[Benjamin]

A looming TikTok ban has connected Chinese and American citizens like never before, as they swap jokes and memes in what one user described as a "historic moment".

It's all unfolding on a popular Chinese social media app called RedNote, or Xiaohongshu (literally translates as Little Red Book), which doesn't have the usual internet firewall that separates China from the rest of the world.

It has been drawing self-professed US "TikTok refugees" seeking a new home on the internet - despite the fact that their own government is seeking a TikTok ban because of national security concerns.

Americans now find themselves in direct contact with 300 million Mandarin speakers in China and elsewhere – while in the real world, Beijing is bracing for a tumultuous Trump presidency that could strain its fragile ties with Washington.

'We're here to spite our government'

At the heart of the US ban is the fear that China is using TikTok to spy on Americans.

The app has faced accusations that user data is ending up in the hands of the Chinese government - because of a Beijing law that requires local companies to "support, assist and cooperate with the state intelligence work". TikTok denies this has ever happened, or that it would happen.

But the possibility doesn't seem to worry some US users - 700,000 new users have signed on to RedNote in the last two days, making it the most downloaded free app in the US App store.

"The reason that our government is telling us that they are banning TikTok is because they're insisting that it's owned by you guys, the Chinese people, government, whatever," said one new RedNote user, Definitelynotchippy.

She goes on to explain why she is on RedNote: "A lot of us are smarter than that though so we decided to piss off our government and download an actual Chinese app. We call that trolling, so in short we're here to spite our government and to learn about China and hang out with you guys."

TikTok, although owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is headquartered in Singapore and says it is run independently. In fact, China's version of TikTok is another app called Douyin. RedNote, on the other hand, is a Chinese company based in Shanghai and among the few social media apps available both in China and outside.

So Washington's fears over TikTok would extend to RedNote as well.

That's why American users on RedNote are referring to themselves as "Chinese spies" - continuing a TikTok trend where people have been bidding farewell to their "personal Chinese spy" who has allegedly been surveilling them over the years.

RedNote is now full of posts where ex-TikTok users are in search of a replacement. One post says: "I'm looking for my Chinese spy. I miss you. Please help me find him."

And Chinese users have answered: "I'm here!"


TikTok users are mocking the US government for its fears over the Chinese-owned app


The honest, funny conversations on RedNote may not be what Chinese President Xi Jinping had in mind when he spoke about "strengthening people-to-people cultural exchanges" between China and the US.

But that is certainly what is happening as excited Chinese users welcome curious Americans to the app.
"You don't even need to travel abroad, you can just talk to foreigners here," said one Chinese RedNote user in a video that has received more than 6,000 likes.

"But it's honestly insane, no-one would have expected that we could meet like this one day, openly communicate like this."

Food, streaming shows and jobs have been the most popular topics: "Is life in America similar to how it looks on [the US TV show] Friends?"

Other Chinese users demanded a "tax" for using the platform - cat photos.

"Cat tax from California," reads one post in response. "Here's my offering - the shorthair is a boy named Bob and the calico is a girl named Marley."

Still others are using the platform to ask Americans for help with their English homework.

One post reads: "Dear TikTok refugees, could you please tell me the answer to question 53? Is the answer T (true) or F (false)?"

Help came quickly: some 500 people have since answered.

The flood of new American users appears to have caught RedNote off guard - reports say the company is hiring English moderators.

And others are trying to cash in on RedNote's new-found US stardom as well: language-learning app Duolingo put out a graph showing a 216% jump in its user base, compared to this time last year.

RedNote's rising popularity is not guaranteed to last though.

There is no reason to assume it won't face blowback for the same reasons as TikTok: concerns that it could be used by China to spy on Americans.

It's unclear how long Beijing would be open to such unfettered exchanges - control of the internet is key to its repressive regime.

The irony of the situation was flagged by one Chinese user, who posted: "Don't we have a (fire)wall? How come so many foreigners can enter, when clearly I can't leave?"

Typically, Chinese internet users have been unable to directly interact with foreigners. Global platforms like Twitter and Instagram and search engines like Google are blocked in China, though people use VPNs to circumvent these restrictions. Sensitive topics - from history to dissent - or anything seen as critical of China's government and ruling Communist party is swiftly censored.

It's unclear how much RedNote is censored - it's largely used by younger and middle-aged women in China, where they share images and videos. It's not like Weibo, another Chinese app, where discussions and airing of grievances is far more common, leading to posts often being taken down.

But a handful of new RedNote users say they have already received reports that their posts have violated guidelines, including one who asked in a post if the app was "LGBT friendly".

Another said they had asked "What [sic] Chinese think about gay people?" and received a similar notification, that they had violated "public moral order" guidelines.
And Chinese users keep reminding Americans on the app "not to mention sensitive topics, such as politics, religion and drugs".

One Chinese user also advised them to stick to the "One China policy", the diplomatic pillar of the US-China relationship - according to which the US recognises and has formal ties with China rather than Taiwan, the self-governed island Beijing claims as its own.

The US government has not commented on RedNote so far, and neither has Beijing.

But Chinese state media seems upbeat about it, with Global Times even interviewing a US user who said she would "love to interact with Chinese users".

RedNote's American fate is anyone's guess - but for now, at least online, the US-China rivalry is taking a break. Thanks to cat pictures.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c983lr756xwo

[Gusto Brunt]

I don't use WhatsApp, because although it says it's very secure, you have to abide by their demand for them to access your photos and other things on your phone, which I refuse to do.

[bots]

if people want access to your data, they will get it. All we can do is avoid risk as much as we can. The tiktok issue will be resolved soon enough when Trump gets his payoff

[Jessica.]

