This couldn’t be in response to the latest outcry over its privateness coverage replace, might it?
At this time, TikTok USDS JV has introduced that it’s bringing TikTok’s Native feed choice to U.S. customers, offering a way to hone in your search and engagement to native creators and companies within the app.
As defined by TikTok US: “The native feed is a brand new tab on the TikTok dwelling display designed to assist individuals keep related to their neighborhood and uncover what is going on on close by. It options native content material associated to journey, occasions, eating places and buying, in addition to posts from small companies and native creators.”
Which isn’t precisely new to TikTok, as such.
TikTok has been testing variations of its Native feed in a number of areas since way back to 2022, when its Close by feed was launched in South East Asian markets. It introduced a full launch of the Native feed possibility in Europe final 12 months, and now, U.S. customers may also get entry as nicely, which might assist to advertise native creators and companies within the app.
“Posts within the Native Feed are proven to individuals based mostly on location, the subject of the content material, and when the content material was posted, making it simpler to find what is going on on domestically.”
That is most likely the important thing level, as a result of amid the latest controversy round TikTok’s Privateness Coverage replace, within the wake of its American enterprise being break up out and offered into U.S. possession, a key level of competition was the point out of enhanced utilization of location knowledge.
Some customers took that to imply that TikTok would now be monitoring extra private data, which might, theoretically, see it used as a surveillance device by its U.S. government-aligned possession, if it so selected.
That prompted many individuals to delete their TikTok accounts (or at the least announce that they might delete their data), which then prompted an expanded rationalization of the adjustments from TikTok US.
That rationalization pointed to this new possibility, giving TikTok US customers extra capability to view native content material, and get suggestions based mostly on such.
So the up to date coverage provision isn’t about knowledge monitoring. Nothing to see right here, and look, right here’s the brand new function to again it up.
I imply, presumably, TikTok was at all times going to launch this within the U.S., however I believe that it’s been pushed up in response to issues.
Both manner, it could possibly be a great way to assist native creators and companies get extra consideration within the app, relying on how many individuals use it.
