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Zynn
Developer(s)Owlii (acquired by Kuaishou)
Initial release7 May 2020; 4 years ago (2020-05-07)
Stable release
1.0.3 / 4 June 2020
Operating systemiOS, Android[1]
Size176 MB (iOS)[2]
TypeVideo sharing
LicenseProprietary software with Terms of Use
Websitezynnvideo.com Edit this on Wikidata

Zynn was a Chinese video-sharing social networking service owned by Kuaishou, a Beijing-based internet technology company established in 2011 by Su Hua and Cheng Yixiao. It was used to create and share short videos, and it pays its users for using the app and referring others. Zynn was launched on May 7, 2020. It became the most-downloaded app in the App Store in the same month.[3][4] It has also been criticized for being a "pyramid scheme",[5][6] and it has faced accusations of plagiarism and stealing content.[7][8] Aside from Zynn in North America, Kuaishou is available under the name Kwai in Russia, South Korea, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brazil, America, India, and the Middle East.[9] Kwai used to be available in Australia[10] and the United States[11] on the App Store, but was removed at an unknown date. Zynn was permanently shut down on the 20th of August, 2021.[12]

History

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In 2011, entrepreneur Su Hua co-founded Kuaishou with business partner Cheng Yixiao.[13] Originally a GIF-making app, Kuaishou soon moved to short video content.[13] Su Hua also serves as the current Kuaishou CEO.[14]

In December 2019, Chinese internet conglomerate Tencent invested $2 billion in Kuaishou, reportedly to compete with rival ByteDance.[15] In December 2019, Kuaishou acquired an app developer called Owlii, which is the developer of Zynn. Zynn was developed to be a North American Market edition of Kuaishou.[14]

On May 7, 2020, the app was launched and it was downloaded over 2 million times in that month.[16] On May 12, 2020, Kuaishou filed a lawsuit seeking compensation for "unfair competition", and accused Douyin, the sister app of TikTok, of "interfering" with search results on app stores.[17][18][19]

Zynn shut down on the 20th of August, 2021[20]

Features

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Zynn allows its users to create, edit and share short videos of themselves. Its interface has been described as a "complete clone" of TikTok, its main competitor.[21]

The Zynn app was unique in the way that they paid users for using the platform.[22] Each user earned $1 for signing up, and they could earn money for referring users to the platform. Watching videos resulted in earning "points", which could be redeemed for gift cards or be cashed out via PayPal.[21][1]

Criticisms and controversies

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Multiple TikTok users had reported seeing their entire accounts plagiarized, with one account pretending to be Addison Rae.[23] Despite being launched in May, many videos were posted in February.[8] Zynn has employed "intermittent variable rewards" in its point system, which has been criticized as being the "same reinforcement strategy used to addict people to slot machines".[21] Cash payouts for using the app have resulted in criticism and accusations of anti-competitive behavior.[citation needed]

The app was taken down from the Google Play store on June 10.[7][8][24][25][26] Zynn blamed it on an "isolated incident".[27] Six days later, it was taken down from the App Store as well.[28][29][30][31]

US Senator Josh Hawley has criticized the platform, calling it "predatory" and "anti-competitive" in a letter to the Federal Trade Commission asking for an investigation into Zynn.[5][32][33] He said "[Zynn] smacks of a textbook predatory-pricing scheme, one calculated to attain immediate market dominance for Zynn by driving competitors out of the market."[29]

