- TikTok risks being banned in the US at the end of the week
- The app’s users are looking for alternatives
- RedNote is owned by TikTok’s owners ByteDance
As TikTok faces a ban in the US, users are already trying to find a replacement.
Read more: Is the TikTok ban still happening? – Pubity
Similarly to X/Twitter users flocking to Bluesky or Mastodon when the platform was at risk, and over concerns about misinformation, US TikTok users are migrating.
Downloads of the apps RedNote and Lemon8 have soared as the ban comes closer. Ironically, both of them are under Chinese ownership, which was what sparked concern about TikTok in the first place.
But what are they and where might you find them?
What is RedNote?
RedNote has been described as a “TikTok clone” but some argue its layout is more similar to Instagram or Pinterest. It also has video and livestream features.
Its original name is Xiaohongshu, which translates to ‘little red book’. The app was created in 2013 as a shopping app but then evolved into a social media network. It is popular among Chinese influencers.
RedNote has already shot to the top of the US App Store.
What is Lemon8?
Lemon8 is another app owned by TikTok’s owner ByteDance. It has been described as “TikTok’s sister app” and combines photo and short-form video content.
it launched in the US in 2023 after a few years in the Asian market. Like RedNote, it has seen its downloads soar in the wake of the potential TikTok ban. Incidentally, Lemon8 adverts have appeared on TikTok and TikTok has said that users can sign up to its sister app with the same username.
However, joining Lemon8 as a replacement for TikTok is potentially riskier. The law that would ban TikTok also applies to any apps owned by ByteDance, TikTok or their subsidiaries.
Why could TikTok be banned?
President Joe Biden made moves to ban the app last year over its Chinese ownership allegedly presenting national security concerns. The US government has argued that China could use TikTok for spying and political manipulation.
ByteDance has until January 19 to sell TikTok or risk a ban, but it has already said it won’t sell the app.
TikTok has repeatedly denied any potential influence by the Chinese Communist Party. It argued that banning it could violate the free speech rights of its 170 million US users.
It was on these grounds that TikTok attempted to contest the law in court last month. However, its bid to overturn the law was rejected.
A spokesperson for the platform argued that the law was based on “inaccurate, flawed and hypothetical information” and would amount to censorship.
