ByteDance, the owner of TikTok and keeper of personal information, is launching a pilot programme to bring 50 free Wi-Fi hotspots across South Africa.
TikTok Africa announced the programme’s launch on Thursday, citing World Literacy Day as the reason behind its sudden kindness. Perhaps TikTok should look into hiring Lea Michele to promote the pilot’s launch. That would be pretty funny.
Free WiFi for all (in certain areas)
TikTok has partnered with local Internet supplier ThinkWifi to supply the 50 Wi-Fi hotspots. If you live in Soweto, Gugulethu, Khayelitsha or Bushbuckridge, it might be time to go on an adventure to find them.
“With this pilot, we hope to encourage more people to join digital spaces such as ours, to not only create content but to learn new skills and educate fellow community members about their passion and interests,” said Fortune Mgwili-Sibanda, director of government relations and public policy for sub-Saharan Africa at TikTok in a statement.
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The plan is for the pilot programme to run for six months, though we don’t know much more than that. Since it’s a pilot, there’s a precedent for the company to either expand the programme or keep it as is. There’s also a chance that TikTok removes the hotspots entirely come February. We’re not sure what it’ll take to make the WiFi access permanent.
Source: MyBroadband