Exclusive: TikTok considers introducing group chat feature this year - sources

FILE PHOTO: The TikTok logo is pictured outside the company's U.S. head office in Culver City, California, U.S., September 15, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo

SINGAPORE/BEIJING (Reuters) - Video-sharing platform TikTok may launch a group messaging feature this year, people with knowledge of the discussions told Reuters, putting the Chinese-owned app in more direct competition with social media rivals such as Facebook.

Group messaging is part of owner ByteDance's plan to develop TikTok into more of a "social interactions app", one of the sources said. The feature has been part of the Chinese version of TikTok, Douyin, since 2019.