At least as of this writing, we’re still waiting for the Supreme Court’s decision on the future of TikTok, but users of the app aren’t waiting to find out what happens next.
Over the past few days, TikTok alternatives like Clapper, Flip and TikTok’s own Lemon8 have risen to the top of the app store charts. The most popular of all, Xiaohongshumade the biggest impression on him over 700,000 new users.
The exodus — which was prompted by an attempted ban and carried out out of sheer spite — proves just how futile the efforts to protect Americans from the “dangerous” app, which lasted more than five years, really were. In fact, the effort seems to have made things worse for those in power.
Let’s discuss!
Only desserts!
Time and time again, the US government has said that its main goal in banning TikTok has always been to protect American users from Chinese propaganda and protect their data.
I think it’s fair to say that the government, unsurprisingly, messed up. Big time.
In just a few short days, Xiaohongshu – which means “Little Red Book” in English – has turned the US-China relationship on its head. The application was founded in 2013 and acts like a Chinese version of Instagram. Not only are Americans consuming videos and images on an app that actively censors content related to Tiananmen Square and displays nothing when they search for “Xi Jinping,” they are vindictively agreeing to have the app track their data. All in all, the opposite outcome to what the US intelligence community was hoping for.
Many Americans also provide advice on how to better integrate with Xiaohongshu’s predominantly Chinese user base. One TikTok user he posted a video this week asking new US users to “stop saying democracy” on the app. “If you’re Taiwanese,” she said, “and you’re on Xiaohongshu, you’re now Chinese. sorry.” I couldn’t find any criticism in her comments section. In fact, many users thanked her for the advice.
If anything, the attempt to ban TikTok has sparked more interest in China among Americans than anything else. There has been a large influx of TikTok users learning Mandarin by chatting with Chinese Xiaohongshu users or downloading language learning apps like Duolingo.
“I started learning in Duolingo and from the creators on Red Note [or Xiaohongshu]”, one TikTok user wrote to me. “I even added a Chinese keyboard option on my phone.”
“Downloaded Red Note and had my first Duolingo Chinese lesson this morning 😂,” said another.
“oh so NOW you’re learning mandarin”, X account for Duolingo published on Tuesday responding to a surge in interest.
There was a 216 percent increase in the number of new Duolingo users signing up to learn Chinese, Duolingo spokeswoman Monica Earle told WIRED. When someone signs up for a Duolingo account, they’re asked to fill out a survey explaining how they found the app, and the company has seen a “relevant jump” in the number of users choosing “TikTok” as the reason they joined Duolingo.