GoKawiilBilibili, China's alternative to YouTube, is expanding internationally, Semafor reports. The company has relaunched the international version of its video app on Android and is reportedly courting YouTubers to post content on its platform. Bilibili was technically already accessible outside of China, but these changes are part of an explicit strategy to get Western viewers posting and watching videos on the platform.
The biggest tweak introduced with the company's new app — which is also coming to iOS according to an X post — is the removal of identity verification. Bilibili previously required users to sign up with a passport or other ID document even if they were posting from overseas to the company's main Chinese site. That's no longer required, and moving forward Bilibili will mix global and Chinese content in its app. Semafor writes that the company is also hiring staff in Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, São Paulo, Istanbul and Tokyo, and plans to create an English-language version of its website to make it easier for video creators to upload videos.
All of these changes could help Bilibili expand its audience, though it does raise the question as to whether the platform will receive the same scrutiny as TikTok. The short-form video platform was ultimately forced to sell its US business over concerns that it was a national security threat, and it's not hard to imagine something similar happening to Bilibili if it becomes equally popular.
If the company can successfully convert existing video creators it could also put even more pressure on YouTube. Google's video sharing platform is as popular as ever, but it's facing increased competition from Netflix as the streaming service leans into video podcasts and creator-focused content. Competition is so tight that Bloomberg reports YouTube is working on deals to pay channels to post on YouTube first rather than multiple platforms simultaneously.