At least as of this writing, we are still waiting for a decision from the Supreme Court on the future of TikTok, but users of the app are not waiting to find out what happens. In the past few days, alternative TikToks like Clapper, Flip, and TikTok itself Lemon8 have risen to the top of the app store charts. The most popular of them all, Xiaohongshu, has made the biggest impression on more than 700,000 new users. The exodus—prompted by prohibition efforts and carried out everywhere—proves how futile efforts to protect America from “dangers” have been. ” app, which has taken more than five years, has really. In fact, the effort seems to make things worse for those in power. Let’s discuss! This is an edition of the WIRED Politics Lab newsletter. Read the previous newsletter here. Only Desserts! Repeatedly, the US government has said that the main purpose of banning TikTok is to protect American users from Chinese propaganda and to protect their data. the government screwed up. Big time. In just a few short days, Xiaohongshu—meaning “Little Red Book” in English—has damaged US-China relations. This application was founded in 2013 and acts like a Chinese version of Instagram. Not only did Americans use videos and images on an app that actively censored content related to Tiananmen Square and didn’t show anything when searching for “Xi Jinping,” but they agreed that the app was tracking data. All around, the result is the opposite of what the US intelligence community wants. Many Americans also suggested ways to better integrate Xiaohongshu’s largely Chinese user base. One TikTok user posted a video this week asking new American users to “stop saying democracy” on the app. “If you’re Taiwanese,” he said, “and you’re in Xiaohongshu, you’re Chinese now. I’m sorry.” I can’t find any criticism in his comment section. In fact, many users are grateful for the tips. If anything, the attempt to ban TikTok has created more interest among Americans than others. Many TikTok users are learning Mandarin chat with Xiaohongshu China users or download language learning apps like Duolingo. [or Xiaohongshu]”, one TikTok user wrote to me. “Even added a Chinese keyboard option to my phone.” “Downloaded Red Note and got my first Duolingo Chinese lesson this morning 😂,” said another. responding to the growth in interest. There has been a 216 percent increase in users Duolingo is new to learning Chinese, Duolingo spokeswoman Monica Earle told WIRED. When people sign up for a Duolingo account, they’re asked to fill out a survey explaining how to find the app, and the company has seen matches” on users who choose “TikTok” as the reason they joined Duolingo.
