TikTok maker ByteDance finds new success in US with CapCut, a hit video editing app

CapCut downloads nearly tripled to 140 million in the first half of the year, making it ByteDance’s latest hit video product on mobile. Like TikTok, CapCut collects identifiable user information, a practice US lawmakers have raised security concerns about when coming from Chinese apps. — SCMP

Video editing app CapCut has become the latest app from TikTok owner ByteDance to become a breakout hit in the US, despite Washington’s scrutiny of the Beijing-based company and its apps amid privacy concerns.

The app, combined with its Chinese version Jianying, saw downloads reach 140 million globally in the first half of the year, up 272% year on year, making it the world’s ninth-most downloaded mobile app, according to app tracking firm Sensor Tower. It has been one of the most-downloaded free iPhone apps in the US for the last couple months, temporarily topping the charts at the end of May, Sensor Tower data show.