Word is that YouTube is trying to lure back its users who have since preferred to spend their time on TikTok. According to a new report, the video-sharing platform is launching a feature called Shorts, which will soon be available in its mobile app.

YouTube Shorts will include a familiar-sounding feed with short videos from fellow users. And because of the platform's already established song licensing, it's set to launch soon, reportedly by the end of 2020.

Asked about the matter, a YouTube spokesperson said: "We don't comment on rumor or speculation."

TikTok, a social media platform most popular among teens, was 2019's most-downloaded app, accumulating over 700 million downloads. Users can post short videos of themselves and just about anything about the sun, featuring songs and other bits of media in pop culture.

However, US politicians have started questioning the reliability of the app, saying that the company behind it could pose a national security threat. TikTok also made headlines last month when it was revealed that content moderators were told not to feature videos from ugly or poor users, as well as censor certain political speech in live streams.

Tiktok reportedly instructed moderators to filter out videos from users who had "ugly facial looks" from the app's For You page. Users taking their videos in an environment such as a slum will not be featured on the page as well.

TikTok is owned by Chinese tech company ByteDance, so it's not surprising why it's now under scrutiny from the US government. It's the latest social media platform to come under fire for how it promotes content.

Due to the investigation being launched against TikTok, it is now banned from government phones, including those used by the US Navy and the US Army. The TSA has also stopped using TikTok videos as advised by the Pentagon.

It's not new for Google, who owns YouTube, to borrow features from other social media platforms. Its Stories feature clearly a copy of what both Instagram and Snapchat have. By launching YouTube Shorts, the platform is hoping to bring back the viewers who are now convinced that shorter videos are more fun to watch.

It's going to be a challenge for sure, as TikTok has already amassed millions of users. But social media platforms come and go -- before TikTok, Vine was pretty much the favorite -- so the idea of YouTube Shorts gaining popularity isn't exactly far-fetched.