Bilibili relaunches international app, drops ID requirement and hires globally as it pushes beyond China

# What changed and why it matters Bilibili relaunches its international app with two concrete moves: it dropped the identity-verification requirement for overseas users and it will mix Chinese and international content in the same feed. The company is also preparing an English-language website and recruiting creators and staff outside China.

These steps signal a deliberate push to grow outside its home market. Bilibili's Chinese platform already counts hundreds of millions of monthly active users, and the company is using that scale as part of its pitch to Western creators.

# The product and creator strategy

The company is actively courting Western creators. Materials shared with creators describe Bilibili's audience as young, affluent and well-educated. Bilibili has approached prominent creators and is building a sponsored content marketplace to monetize creator-brand partnerships.

# Hiring and moderation plans Open community manager roles are listed for Los Angeles, London, Mexico City, São Paulo, Istanbul and Tokyo. Bilibili is also hiring AI content moderation staff based in Singapore. Those hires indicate where the company expects to grow engagement and where it anticipates operational needs for content oversight.

# Regulation and risk in Europe If Bilibili serves European users at scale, the Digital Services Act (DSA) applies immediately. At 45 million monthly EU users the DSA would designate a platform as very large, triggering audits, risk assessments and researcher access. The DSA has already been used against Chinese companies: for example, Temu was fined under the DSA for unsafe products.

The identity-verification change is particularly relevant under the DSA. Removing verification is a growth move, but the DSA requires platforms to assess how their design choices create risks, including for minors. That creates a regulatory conversation that is more complex than a simple ban or allowance.

# Competitive context Bilibili presents a new competitor for Western video platforms. YouTube and other global services are already competing for creators with direct payments and exclusives. Bilibili brings a large existing user base and a decade-long habit-building run in China to this competition. Its strategy mirrors moves other Chinese platforms have made to reach global audiences, including mixing catalogs and recruiting Western creators.

# What to watch next

• Whether Bilibili's English-language website launches and how it supports creator onboarding and monetization.
• How content moderation and age-safety policies are implemented for mixed Chinese/international feeds, especially under the DSA.
• Which Western creators sign on and whether exclusivity or sponsored marketplaces shift creator economics.

# Bottom line Bilibili's changes lower barriers for international creators and merge content across its Chinese and international audiences. This is a clear expansion strategy backed by hiring in major cities and moderation roles in Singapore. The move raises competitive and regulatory questions, especially in Europe under the DSA, and will be shaped by how the company handles identity, content safety and creator monetization.