Instagram is considering launching Reels as a standalone app amid TikTok's uncertain future in the US, The Information reported.
Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri told employees this week about the potential split, according to the publication. Meta , which owns Instagram, has not yet commented on the information.
Recall that in January, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order giving TikTok 75 days to find a solution. During that time, ByteDance must sell TikTok to a US company or face a full ban.
Trump also suggested the possibility of creating a joint venture, proposing to divide ownership between the United States and Chinese owner ByteDance on a 50/50 basis, but there are no details yet on the implementation of this plan.
The Biden administration has expressed concerns that TikTok, which has 170 million users in the United States, could become a tool for China to spy and exert political influence. At the same time, opponents of the TikTok ban emphasize the importance of free speech and oppose the restrictions.
Interestingly, Meta had already made an attempt to compete with TikTok by launching a separate app, Lasso, in 2018, but later closed it.