- X and Bluesky have announced they are launching custom video feeds as TikTok faces an uncertain future in the U.S.
With TikTok still facing a potential ban in the U.S., rival tech companies appear to be making a play for its user base.
Some 170 million users in the U.S. briefly lost access to TikTok over the weekend before President Donald Trump ordered an extension to the divest-or-sell law.
On Monday, Trump officially signed an executive order granting TikTok an additional 75 days to find a buyer before it faces a potential ban.
Two social media platforms, X and its competitor Bluesky, appear to be trying to cash in on TikTok's uncertain future in the U.S.
On Sunday, both platforms announced they were launching custom feeds for vertical videos within their respective apps.
“We had to get in on the video action, too," X-rival Bluesky said in a post on Sunday. "Bluesky now has custom feeds for video! Like any other feed, you can choose to pin these or not. Bluesky is yours to customize."
In a post on the same day, X published a teaser ad for its new dedicated video tab, announcing that "an immersive new home for videos is rolling out to users in the US today."
X has been focusing heavily on video since Musk took over the platform.
In January, the company declared it was “now a video-first platform,” and it went on to launch a separate TV app in September. The platform has also signed exclusive content deals with TV personalities including Don Lemon and Tucker Carlson, though the former was short-lived.
TikTok's rough weekend
Despite Trump's interventions, TikTok is still unavailable to download on major app stores including Apple and Google Play, impacting new user growth.
Martin SFP Bryant, cofounder of tech consultancy Big Revolution, told Fortune that while TikTok has benefited from proving it has Trump's support "its absence from app stores allows rivals to grow while it cannot."
Other social media companies have also been eyeing TikTok's sizable user base.
Meta, which already has a feature that directly competes with TikTok, is reportedly offering creators with large followings bonuses of up to $50,000 per month to post on Instagram Reels before posting on other platforms.
Meta could also benefit from freed-up ad dollars if TikTok is forced to shut down in the U.S. permanently. According to an analysis from Emarketer, the tech company could gain up to $3.38 billion in ad revenue.
Meta is best positioned to benefit if TikTok does not find a suitable buyer, as Trump has made it clear the app will be shut down in the U.S. if it doesn't find a partnership deal or sell its U.S. operations.
The new president has been arguing for a joint venture with 50% U.S. ownership of TikTok.
Several buyers, including billionaire Frank McCourt, DOGE co-chair Musk, and AI company Perplexity have already been linked to the deal. (TikTok previously told Fortune claims that Beijing is considering selling the platform to Musk are “pure fiction.”)
Representatives for TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fortune.
