Chinese tech unicorn ByteDance has announced it will shut down its lesser-known video sharing app Vigo Video in India by Oct. 31, as its flagship TikTok app gains traction in the South Asian country.
In a statement, Vigo Video said ByteDance had “decided to focus energy and resources on other businesses,” without providing further explanation for the decision.
Vigo Video users are encouraged to transfer video content and personal data to TikTok, a mobile app that counts one-third of its total downloads from India. According to the statement, users will be able to switch platforms and share videos seamlessly.
Vigo Video is similar to TikTok, allowing users to create and share short-form videos and lip-syncing to Bollywood songs.
TikTok has been under fire in India in recent weeks for failing to take down videos depicting domestic violence, animal cruelty, racism, child abuse and the objectification of women.
The Vigo Video shutdown comes as ByteDance is increasing its other operations in India. Earlier this month, the Beijing-based company was reportedly opening its second corporate entity in India, with the capacity to provide information technology services to all of its platforms worldwide.
– This article originally appeared on Caixin Global.
