This Sunday, the day that President Joe Biden signed a law last year that would end the social media giant’s game, TikTok, plans to shut down its application in the US.
If the US Supreme Court accepts a last-minute legal debate from TikTok’s Chinese user, ByteDance, or if ByteDance divests its US businesses, there is a slim chance that this extraordinary development won’t occur.
But the 170 million people of TikTok in the US aren’t taking any chances. Numerous self-described” TikTok refugees” have begun to escape to other social media platforms, making fun of TikTok’s reported security concerns. ” Goodbye to my Chinese spy” has become a new TikTok trend.
The most well-known solution is Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social media app ( also known as RedNote in English ). On January 13, the game surged to number one in the US Apple App Store, attracting more than 700, 000 new customers.
A new stage of the US-China electric cold war is being marked by this mass modern migration of users. However, there are many questions as to whether RedNote or any other solution system will be a practical, long-term refuge for US TikTok customers if the ban is implemented.
What is Red Note?
Controlled by Shanghai-based Xingyin Information Technology and established in 2013, RedNote is a Chinese-language life, social network and e-commerce system. It has a hybrid type of Instagram-meets-Pinterest and about 300 million monthly active users – the majority of whom are in China.
In accordance with China’s data protection, security, and other regulatory regulations, RedNote stores users ‘ personal information there.
However, RedNote isn’t the only other system that users are switching to. Another is Lemon8, even owned by ByteDance, which bills itself as a “lifestyle area”. It first appeared in Japan in 2020, and earlier this year, it took the second top position in the Apple App Store, behind Red Note. Existing TikTok consumers can update their data and account details with the software.
Like TikTok, Lemon8 businesses information of clients outside China, including in the US and Singapore. But, it is possible that Lemon8 will be banned if the US government decides to do so.
Another local US-based alternative programs, such as Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts, are not seen as best options by many customers. This is because they are less creator-friendly and lack a strong sense of community.
Given TikTok’s and community-driven charm, RedNote is often regarded as the best solution. Interestingly, the platform may be instantly banned because it is outside the US government’s control.
At the time of reading, the tag” TikTok migrant” had garnered about 250 million landscapes and over 5.5 million remarks on Red Note. Some US users sardonically stated their intention to the software as a retribution for their behavior:
This just side our personal data over to the Chinese authorities because the US government is concerned about China obtaining it. Will you get away my phone, please?
A” European enlightenment movement” is being developed.
RedNote users in China are welcoming TikTok migrants from the US with open arms.
For instance, they are making video videos to show how to use the game to new users. This generosity is summed up by one common opinion from a Chinese person on the program who said: “friends who come across from TikTok, I want to say, you are not refugees, you are daring explorers”.
Chinese internet users ‘ national pride has also grown as a result of the new movement to Red Note.
They brilliantly refer to the movement as a” European enlightenment motion,” which enables US residents to see the world outside the western boundary.
This phrase was coined in reference to the” self-strengthening action” in China in the late 19th century – a reform efforts aimed at modernizing China by adopting American technology, knowledge and beliefs.
Some Red Note-related stocks increased by up to 20 % earlier this week as a result of the unanticipated migration.
People-to-people diplomacy
The positive interactions between Chinese and American internet users promote the Communist Party of China’s concept of “people-to-people diplomacy.” This idea is best summed up by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who in July 2024 said
the hope of the China-US relationship lies in the people, its foundation is in the two societies, its future depends on the youth, and its vitality comes from exchanges at subnational levels.
However, RedNote might not be a viable, long-term refuge for US TikTok users.
Their sudden switch to RedNote might be more similar to a flash mob protest against the TikTok ban. It might not be simple for them to adjust to a completely new digital environment and choose to stay permanently on the Chinese app.
RedNote has already posted a job advertisement to urgently seek out content moderators who are fluent in English to deal with the rapid growth in English-speaking users.
The migration to RedNote is still very small and only a small fraction of the 170 million US users who use TikTok is also worth nothing.
If it believes RedNote violates the US App Store, the US government has the authority to demand that Apple remove it from the app store.
Regardless of whether this happens, the mass migration of TikTok refugees to RedNote – even if it is temporary – shows the US’s regulation of digital technologies, driven by geopolitical competition, has significantly fractured the global internet.
Fortunately, amid the strain of the digital cold war, we have witnessed the spirit of optimism and humanitarianism among Chinese and US internet users.
Jian Xu is associate professor in communication, Deakin University
This article was republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.