Manimatana Lee spent the previous 5 years constructing one of many hottest commodities on the web: a gaggle of people that reliably watch her movies on TikTok.
She constructed an viewers of practically 10,000 followers with movies of herself vacuuming her home in Wisconsin whereas her youngest daughter napped in a service on her again. A video of Ms. Lee dancing and doing the dishes — whereas carrying her sleeping child — has been watched multiple million instances since November.
Now, with the Supreme Court docket quickly to rule in a case that would decide whether or not TikTok might be banned in the USA over nationwide safety issues, Ms. Lee and different People in search of alternate options are downloading Xiaohongshu, a social media app that’s fashionable in China and little recognized outdoors the nation.
“How humorous would it not be in the event that they ban TikTok and all of us simply transfer over to this Chinese language app,” Ms. Lee wrote on Monday on TikTok encouraging her followers to affix her.
Xiaohongshu was probably the most downloaded free app within the U.S. Apple retailer on Tuesday. Over 300 million individuals, principally in China, use the app, the place they share quick movies in addition to nonetheless, text-based posts. Folks flocking to it stated, in interviews and on the app, that they wished to point out they don’t share Washington’s issues about TikTok’s ties to China.
TikTok, which is on the market in additional than 150 international locations however not China, is owned by the Chinese language web firm ByteDance. American creators who submit movies on TikTok say the app has been a supply of connection, leisure and knowledge because it turned a sensation through the Covid-19 pandemic. Its secret sauce is its proprietary algorithm, know-how that recommends a continuing stream of quick movies focused to maintain individuals scrolling.
However lawmakers in the USA and different international locations have warned that the Chinese language authorities may use TikTok to entry information about its customers comparable to location and searching histories. Officers in Washington say they’re additionally involved that China may use TikTok to unfold false data among the many 170 million individuals who use it in the USA.
Xiaohongshu means “little pink e book” in Mandarin. People new to the app stated they weren’t delay by the reference to a e book of Mao Zedong’s sayings. Many name the app “Purple Notice.”
“I don’t actually care if I’m utilizing a Chinese language app in any respect,” stated Ms. Lee. “It’s like a spot for me to flee actuality. And if it’s making me really feel good, I’m right here for it.”
A gaggle of American creators have sued the federal government over the legislation that would see the TikTok app forcibly bought or banned in the USA, and TikTok is paying their authorized charges. Ms. Lee and one other creator stated in interviews that their curiosity in Xiaohongshu had not been incentivized by both firm. TikTok didn’t reply to a request for remark.
The People on Xiaohongshu have rallied beneath the hashtag “TikTokrefugee,” which had been seen 100 million instances and sparked round 2.5 million dialogue threads on the app by Tuesday.
Becoming a member of the app has put American customers in nearer contact with individuals on-line in China than they’ve ever been on TikTok. In China, individuals use Douyin, a really related app that ByteDance used to develop the know-how that made TikTok a worldwide hit. Douyin is troublesome to entry outdoors China.
Many shared recommendations on how one can navigate the app, which is especially made for and utilized by individuals who learn and communicate Mandarin. Some took screenshots and requested ChatGPT to translate posts, they stated.
Xiaohongshu shows the town or province of Chinese language customers who submit and remark, and the nation for customers outdoors China. “We’re coming to the Chinese language spies and begging them to allow us to keep right here,” stated one American consumer. “Accepted, welcome to Purple Notice,” somebody in Shanghai replied.
Till late December, 85 % of Xiaohongshu site visitors was from China, in response to Similarweb, a knowledge supplier and web site site visitors tracker. The app is particularly fashionable amongst ladies of their 20s and 30s, and its lengthy remark threads have develop into a preferred supply of data for individuals to swap questions on on a regular basis issues, just like Reddit.
Xiaohongshu didn’t reply to requests for remark.
On Tuesday, greater than 100,000 individuals had joined a reside group chat hosted by a consumer named “TikTok Refugee Membership,” the place individuals from all over the world chatted with Chinese language customers about city security. In one other group chat, which had been seen greater than 30,000 instances, members mentioned censorship and shared suggestions within the feedback on how one can keep away from being banned from the platform for mentioning politically delicate subjects.
Underneath one other video posted by somebody who stated they have been often on TikTok, a consumer in China responded with a meme of a cat with paws outstretched. “I’m your Chinese language spy,” the remark stated, “give me all of your information.”