At least as of this writing, we’re still awaiting a Supreme Court ruling on TikTok’s future, but the app’s users aren’t waiting to find out what happens.
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 them all, Xiaohongshu, has made the biggest impression on its more than 700,000 new users.
The exodus — prompted by the prohibition effort and carried out through sheer defenselessness — proves just how futile the effort to protect Americans from a “dangerous” enforcement, which took more than five years, really was. In fact, the effort seemingly made things worse for those in power.
Let’s discuss!
Just desserts!
Time and again, the US government has said that its main purpose in banning TikTok has always been to protect US users from Chinese propaganda and protect their data.
I think it’s fair to say that, unsurprisingly, the government screwed up. Big time.
In just a few short days, Xiaohongshu – which means “Little Red Book” in English – turned the relationship between the US and China on its head. The application was founded in 2013 and serves as something like a Chinese version of Instagram. Not only do Americans consume videos and images on an app that actively censors content related to Tiananmen Square and shows nothing when they search for “Xi Jinping,” but they vindictively agree to have the app track their data. Just everywhere, the opposite outcome of what the US intelligence community desired.
Many Americans also provide advice on how to better integrate with Xiaohongshu’s predominantly Chinese user base. One TikTok user 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 a single piece of criticism in her comment section. In fact, many users thanked her for the tips.
If anything, the effort to ban TikTok has inspired more interest in China among Americans than anything else. There has been a huge influx of TikTok users learning Mandarin by chatting with Chinese Xiaohongshu users or downloading language learning apps like Duolingo.
“Started learning in Duolingo and from creators on Red Note [or Xiaohongshu],” one TikTok user wrote to me. “Even added the 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,” the X account posted for Duolingo on Tuesday in response to the surge in interest.
There was a 216 percent increase in 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 “corresponding increase” in users choosing “TikTok” as the reason why they joined Duolingo.