili’s China ties could invite the same kind of oversight that challenged TikTok, although no country has announced new measures specifically targeting Bilibili.