American TikTokers migrate to RedNote amid ban controversy
Recently, information has circulated on the internet, causing significant controversy among American TikTok users. As of 19 January, the US government is set to ban the use of the app in the country. Internet users are protesting and are widely creating accounts on other Chinese platforms. One of these is RedNote. How does the app work?
In April 2024, President Joe Biden signed a law requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok by 19 January 2025. The US government fears that Chinese authorities might enforce access to user data or influence content shared on the app. The app's management argues that there is no evidence of such actions, and measures such as storing data on servers in the United States are in place to ensure safety.
Will TikTok disappear from the American market?
Both TikTok and many users claim that the law infringes rights guaranteed by the Constitution, including freedom of speech. The app's lawyers emphasise that shutting down the platform would affect millions of people who use it as a tool for work, entertainment, or communication. Additionally, for many creators, the app has become their main source of income, and its disappearance would have significant social and economic consequences.
At the moment, we do not know the government's final decision. Although the President-elect Donald Trump is appealing to the Supreme Court to delay the implementation of the law, the details remain unclear. Furthermore, he claims that his administration may find a compromise solution to the issue. He also believes that his negotiation experience and electoral mandate will enable him to resolve this matter without the need to remove TikTok from the American market.
Americans move to RedNote
Both American TikTokers and internet users are outraged at the prospect of the app disappearing from the country. As a form of protest, they have started installing another Chinese app - RedNote. This alternative platform functions very similarly to TikTok. Until now, it mainly operated in the Asian market, but it is currently the most downloaded app across the United States.
Americans switching to the Chinese platform refer to themselves as "refugees" from TikTok. To further vex the government, they are also widely deleting accounts in Meta apps such as Instagram and Facebook.
