Zynn Shut Down: ByteDance Rival Kuaishou Pulls Controversial App

Kuaishou to Discontinue Zynn Short-Form Video App

Kuaishou Technology, a China-based company frequently positioned as a competitor to ByteDance, announced on Wednesday the impending closure of its short-form video application, Zynn. This shutdown is scheduled for later this month, and the app’s availability was limited to the United States market.

Lack of Explanation for Shutdown

The company, which recently reported exceeding 1 billion monthly active users, did not provide a rationale for discontinuing Zynn. The app had been subject to considerable controversy since its initial launch in May of the previous year.

Controversies Surrounding Zynn

Investigations revealed that Zynn, designed as a clone of TikTok, engaged in practices such as compensating users for video views. This was done to artificially inflate its position within the U.S. iOS App Store rankings.

Furthermore, the app was removed from the Google Play Store due to numerous reports of content theft from other platforms. Subsequently, it was also delisted from the Apple App Store following comparable allegations.

Impact on Other Markets

According to a statement released by a Kuaishou spokesperson, the decision to cease Zynn’s operations in the U.S. will not impact its user base or product offerings in other global markets.

Kuaishou maintains and operates similar applications in various regions, notably Kwai, which enjoys popularity in South America, and Snack Video, prevalent in South Asia.

Strategic Outlook Remains Consistent

The firm affirmed that its international market strategy remains unaltered. This announcement follows a successful Hong Kong IPO earlier this year, which generated $5.4 billion in capital.

Declining User Engagement

Zynn struggled to gain traction with users in the U.S. market. Data from App Annie, shared privately with TechCrunch, indicated a decline in monthly active users to approximately 200,000 in June of this year.

This represents a significant decrease from the roughly 3 million monthly active users recorded in August 2020.

• Kuaishou Technology is a major player in the short-form video market.
• Zynn faced challenges related to user acquisition and content integrity.
• The company’s international strategy will continue to focus on other platforms like Kwai and Snack Video.