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TikTok owner ByteDance to launch new social media app for young users that will rival Instagram-like service Xiaohongshu
- The new ByteDance app called ‘Kesong’, which means croissant in Chinese, is designed for young users to share their lifestyle and hobbies
- It is expected to compete against Instagram-like social e-commerce platform Xiaohongshu, which has more than 200 million monthly active users
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ByteDance, owner of global hit short video app TikTok and its Chinese version Douyin, is gearing up to launch a new social media platform designed for young users to share their lifestyle and hobbies, according to the tech unicorn’s latest corporate registration.
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The app called “Kesong”, which means croissant in Chinese, will provide its young demographic target with a fresh platform to publish photos and texts on subjects such as “trendy clothes, surfing tips and novel toys”, according to the registration made last week by ByteDance subsidiary Beijing Weibo Shijie Technology Co, the information of which can be found on business database Qichacha.
That would make the new ByteDance app similar to Xiaohongshu, a popular Instagram-like social e-commerce platform, according to last week’s initial report about Kesong by Chinese tech news site 36kr, which cited a source close to Douyin with knowledge of the matter.
Beijing-based ByteDance did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday.
Kesong welcomes users to join its online community “this hot summer”, according to the platform’s introduction, which implies that the service may soon be launched.
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The new app – featuring the slogan “new lifestyles for young people”, according to the 36kr report – marks the latest effort by ByteDance to introduce an Instagram-like service in the world’s biggest smartphone and internet market, as well as second-largest economy.
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