In Focus

I enjoy TikTok. I hardly post, but I enjoy the content, especially when I scroll and watch funny videos to shut off my active mind. 

As the TikTok ban looms, many, especially popular creators who depend on the income from the app, are rightfully losing their collective minds. Many are done with Meta (Facebook, Instagram) and refuse to use it, leaving them to seek out an alternative platform to continue their content.

Here is where it gets interesting. Congress is banning TikTok. Why? The Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act (PAFACA), passed with bipartisan support last year and signed by President Joe Biden, cites national security concerns over the company’s ties to the Chinese government. It mandates that ByteDance sell TikTok’s U.S. operations by January 19 or face a ban. TikTok has said it plans to shut down the platform in the U.S. by the deadline if the government prevails.

So, what happens when the government infuriates 170 million American TikTok users? They protest. How are they doing this? Trolling the government by moving to a Chinese-based app called Xiaohongshu, which means “little red book,” American users call Red Note. Congress is worried about security concerns with the Chinese government, yet thousands are already jumping ship to a Chinese app! This is hilarious.

Curiosity got the best of me. I downloaded the app. I find it funny because many years ago, the U.S. government was hacked by the Chinese. As a U.S. employee, my dad received a letter from the government explaining the breach. My data may have been affected, but they were going to monitor and resolve any issues for the next five years. Thankfully, I didn’t have any problems. I’m sure I just set off some red flags. Sorry, dad. 

The Red Note users quickly understood why Americans were flooding their beloved platform. And they welcomed them! Some speak fluent English, while others tried their hardest to send a welcome message in English to the “TikTok Refugees.”

So far, the only major request I’ve seen is to “pay the tax,” which is cat pictures. They want to see American pets, and they love it! Also, they are excited to share their culture, and Americans are excited to learn and share our culture. I saw many welcome messages, users sharing common Mandarin phrases and offering lessons, and users excited to learn English. I came across several people who had never talked to an American before and were excited to make friends. Sure, some naysayers hope Americans won’t destroy their platform. I’m not holding my breath on that one. 

The jokes alone are hilarious. Such as American users saying, “I’m here to reunite with my Chinese Spy,” or Chinese users laughing about Americans leaving “A free country” for the Chinese app. Others are curious how so many Americans can get on the app when the Chinese can’t get on American apps.

The Chinese people were quick to avoid discussing sensitive topics on their apps, such as religion, politics, and drugs. The Chinese are also not used to the public display of affection, especially when it comes to same-sex couples, so I am sure that will cause some issues for the LGBTQ+ community. The Chinese are more reserved compared to most Americans.

Users share Red Note, a lifestyle app. They describe it as a mix of Google, Pinterest and Instagram. 

I learned that Red Note is a privately held company bound by Chinese law, including laws requiring it to turn over data to the Chinese government if requested. This is the same situation as ByteDance, which owns TikTok. This raises more questions. If the government is so concerned with the Chinese government obtaining our data, why have they not blocked these Chinese platforms? Because it is super easy to download another one and jump on it.

I don’t doubt that China is collecting our data; it is no different than our government. 

Thanks to our wonderful government, millions of American users will willingly join the billion Chinese users, and the Chinese government will undoubtedly have the most extensive collection of cat pictures on the planet!

And then...TikTok was saved. More next week.