TikTok suspends HD streaming across Europe for 30 days

TikTok is trying to ensure that data networks are relieved of pressure

FILE PHOTO: A man holding a phone walks past a sign of Chinese company ByteDance's app TikTok, known locally as Douyin, at the International Artificial Products Expo in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China October 18, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer (REUTERS)

TikTok has announced that it is going to restrict HD streaming on its platform in Europe for 30 days. This decision has been taken for the European Union region to ensure that data networks there are relieved of pressure.

With people staying in to practice social distancing due to coronavirus, internet services and apps have seen a huge surge of users.

In a statement TikTok said, "While we want our platform to be a place where our community can create, share and enjoy video content, we do not want any increased level of usage to add further pressure on overall network infrastructure and capacity. With this in mind, we have made a voluntary decision to prevent our users in Europe from being able to watch content in high definition for the next 30 days."

"Users will still be able to create and share videos as normal and for our community. This decision will not have any material impact on the quality of their TikTok experience. This adjustment does allow us to play a very small role in reducing some of the pressure on the infrastructure that is so critical to people's everyday lives. In line with our industry peers, this is a voluntary decision with immediate effect, and we'll continue to work closely with network operators regarding any related decisions in the future."

It's not just TikTok, EU has asked OTT platforms like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video to restrict HD quality on their platforms. Following this the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) wrote to various OTT platforms asking for the same.

The letter is written to platforms including Netflix, Hotstar and YouTube and it requested them to stream in Standard Definition (SD) instead of High Definition (HD). The COAI also wrote to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) urging it to issue advisories for the same.