Xiaohongshu tops App Store charts in US after users migrate amid looming TikTok ban
Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu (XHS) found itself atop the Apple store rankings as US users plan for a potential TikTok ban in the country.
According to NPR, TikTok could be banned in the US as soon as Sunday (19 Jan).
TikTok users migrate to another Chinese app instead of returning to Facebook and Instagram
CNBC reports that Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, is currently the number one free app on the Apple store. Trailing behind are apps such as Lemon8 and ChatGPT.
Source: Dexerto
With TikTok’s fate unclear, many US-based users are beginning to migrate to Xiaohongshu. But many of those users appear to be unwilling to return to Facebook or Instagram.
“We ain’t going back to Instagram or Facebook,” TikToker @allieusyaps said. Instead, he encouraged his followers to join him on RedNote.
“The great migration is here,” he said. He even said he has been warmly welcomed by other users on the app.
“They’re actually calling us TikTok refugees.”
Another user even taught her followers how to set up their profiles on RedNote.
Supreme Court deliberating constitutionality of ban
As of the time of this article, the US Supreme Court has yet to make an official ruling on whether the TikTok ban is constitutional or not.
Source: Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
President-elect Donald Trump, who will take office one day after the potential ban, has even asked the Supreme Court to delay the ruling. The president-elect is seeking an “opportunity to pursue a political resolution” to the ban.
According to NBC News, TikTok argued that the ban will infringe on free speech rights. However, the justices do not appear convinced by these arguments.
The ban was signed into law by President Biden last April. It received bipartisan support amid concerns that the app was a national security risk.
The Supreme Court justices are focused on the government’s concerns over TikTok collecting data and exerting control over content seen by American citizens.
“So are we supposed to ignore the fact that the ultimate parent is, in fact, subject to doing intelligence work for the Chinese government?” Chief Justice John Roberts asked.
Many regular Americans oppose ban
However, many Americans do not find it problematic even if the Chinese government spy or collects their data.
“You can spy on me, I don’t care,” one user said.
For many Americans, TikTok has become an invaluable source of entertainment and income. According to the BBC, many small business owners who rely on the app are concerned about the hit to their personal income should the ban take effect.
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