TikTok launches Local Feeds in the US

Source: The Verge

TikTok announced on Wednesday that it’s launching Local Feeds, an opt‑in feature that uses precise GPS location data to create a feed of localized content, similar to the Nearby Feeds that launched in the UK and Europe in December.

This is the first new feature introduced for US users since TikTok officially came under new ownership last month. The new US version of the app got off to a bumpy start when it faced a major outage that TikTok says was due to a “cascading systems failure.”

Features of Local Feeds

• Includes “local content related to travel, events, restaurants and shopping, as well as posts from small businesses and local creators.”
• Turned off by default; not available to users under 18.
• Precise location tracking is “only active when the app is in use.”
• When enabled, the feed appears as a tab on the home screen.

Illustration by Nick Barclay / The Verge