According to some information online, since yesterday (Jan. 15), Douyin (TikTok in mainland China) has been opening up for international registration for "TikTok refugees". In response to this, insiders have stated that the open-up for international registration is untrue.
On Douyin, there are currently numerous videos from users whose IP locations are displayed as being from countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, Thailand, and others. The phone number registration page for Douyin also shows a variety of international dialing codes from multiple countries around the world as options.
In accordance with the requirements of the Chinese cybersecurity law and the Provisions on the Management of Internet User Account Information, Douyin enforces real-name authentication obligations during registration. According to chinastarmarket.cn, the presence of overseas accounts on Douyin is one thing, and opening up international registration is another. It is believed that these overseas accounts are those who registered before instead of the new "TikTok refugees".
Some mainland media points out that the variety of international dialing codes from different countries and regions has long existed. There is a dropdown menu that offers options other than the default +86 mode of the mainland number.
However, the information on the registration interface does not necessarily indicate that Douyin has opened up international registration. Even if such registration was available, it would have been open for years. Some bloggers explain that the current availability of multi-country mobile number registration may be intended for channels such as international students from those countries. As for the numerous videos online displaying overseas IPs, they cannot serve as evidence of the opening of international registration, as any user located overseas can display videos with an overseas IP.
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