I've been using Red Note for a few days, it was originally an app for women/mothers to share beauty and parenting tips so people call each other sister on there, I think that's really cute. I like some of the recipe and baby product videos. The algorithm is very different from tiktok and the rules are strict.

[arista]

Yes
the way to save it,
Sell USA TikTok to a USA buyer

[arista]

The China Company ByteDance
is now considering selling the USA Tik Tok,
to a USA buyer.

[Crimson Dynamo]

@Elon

[arista]

Originally Posted by Crimson Dynamo

@Elon

No it is someone else


James O' Leary wants to buy it.

But China says Not For Sale

[arista]

The Online Only front page

[Nicky91]

Originally Posted by Jessica.

I've been using Red Note for a few days, it was originally an app for women/mothers to share beauty and parenting tips so people call each other sister on there, I think that's really cute. I like some of the recipe and baby product videos. The algorithm is very different from tiktok and the rules are strict.

good

tiktok can be a place for nasty haters, who can post their vile hate comments while other social media platforms like instagram gotten a whole lot stricter


i know this from watching the reality show on Disney+ The D'Amelio Show



good there is an alternative to TikTok now, so people can still post their dance videos, funny videos

[arista]

A New Message for the USA TikTok viewers




Unless a USA buyer
can Buy the USA TikTok feed

[Benjamin]

TikTok has gone offline in the US, hours before a new law banning the platform was due to come into effect.

A message appearing on the app for US users said a law banning TikTok had been enacted, meaning "you can't use TikTok for now".

The video-sharing app was banned over concerns about its links to the Chinese government and had been given a deadline of 19 January to be sold to an approved US buyer.

President Joe Biden had said he would leave the issue to his successor, Donald Trump. Trump has said he will "most likely" give TikTok a 90-day reprieve from a ban once he takes office on Monday.

"The 90-day extension is something that will be most likely done, because it's appropriate," Trump told NBC News on Saturday.

"If I decide to do that, I'll probably announce it on Monday."

Users reported the app had also been removed from both Apple and Google's US app stores and TikTok.com was not showing videos.

"We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office," the message displayed after the ban went into force read.

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the law, passed in April last year, banning the app in the US unless its China-based parent company, ByteDance, sold the platform by Sunday, which it has not done.

TikTok has argued that the law violates free speech protections for its 170 million users in the country.

After the ruling, TikTok's chief executive, Shou Zi Chew, appealed to Trump, thanking him for his "commitment to work with us to find a solution."

Mr Chew is expected to attend Trump's inauguration on Monday.

In the hours leading up to the social media platform going offline, content creators had been posting videos to say goodbye to their followers.

Creator Nicole Bloomgarden told the BBC that not being on TikTok would result in a significant salary cut.

Another user, Erika Thompson, said educational content on the platform would be the "biggest loss" for the community.

TikTok users were met with a message earlier on Saturday that said the law would "force us to make our services temporarily unavailable. We're working to restore our service in the U.S. as soon as possible."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz6p1g54q85o

[arista]

Now President-Elect Trump
has said he may give it a 90 Day reprieve


Of course, China is still saying No to sell
the USA Feed of TikTok

[Gusto Brunt]

I've tried TikTok. Could never get into it no matter how I tried.

I think it's the way it's laid out, just doesn't look attractive or interesting to me.

Loads of short videos. Looks really boring.

No skin off my nose it's been blocked.

[arista]

Originally Posted by Gusto Brunt

I've tried TikTok. Could never get into it no matter how I tried.

I think it's the way it's laid out, just doesn't look attractive or interesting to me.

Loads of short videos. Looks really boring.

No skin off my nose it's been blocked.

You ain't Young enough

[Gusto Brunt]

Originally Posted by arista

You ain't Young enough

You're right.

[arista]

Trump is also looking at a possible Firewall
on the USA side of TikTok


Ref: CNN HD USA on UK TV

[Glenn.]

It’s already back

[Glenn.]

So transparent

It was never going

[Ray.]

Originally Posted by Nicky91

good

tiktok can be a place for nasty haters, who can post their vile hate comments while other social media platforms like instagram gotten a whole lot stricter

good there is an alternative to TikTok now, so people can still post their dance videos, funny videos

From what I've heard, I'm pretty sure you can freely say the n-word on Red Note and you'll naturally get a ban if you say anything whatsoever about the victims of Tiananmen Square. So perhaps not less hateful as such, but redirecting the hate towards other preferred targets.

[Maru]

The way some people are reacting to the loss makes me think it's for the best... but it'll be back. Money will be exchanged.

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Maru

The way some people are reacting to the loss makes me think it's for the best... but it'll be back. Money will be exchanged.

It will go to Meta/Zuck and was always going to go to Meta/Zuck, the rest is just LARPing. The only thing that was a depressing/surprising (though I don't know why it was surprising) realisation in recent days, is that the outgoing govt. are 100% complicit in the whole charade, which makes me thing that the entire system in the US is smoke and mirrors and probably has been for a long time.

[Glenn.]

It’s back online now

[user104658]

Originally Posted by Glenn.

It’s back online now

Yes it's been given a "stay of execution" and "ban not being enforced" is the story but it was all for show, it never had to go offline, it's just for the psychology of it. The TikTok CEO himself has been posting MAGA bukkake for a couple of days.

It'll go to one of the US tech giants in 2025 (almost certainly Meta).

[Glenn.]

Originally Posted by Quantum Boy

Yes it's been given a "stay of execution" and "ban not being enforced" is the story but it was all for show, it never had to go offline, it's just for the psychology of it. The TikTok CEO himself has been posting MAGA bukkake for a couple of days.

It'll go to one of the US tech giants in 2025 (almost certainly Meta).

I thought that’s why the ban was put in place because Zuckerberg wanted to buy it and was told no?