First, they came for Snapchat. Now, they’re coming for TikTok.
They, of course being Facebook, just launched Lasso, according to an Engadget report. It’s a new app for short videos aimed at teenagers.
The move comes after Facebook already took on Snapchat with the debut of stories, photos, and videos that appear for 24 hours on a user’s profile on both Facebook and Instagram. Stories were what set Snapchat apart, aside from its disappearing messages.
Now, TikTok takes the role as the emerging app of choice for younger users, a demographic that’s been moving away from Facebook. TikTok offers short videos with music, stickers, filters, and other special effects. Lasso operates similarly, but being part of the Facebook family also integrates with the parent company site and Instagram. You can already cross-post Lasso videos to Facebook stories, and the Verge reported, the same ability will be coming to Instagram stories as well.
Lasso launched this week on iOS and Android without much attention. There wasn’t an announcement from Facebook posted, as similar changes usually are.