TikTok has joined other social media companies by adding avatars to its platform.
TikTok announced Tuesday that they are rolling out a new feature that mimics users’ movements and expressions through animated figures. Using TikTok’s camera, users can access their avatars and create custom characters based on various templates. The options for personalising include hairstyles, accessories, piercings, and makeup.
In an announcement, TikTok said it would listen to creator feedback and work with its Creator Diversity Collective to ensure that its avatars, which come in a variety of skin tones, hair colours and textures, are representative. Filters provided by the company have been criticised in the past for altering people’s skin tones and not working correctly for people of colour.
“Building inclusive features and experiences remains our priority, and we’ll continue to listen to our community and look to creators for feedback at every step of its development,” TikTok said.
TikTok has been beaten to the avatar craze by other social media platforms; Meta introduced avatars to Instagram Stories earlier this year, while Apple has added Memoji characters to its messages. Snapchat has advanced its technology since launching Bitmoji in 2016, allowing users to include their avatars in live-action comic strips and virtual concerts.
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