US: Google in talks to acquire TikTok rival Firework

Google is reportedly considering an acquisition of TikTok-like “Firework,” an app that allows users to make and share 30-second videos with strangers, per The Wall Street Journal. The startup is a US company that was valued at over US$100 million earlier this year. Buying Firework would launch Google back into the social space after it shuttered its struggling Google+ social network in April.

The acquisition would mark yet another big tech company jumping into direct competition with TikTok — it was revealed last week that Facebook is building a TikTok competitor called “Lasso.” TikTok’s rapid rise has turned heads among global tech companies.

The app boasts over a billion downloads and is hugely popular among younger generations, with over 65% of its users under the age of 30, per App Ape Lab. The company represents a credible competitor in the social space, and Facebook has taken notice: In a leaked audio from an internal July Facebook Q&A, CEO Mark Zuckerberg discussed the company’s strategy surrounding Lasso in direct relation to TikTok. 

Full Content: New York Post

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