Instagram, owned by Meta, seized an opportunity to launch a new video-editing app called Edits, similar to CapCut which is popular among TikTok users. This move comes as TikTok faced a potential ban in the U.S. under a new federal law due to national security concerns. Instagram’s head, Adam Mosseri, stated that the app is designed for creators to edit videos on their phones and post them on any platform, not just Instagram. The announcement of Edits comes at a time when TikTok, CapCut, and Lemon8 became unavailable ahead of the ban, though TikTok flickered back to life as President-elect Donald J. Trump planned to issue an executive order to stall the ban.
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been closely monitoring TikTok’s situation as the U.S. tech race against China intensifies. Instagram has previously mimicked TikTok’s success with the launch of Reels, a short-form video format similar to TikTok, which has become popular on the platform.
A recent survey showed that U.S. internet users would likely switch to watching Instagram Reels if TikTok was banned, with Instagram also being popular among advertisers. With 56 percent of ad buyers favoring Reels for advertisements this year, Instagram appears to have a significant advantage in capturing TikTok’s audience in case of a ban.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding TikTok, Instagram’s move to launch Edits shows the company’s dedication to providing creative tools for video creators across various platforms and capitalizing on TikTok’s potential downfall.