Notes

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1.^ Paying users to use an app is commonplace in China, particularly in smaller cities or towns where residents have lower income.[34] It is seen in other apps such as Pinduoduo, Qutoutiao,[35] and Weibo's Oasis.[36]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Vincent, James (July 21, 2020). "TikTok clone Zynn returns, replacing cash rewards with useless Zynncheers points". TheVerge.com. The Verge. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
  2. ^ "Zynn on the App Store". App Store. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  3. ^ "Top Grossing Apps | US | Top App Store Rankings for iOS". sensortower.com. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  4. ^ Watts, Gordon (2020-06-03). "Seconds out as Zynn takes on TikTok in tech wars". Asia Times. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  5. ^ a b "U.S. Senator Hits Video App's "Predatory" Practice of Paying People to Watch". The Hollywood Reporter. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  6. ^ "Zynn - App Review". Common Sense Media. 2020-06-04. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  7. ^ a b Vincent, James (2020-06-10). "Google removes TikTok clone Zynn from Play Store after reports of plagiarism". The Verge. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  8. ^ a b c "Zynn, the Hot New Video App, Is Full of Stolen Content". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  9. ^ Newswire, Press Release. "Tencent-backed Kwai App ranked Most Popular social short video app". Markets Business Insider. Press Release Newswire. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  10. ^ Store, App. "App Store AU". Apps Apple. KWAI. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  11. ^ Store, App (May 28, 2018). "App Store US". Apps Apple. KWAI. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  12. ^ "ByteDance rival Kuaishou to shut down video app Zynn". Reuters. 2021-08-04. Retrieved 2021-08-05.
  13. ^ a b Zhao, Lu (June 22, 2020). "10 Things You Should Know About Kuaishou - TikTok Rival Zynn's parent company". Pandaily. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  14. ^ a b Hearing, Alice (June 27, 2020). "Is Kuaishou the next TikTok? All you need to know about the creators behind Zynn Video". Dexerto. Retrieved July 10, 2020.
  15. ^ "Tencent to invest US$2bn in video app Kuaishou in battle with ByteDance". South China Morning Post. 2019-12-12. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  16. ^ "Zynn - Revenue & Download estimates - Apple App Store - US". Sensor Tower. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  17. ^ "China's Kuaishou Accuses Rival TikTok of Foul Play, Sues for USD706,000 in Damages". Yicai Global. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  18. ^ "Tencent-backed Chinese video app sues ByteDance unit for unfair competition". Nikkei Asian Review. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  19. ^ "Chinese Short Video App Kuaishou Sues Rival Douyin for 'Unfair Competition' - Caixin Global". Caixin Global. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  20. ^ "ByteDance rival Kuaishou to shut down video app Zynn". Reuters. 2021-08-04. Retrieved 2021-08-22.
  21. ^ a b c Klein, Matt. "Zynn, A New TikTok Copycat, Pays Users—But Its Origins Are More Interesting". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  22. ^ "Kuaishou's Zynn Dethrones Tiktok on App Store With Cash Handouts". PingWest. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  23. ^ Lovejoy, Ben (2020-06-16). "TikTok clone Zynn removed from App Store for plagiarism and pyramid selling". 9to5Mac. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
  24. ^ Ians (2020-06-11). "Google takes down TikTok clone Zynn from Play Store". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  25. ^ "TikTok copycat removed from Google's Play Store". BBC News. 2020-06-10. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  26. ^ Chakravarti, Ankita (11 June 2020). "Days after Mitron app, Google removes TikTok rival Zynn from Play Store". India Today. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  27. ^ "TikTok Rival Zynn Blames Google Play Removal on 'Isolated Incident'". NDTV Gadgets 360. 13 June 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  28. ^ Vincent, James (2020-06-16). "TikTok clone Zynn has now been removed from the iOS App Store as well". The Verge. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  29. ^ a b "Shady TikTok clone Zynn finally removed from the App Store". TechCrunch. 16 June 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  30. ^ Leskin, Paige. "Zynn, the TikTok clone accused of stealing content, was removed from both iOS and Android app stores". Business Insider. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  31. ^ "TikTok clone and pyramid scheme Zynn yanked from App Store for being awful". iMore. 2020-06-16. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  32. ^ Rodrigo, Chris Mills (2020-06-10). "GOP senator urges FTC to investigate TikTok clone that pays users". TheHill. Retrieved 2020-06-15.
  33. ^ "Senator Hawley Calls for FTC Investigation into Beijing-Backed App Zynn". Senator Josh Hawley. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  34. ^ "Chinese Rival Launches U.S. App to Challenge TikTok". The Information. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  35. ^ Huang, Echo (21 August 2019). "Here are your four apps to understand China's grassroots consumers". Quartz. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
  36. ^ Capital, W. Y. (2019-11-27). "An Oasis Of Opportunity Lies Within Weibo's New App (NASDAQ:WB)". Seeking Alpha. Retrieved 2020-06-14.
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