TikTok to launch in-app shopping feature in Ireland soon

A spokesperson told SiliconRepublic.com that the company is ‘excited to continue experimenting with this new commerce opportunity’ to support businesses.

TikTok is planning to launch its in-app shopping offering in Ireland within the next few months, ahead of a potentially wider European launch next year.

People familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that parent company ByteDance told some partners, including merchants and creator agencies, in recent weeks to get ready for a TikTok Shop debut in Ireland and Spain.

TikTok Shop allows creators on the video-sharing app to sell their products directly to users through video or livestream. The feature has already been rolled out in the US and was slated to be launched in certain European countries this year before being put on hold.

“We are always guided by demand and exploring new ways to enhance the TikTok experience,” a TikTok spokesperson told SiliconRepublic.com.

“We’ve seen the positive impact of TikTok Shop, and we’re excited to continue experimenting with this new commerce opportunity to support businesses of all sizes and enable our community to discover and engage with products they love.”

TikTok has more than 1bn monthly active users, including around 170m in the US and 150m in Europe. The app famous for short-form videos is available in more than 150 countries.

However, despite its success, TikTok has been facing regulatory pressure on both sides of the Atlantic. In the US, the company faces a divest or ban measure owing to its parent ByteDance being a Chinese company headquartered in Beijing.

Those in favour of the divestment have argued that Chinese law could compel companies such as TikTok to hand over data to the country’s government and pose a national security risk in the US.

Multiple governments around the world have shared concerns about TikTok’s connection with China’s government, with many nations banning government staff from accessing the app as a result.

In Europe, TikTok has found itself in crosshairs with EU laws such as the Digital Services Act. In response, the company announced Project Clover, a sweeping set of measures taken by the ByteDance-owned company to ensure European user data remains in Europe through a €12bn investment and the establishment of three new data centres, two in Ireland and one in Norway.

Just last week, TikTok lost a challenge to its designation by the European Commission as a ‘gatekeeper’ platform under the bloc’s Digital Markets Act in the EU General Court.

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