There is a possibility that TikTok may become inaccessible in the US this Sunday due to the feud between the US government and the Chinese company, as it happened in India in 2020. There are reports that the US government told TikTok to either sell itself to a US-based entity or risk a ban. Meanwhile, TikTok seems to have decided that it will cut off access to US users rather than opt for a poison pill. And there is a possibility of a day cut on the coming Sunday.

However, as the end of TikTok draws closer, other tech giants like Instagram and YouTube are hoping to capture the users who are currently on TikTok and offer them a similar service like a short video platform. A report from The New York Times suggests that as soon as TikTok stops operating in the US, American tech giants have already put employees into action. These employees have been asked to remain on standby.

This idea sounds similar to what happened in India in 2020. When India banned Chinese social media app TikTok in 2020 over security concerns, all TikTok users were left with no option but to look for alternatives. At the time, apps like Instagram and YouTube took advantage of this opportunity and offered features like Reels and Shorts, mimicking the short video format that TikTok users were familiar with.

When the ban on TikTok was implemented in India, there were about 20 crore users of this app. After the ban, most of these users resumed their short video journey on Instagram and YouTube. Now, NYT says that a similar situation is emerging in America also. Tech giants Meta and Google, the companies behind Instagram and YouTube respectively, are refining their strategies to attract TikTok’s 170 million monthly US users.

Sharing insights from a recent Q&A session, the NYT noted that Meta’s Chief Marketing Officer Alex Schultz revealed the company’s proactive preparations to capitalize on TikTok’s uncertain future. According to employees present at the meeting, Meta is not only monitoring the fate of TikTok, but has also allocated resources to prepare for the influx of TikTok creators and users.

The report suggests that behind the scenes both Instagram and YouTube have already deployed their staff and asked them to be prepared to handle a possible migration of TikTok users. Additionally, Meta has also asked its staff to modify Instagram features to better accommodate TikTok creators and explore ways to help them migrate their existing content to the platform.

Meanwhile, YouTube is also reportedly pushing to attract TikTok creators through its Shorts feature. The platform recently increased the maximum length of Shorts videos from one minute to three minutes for the convenience of creators accustomed to TikTok’s 10-minute video option. YouTube has also launched initiatives such as “boot camps” for content creators, aimed at introducing them to the platform’s shopping features and monetization tools.

Although Meta and Google have not commented publicly, their efforts behind the scenes clearly show that they are keenly monitoring TikTok users in the US.

After all, when TikTok was banned in India, Reels was the biggest beneficiary. Before the ban, TikTok was the de facto short video app in India, hosting a vibrant community of Indian creators and users. At the time, Instagram Reels were hardly on anyone’s radar. But since then, Reels have become arguably the most used feature on Instagram, so much so that they have become a part of the cultural and lifestyle conversation in India nowadays. YouTube Shorts, though not yet as popular as Reels, has seen a rapid rise in usage in India after TikTok was banned here.