TikTok is a famous social media app that millions of people use to create videos or watch short videos. Throughout the years, it has brought people from all over the world together more easily and even helped promote small businesses.
However, on April 24, 2024 the U.S. The Supreme Court signed into law the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act which requires ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company to divest from the app by January 19th or face a nationwide ban. The reason for this decision was that since ByteDance was based in Beijing, they were afraid that they would steal information from American users.
When TikTok got banned, millions of Americans went on another app named ‘Xiaohongshu’ or ‘Red Note’. This app is a Chinese app which millions of people from China used to create videos for fashion, makeup tips, food, etc. It had made some people feel welcomed to the app but some were refusing to accept TikTok refugees.
Before the ban happened, there were many people, especially Chinese Americans talking about how they believed that TikTok refugees should move to another app and not go on Xiaohongshu. Some didn’t want them to come onto the app before, now that TikTok is back, millions of people went back but some had stayed on the app.
“TikTok was something I think we all were sad about when it got banned. Honestly, Instagram would have been a good replacement for it but I understand that the algorithm was bad so they didn’t want to,” Angela Laspina, a junior at John Dewey said, “I’m not Chinese nor did I downloaded Red Note but I did hear on TikTok before that some people didn’t like Americans going on that app because they felt like their videos became more Americanized or it just didn’t feel like a safe place to them anymore.” TikTok banning was a troublesome event that happened to Chinese Americans because according to Laspina, it was a safe place for them to connect with others that they can relate to.
“At first, I didn’t really mind them using Xiaohongshu but after seeing them on the app, it was kind of upsetting to see them call it the new TikTok or even being disrespectful to Chinese people in the comments even though it was mostly Chinese [people] that used the app,” Sally Liu, a senior at John Dewey said, “As someone that is Chinese, I do kind of agree with other Chinese Americans that didn’t want other Americans to go on Red Note because it was a place where majority users are Chinese and as someone who has been bully for being Chinese when I was younger, I understand that they don’t want them to use the app because they could be afraid of some people that only want to use the app to start being racist or disrespectful to the culture.” According to Liu, Chinese Americans wanted a place that they can feel comfortable in and to be connected to people that they can relate to and have support from without being judged for being Chinese.
Now that TikTok is back again, there could still be a chance of it being banned again since Trump’s executive order only delays the ban for 75 days. Look for coverage in early April regarding what the current political administration will decide regarding TikTok’s future.
