TikTok to sign deal with TalkShopLive for live shopping platform in US: Reports

Bytedance-owned TikTok is all set to sign a deal with Los Angeles-based TalkShopLive to launch its live shopping platform, per the Financial Times. Two people familiar with the developments told the Financial Times that the live shopping platform is intended to be opened in North America.

The Financial Times report said that both companies had not finalized the arrangements, and no agreement has been signed. The report also suggests that TikTok plans to outsource its operations in North America.






The report of TikTok's association with TalkShopLive surfaced when the Bytedance-owned company faced intense scrutiny from United States lawmakers. The US lawmakers have expressed concerns over China-based TikTok's data protection policy.

TikTok Shop, the live shopping platform of TikTok, is already available in several Asian markets, including Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand. As per some reports, TikTok Shop was launched in the United Kingdom in 2021. TikTok Shop enables people to purchase products through links available on the shopping app during live broadcasts. Interestingly, the TalkShopLive app also functions similarly.

According to the official website of TalkShopLive, it is an app for live streaming and shopping. Earlier, TalkShopLive inked a deal with Walmart in 2021 to provide shoppable content using embeddable videos on Walmart.com.

FAQs:

1). What is TikTok Shop?
TikTok Shop is a live shopping platform already available in several countries.

2). Why are US lawmakers concerned with TikTok?
TikTok's parent company, Bytedance, is based in China, and US lawmakers are apprehensive about the video app's data policy.