Instagram’s Big Move: Launching Reels-Only App Amid TikTok Disputes

United States (The Uttam Hindu): Amid growing uncertainty surrounding TikTok’s future in the United States, Instagram is reportedly exploring the possibility of launching a separate app dedicated to its short-form video feature, Reels. This move comes as TikTok continues to face significant pressure from the US government, which alleges the app's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, poses national security risks due to its data collection practices. Instagram's potential standalone Reels app is seen as an opportunity to capitalize on TikTok's troubles, offering a similar video-scrolling experience to users in the US.

TikTok's struggles in the US have intensified since a Supreme Court ruling in January 2025, upholding legislation that mandates ByteDance to divest its US operations. This decision followed years of scrutiny over TikTok's data practices, with concerns about the collection of sensitive information from American users. While the platform was initially banned on January 19, 2025, an executive order by President Donald Trump temporarily suspended the ban for 75 days to explore solutions, allowing TikTok to resume operations in the country while addressing security concerns.

As the suspension period nears its end in April 2025, TikTok is under increasing pressure to comply with the US government's demands, including potentially selling its US operations or making substantial changes to its data handling practices. Meanwhile, Instagram, under Meta's leadership, seems poised to take advantage of the situation, having previously launched initiatives such as the Edits video-editing app and the now-defunct Lasso app, to target users of competing platforms.