On January 19, TikTok may be banned in the United States: the Supreme Court must either rule on the law, according to which TikTok must be separated from parent company ByteDance, or it will be blocked in the United States.
And while Americans await the court’s decision, some of them are joining another Chinese social network, calling themselves “TikTok refugees,” Voice of America reports.
The law, passed in the spring, required ByteDance to find an outside buyer before a Sunday deadline.
TikTok, even if banned, will not instantly disappear from Americans’ phones. But it will disappear from Apple and Google’s app stores, meaning users won’t be able to download it.
This also means that TikTok will not be able to send updates and bug fixes, and over time the app will likely become unusable.
But while American users await the Supreme Court’s decision, some are joining the alternative Chinese social network, calling themselves “TikTok refugees.”
Chinese social network Xiaohongshu became the most downloaded app in the Apple App Store this week.
According to Reuters, more than 700 thousand new users joined the social network in a week.
As more Americans join Xiaohongshu, some Chinese users have recorded instructions and congratulatory videos for them in English.
The influx of American users has also prompted Xiaohongshu to create Chinese-English translation tools and hire English-speaking content moderators, Reuters and Chinese media reported.
People who call themselves “TikTok refugees” say they are moving to find a new home, while others say their coming out is a form of protest against the ban.
Source: Racurs
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.