Vine, a popular app that closed in 2017, is making a comeback—of sorts—after nearly nine years offline. Twitter’s founder Jack Dorsey and early Twitter employee Evan Henshaw-Plath (also known as Rabble) have collaborated to create a new app inspired by Vine’s iconic six-second video format. The new app is called DiVine. CBC Kids News contributor Zach Morin shares some background: Vine was launched in 2012 and was acquired by Twitter just a few months later. The app helped pioneer short-form video-sharing and paved the way for platforms like TikTok. Users could create, upload, and browse short videos. At its height, Vine boasted 200 million users and helped launch the careers of stars who remain popular today, including Shawn Mendes, Logan Paul, and David Dobrik. However, Vine shut down in 2017 due to financial problems and increasing competition from other social platforms like Snapchat and Instagram that introduced new video features. Despite the shutdown, loyal fans continue to enjoy Vine compilations on YouTube and TikTok. What is DiVine? Similar to Vine, DiVine offers looping videos capped at six seconds in length. It also includes over 100, 000 archived Vine videos. DiVine distinguishes itself with some unique features. Firstly, users retain ownership of their videos, and the platform does not use algorithms to determine which videos viewers see, as stated on DiVine’s website. Additionally, DiVine prohibits AI-generated content. In a news release, the company stated its aim is to move away from “AI slop” and revive “real content made by real people. ” To uphold these standards, DiVine plans to flag suspected AI-generated videos and block their posting. Currently, DiVine is in beta—a pre-release phase with limited access to select test users. The company has yet to announce when DiVine will be available in Canada. Have more questions or feedback?

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