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Likee - competitor to TikTok that brings challenges as well as concerns

If you've been on the Internet for the last decade, you've probably seen the meteoric rise and fall of many social networks such as Vine, Myspace, Google+, or the newer Clubhouse or BeReal. It's not any news that when a new unique social network emerges, the biggest market players always start copying its unique features. For example, this is how Instagram managed to stunt Snapchat for a long time when it added the Stories feature for 24 hours.

Currently, TikTok is the fastest growing network with over one billion active users worldwide. As usual, it was initially discovered by the youngest generation of users, i.e. Gen Z. TikTok became a haven for teenagers on the internet for the next few years. As it grew in popularity, older users began to sign up as well.

With their arrival, the content began to change. What started as a network where kids uploaded short videos of themselves dancing and lip syncing to popular songs gradually became a platform where everything could be found. From funny sketches to fashion tips, gardening videos to three-minute essays explaining complex socio-political topics. Today, everyone can find exactly what they are looking for on TikTok. People even search for a solution to a problem on TikTok first and then on Google.

Nowadays, it's common to see a baby with pacifier using a tablet, thanks to which preschoolers can already surf the internet. This means that Generation Z is no longer the youngest group to be active online. The term Alpha has come to be used for this youngest generation, and its oldest members are now 13 years old. Understandably, Millennials are already in the same position for them as they are for Gen Z Boomers. For this reason, the network that their parents most likely have on their mobile phones is no longer as attractive to them. Naturally, they seek their refuge on the internet, which is what the social network Likee has recently become.

TikTok's younger sister

This Singaporean app is a direct competitor to TikTok as it works on an identical principle. Once opened, it is already a problem to distinguish the two apps from each other. The user interface is almost indistinguishable. Likee offers the average user the same options as TikTok. There you can watch one video after another, without pause, with a simple swipe.

The flip side of Likee is the lack of older users and serious content creators who can deliver valuable content. Most of the content is made up of younger users who, like in the early days of TikTok, primarily create amateur dance videos. The problem arises in that the choreographies often have overly suggestive overtones. The young "dancers" who perform in the videos are underage, which can pose a great danger to them.

Bark.us, an American site focusing on safe Internet use and parental control, gave Likee the lowest possible rating of ⅕. The experts concluded that the network is full of dangerous content, does not provide parental protection options and data is not secure enough. Among other things, there are too many shady individuals with no good plans. Many users hide behind AI animations, making it difficult to determine whether the user is real or a bot. A person who presents herself as a 12-year-old girl may not actually be what she seems.

The social network Likee may be an attractive place for the younger generation Alpha, but it also raises serious concerns about security and content spreading there. It is important that parents and internet safety professionals pay attention to this platform and work together to ensure children's online safety.

Resources: bark.us, businessofapps.com,
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