TikTok plans to close in the US on January 19, users flock to other social networks

TikTok is set to shut down for US users this Sunday (January 19), when a ban on the app takes effect unless the US Supreme Court blocks it. TikTok users have recently begun switching to other social media platforms instead.

If TikTok were to shut down for all US users, the outcome would be different than the law, which would simply ban new TikTok downloads from Apple or Google’s app stores, while existing users would be able to continue using it for a while.

TikTok users turn to social networks RedNote or Lemon8 as alternatives.

TikTok plans to have users access the app with a message directing them to a website with information about the ban. TikTok also plans to give users the option to download all their personal data so they can move to another app.

US President Joe Biden signed a law last April requiring Bytedance to sell its US assets by January 19, 2025, or face a nationwide ban.

The company has sought to at least delay implementation of the law, which it says violates the U.S. Constitution's prohibitions against restricting free speech.

TikTok said in a December court filing that it estimated about a third of the app's 170 million US users would stop accessing it if the ban lasted a month.

Days before the TikTok ban in the US took effect, US users flocked to social network RedNote, known in China as Xiaohongshu, as an alternative.

RedNote soared to the top of the most downloaded apps in the United States this week, according to Reuters. More than 700,000 new users joined Xiaohongshu in just two days. RedNote downloads in the United States increased more than 200% year-over-year this week and 194% compared to the previous week, according to app data research firm Sensor Tower.

Meanwhile, the second most popular free app on Apple's App Store listing, Lemon8 - another social networking app owned by ByteDance, experienced a similar spike last month, with downloads jumping 190% in December 2024 to around 3.4 million.

Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/tiktok-len-ke-hoach-19-1-dong-cua-tai-my-nguoi-dung-do-xo-sang-mang-xa-hoi-khac-192250115140419799.htm