TikTok is pausing a short-lived dating feature that threw singles into raunchy chat rooms
TikTok has paused a short-lived test of a live dating feature that allowed users to join group chat rooms. The experiment faced criticism for hosting inappropriate content and failing to maintain a focused dating environment.
Why it matters
The failure highlights the challenges major social platforms face when attempting to expand into new business verticals like dating while maintaining safety and brand standards.
TikTok tested a "dating" option on its livestreaming feed. Screenshot/TikTok/BI TikTok is pausing a test of a new dating feature that connected singles in live chat rooms. The feature lived in the "hangout" part of the app and was one of several multi-guest live options. Livestream blind dates have become popular in China, where TikTok's owner, ByteDance, was founded. For a brief moment, we looked for love in a hopeless place: TikTok. TikTok tested a new dating feature over the past week that thrust users into live group chats with other singles. The tool lived in a section of the app called "hangout" that's tailored toward multi-guest experiences. It invited users who wanted to flirt to join chat rooms with "great people" or "awesome people to meet," according to different versions of the feature viewed by Business Insider.
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