Google removes TikTok clone Zynn from Play Store after reports of plagiarism

From The Verge: Chinese video app Zynn, a clone of the hugely popular Chinese video app TikTok, has been removed from Google’s Play Store following accusations of plagiarism.

As reported by Wired this week, a number of high-profile TikTok users say their content has been uploaded to Zynn without consent. Some say their accounts have been cloned entirely, with profiles appearing on Zynn, including their name, picture, and months of back-dated content. In some cases, these videos appear to have been uploaded to Zynn before the app even officially launched in the US.

Zynn arrived on iOS and Android at the beginning of May and quickly rocketed to the top of the download charts. It became the most downloaded free iOS app by the end of May and a top 10 download on the Google Play Store. (Its listing on the Play Store is now defunct.)

Part of the reason for this growth is the app’s reward scheme, which pays users to watch videos and recruit friends. The legitimacy of the scheme is unclear, with some users posting videos of payments while others say they’ve been unable to cash out rewards.

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