Facebook launches TikTok-like product for Instagram

Facebook, a US multinational company, has launched Instagram Reels, a product believed to be a copycat of TikTok, a China-owned video app, in over 50 countries. 

The social media giant broke the news in a blog post on Wednesday.

Facebook announced that the new feature would allow people to edit 15-second clips of videos together alongside music — a feature which is similar to that of TikTok.

“Today we’re announcing Instagram Reels: a new way to create and discover short, entertaining videos on Instagram,” the company wrote.

“Reels invites you to create fun videos to share with your friends or anyone on Instagram. Record and edit 15-second multi-clip videos with audio, effects and new creative tools.

“You can share reels with your followers in Feed and if you have a public account you can make them available to the wider Instagram community through a new space in Explore.

“Reels in Explore offers anyone the chance to become a creator on Instagram and reach new audiences on a global stage.”

It added that the new feature will be embedded into Instagram in the US and other countries.

The development comes amid concerns over Facebook’s copycat strategies, with many expressing reservations over the company’s seeming knack for popularising invention by others.

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, had recently defended the company’s strategy before US lawmakers.

Before the introduction of Reels, the company had introduced Instagram Stories, another feature on its photo-sharing app, said to have been inspired by Snap Inc., Facebook’s competitor.

The launching of Reels comes days after President Donald Trump announced that he would be taking action to ban TikTok — which is trying to carve a market niche for itself in the US — over security concerns relating to data collection.