TikTok users have turned to Chinese social media app RedNote as the TikTok shutdown nears in the United States. The stand-in app has already reached the top spot on the U.S. Apple App Store with over 500,000 new users this week, per Newsweek.
The TikTok shutdown will affect its 170 million American users, some of whom are content creators who depend on the popular video-sharing platform for income and publicity.
But American newcomers on RedNote, known as Xiaohongshu in China, have taken the transition in stride, even jokingly referring to themselves as “TikTok refugees.”
Chinese users on the app humorously welcomed the so-called refugees, who in return enjoyed the banter.
The friendly cross-border interactions may be at risk, however, as some American RedNote users say their accounts were suspended or banned, according to TechCrunch.
There have been a variety of reasons for the suspensions and bans.
Some users suspect having the TikTok watermark on their videos is an issue, while others struggled with verifying their accounts due to having a U.S.-based phone number.
Reasons for other suspensions have been vague.
Forbes reported users should be aware that like TikTok, RedNote collects large amounts of data, including IP addresses and browsing histories. American users have also been struggling to understand the Mandarin-written terms and conditions.
Despite the risks, Americans are increasingly signing up for RedNote, described as a Chinese Yelp with a short-form video feed. The latter of which is why the app is comparable to TikTok.
Though TikTok’s end is near, there could be hope for the beloved app: the U.S. Supreme Court will issue opinions today on whether to strike down the ban upheld by a federal appeals court.
TikTok owner ByteDance argued the ban violates free speech under the First Amendment, as AsAmNews previously reported. But the Biden administration defended the ban citing national security concerns, fearing the company could be forced to reveal confidential user data to the Chinese government.
To continue operations in the United States, the administration demanded that TikTok rid itself of Chinese ownership.
For now, the social media platform will shut down in the United States this Sunday, Jan. 19. The Supreme Court justices could still issue additional opinions a day before then.
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