Douyin

TikTok paused a short-lived dating feature that connected users in live chat rooms, some of which contained inappropriate content. The feature, tested in the 'hangout' section of the app, was inspired by similar livestream blind dates popular on its sister app in China, Douyin.

A Chinese individual named Yongge exposes fake franchise schemes on Douyin, revealing a six-stage scam where victims are lured with fake parent brands, forced to pay inflated fees, and contractually bound to buy overpriced supplies. The industry operates by abandoning failing brands, using shell companies, and transferring legal risks to elderly rural residents, resulting in average losses of $55,000 per victim.

Chinese toymaker Pop Mart experienced a 5% year-on-year decline in domestic online sales in May 2024, with sales also dropping 14% from April and 25% below the average monthly level. The decline raises concerns about the sustainability of demand for its intellectual property, including the Labubu character.

CDT’s May 2026 summary of censored content highlights 43 new deleted articles primarily from WeChat, covering topics like Chinese students in Russia’s Victory Day Parade, a coal mine explosion in Shanxi, and LGBTQ+ rights responses from China’s Supreme People’s Court. The archive includes deletions from platforms such as Weibo, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu, reflecting ongoing censorship by Chinese authorities.

TikTok has introduced mini games to its app, which users can play without leaving the platform. These games, rated 18+, are developed by third-party companies and serve as an advertising strategy to boost engagement and ad revenue. The platform's expansion into gaming aligns with its super app strategy, similar to its Chinese counterpart Douyin.

A banned Douyin video compared Xi Jinping to a tortoise on a utility pole, implying his leadership position is precarious and unearned. The meme criticized Xi's perceived lack of qualifications and his disruption of traditional leadership succession, sparking widespread discussion with mixed reactions, including praise and speculative analysis.