Published : 21 Aug 2026, 04:57 PM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:34 AM
Chinese video platform Bilibili, often described as China's answer to YouTube, is pushing to expand internationally.
The company has relaunched the international version of its video app on Android and is reportedly courting YouTubers to post content on its platform, tech outlet Engadget.
Bilibili was technically already accessible outside China, but the changes mark an explicit strategy to get Western viewers posting and watching videos on the platform.
The biggest shift in the new app, which is also coming to iOS according to an X post, is the removal of identity verification.
Bilibili previously required users to sign up with a passport or other ID document even when posting from overseas to the company's main Chinese site.
That requirement has now been dropped, and the app will go on to blend global and Chinese content going forward, according to the outlet.
The changes could help Bilibili widen its audience, though they also raise questions over whether the platform will face the same scrutiny as TikTok.
The short-form video app was ultimately forced to sell its US business over concerns it posed a national security threat, and a similar fate is not hard to imagine for Bilibili should it gain comparable popularity.
If the company succeeds in winning over existing video creators, it could pile further pressure on YouTube.
Google's video-sharing platform remains as popular as ever but faces growing competition from Netflix, which has leaned into video podcasts and creator-focused content.
Competition is reportedly so tight that Bloomberg has said YouTube is working on deals to pay channels to post on its platform first, rather than across multiple platforms simultaneously.
