- The much-delayed TikTok ban will come into force on 19 June
- TikTok users are already migrating
- Influencers are accelerating the move
The migration of users to a new Chinese social media network is continuing amid the looming deadline for TikTok’s ban.
Although the deadline for TikTok’s owners ByteDance to sell the app has been extended, there remains the risk that US users will no longer be able to access it from 19 June. That said, President Donald Trump has said that he’s open to granting another 90-day extension if necessary.
It seems like there is scope for TikTok to remain on the app store, but ByteDance have already said that they have no intention of selling it to an American owner.
With that in mind, many TikTok users have already found a new digital home.
What’s brought TikTok users to Xiaohongshu/RedNote?
RedNote is a Chinese app described as a mix of Instagram and Pinterest. It’s seen a huge surge in new users, with 700,000 US users joining this week in the space of 48 hours.
Read more: What is RedNote, the TikTok alternative?
This was all accelerated by so-called “TikTok refugees”, influencers drawing their followers to a new platform in fear of the ban robbing them of their livelihoods.
What are the problems of moving to RedNote?
There’s quite a few. Firstly, most of the content on the platform is still in Chinese, with no dedicated version for US users.
RedNote is also subject to Chinese laws, so censorship is still present, to far greater extent than TikTok users encounter using phrases like ‘seggs’ and ‘unalive’.
In addition, the irony is that users are escaping the ban of a Chinese app by using another Chinese app. US lawmakers may also try to target it for the same reasons – namely concerns around security and data.
Indeed, when TikTok briefly went dark in January, RedNote was also inaccessible.
What could happen to TikTok if ByteDance doesn’t find a new buyer?
Technically, even once Trump’s 75-day extension has passed, the President could still decide to keep the app available to American users.
According to outlets like the BBC, President Trump could allow the same law that impacted the app to remain but instruct the Department of Justice to turn a blind eye.
In effect, this would mean companies like Apple and Google would avoid any punishment for keeping the product on the app stores and allowing US users to download it.
That said, the decision regarding whether places like Apple and Google would actually do this remains in the hands of each company.
