BiliBili, China’s competitor to Google’s YouTube, is expanding internationally.
According to Semafor, the company has relaunched the international version of its video app on Android (with iOS coming soon) and is reportedly seeking YouTubers to post content on its platform.
Bilibili was technically already accessible outside of China, but the new changes are part of a strategy to get Western viewers watching and posting videos to the platform.
One major change to the app has been the removal of identity verification. Bilibili previously required users to sign up with a passport or other form of ID to post on the company’s main Chinese site (even if overseas). Alongside this change, Bilibili will mix global and Chinese content within the app. The company is also hiring staff in Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, São Paulo, Istanbul, and Tokyo.
There are also plans to make an English version of the website in order to make it easier for creators to upload videos.
One question raised by the expansion is whether Bilibili will receive the same scrutiny as TikTok. To add some context, TikTok’s Canadian operations were suspended in November 2024 and later permitted to resume with additional rules. TikTok was almost completely banned in the US, but the last-second formation of TikTok US allowed it to remain in the country.
Now, this addition also comes as YouTube is facing increased competition from Netflix in terms of creator-based content (such as Mark Rober’s CrunchLabs). In fact, Bloomberg noted that the video-sharing giant was seen offering creators millions.
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