TikTok clone Zynn has now officially been removed from the Google Play Store for plagiarism amid other issues. That’s according to reports citing a Zynn spokesperson, who admitted that the company has “had lapses” on that front. The take-down follows reports from popular TikTok users, claiming that Zynn allowed uploads of their content without permission. But it isn’t just content that’s being copied either.
In at least some cases, top TikTok users have reported that their entire account has been plagiarised. That has included profile pictures, names, and the above-mentioned content, sometimes going back months. Additionally, some of the stolen content was taken well before Zynn launched in the US.
Problems with Zynn don’t stop at the Play Store or plagiarism
Aside from plagiarism reports, Zynn has additionally been labeled a pyramid scheme by Common Sense Media. The non-profit applies the label on the basis that Zynn offers to pay users for accessing the app. Summarily, users can earn money for signing up and for recommending the app to others. That’s on top of promised payments for watching or posting videos.
As is often the case with apps that promise a rewards payout, some users have claimed to have been paid, others have not. Some claim to have earned enough rewards to cash in on their earnings but that they’ve been unable to.
Zynn claims that the app can only “have value” while a large number of users are active. The payouts are intended as a way to get users active and the money that’s paid out, it says, takes the place of spending money on ads.
Will Zynn be back?
Spokespersons for Zynn have indicated that the company is looking into the problem. And it is reportedly in active talks with Google with “fix” the problem as soon as possible. But the rivalry between Zynn and TikTok stretches back much further. Zynn is a subsidiary of Kuaishou, while TikTok is the product of ByteDance. The former app was, until recently, relatively unknown in the West. At least compared to TikTok and its rampant rise in popularity outside of China back in early 2019.
TikTok has steadily added new features such as a family safety tool and Digital Wellbeing management features in the meantime, in a bid to hold onto its position. Zynn, conversely, has been called out by Senator Josh Hawley, among others, for investigation. The senator has expressed concerns that the app and others like it will allow Chinese government to “pry into the private affairs of Americans.”
Within its home region, TikTok’s parent company isn’t quite so popular. WeChat creator Tencent, for instance, provided $2 billion in funds to Kuaishou in December. That money was expressly designated as a way to help stop ByteDance from growing too large to manage.
The two companies have been embroiled in lawsuits in the interim as well — highlighting the fierce level of competition between the two and their parent companies.
For Google’s part, at the very least, it’s still unclear if the search giant will ultimately allow Zynn to return to the Play Store. The company has reportedly not responded to inquiries about the removal.