this post was submitted on 15 Jan 2025
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Americans are joining the Chinese social media app en masse to protest an imminent TikTok ban.

  • American users have flocked to Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu in defiance of security warnings.
  • Chinese and American users have engaged in surprisingly friendly conversations about each other’s lives.
  • The influx of American users could burden Xiaohongshu’s censorship mechanism, experts say.
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[–] ryper@lemmy.ca 149 points 1 week ago (28 children)

Youtube and Instagram tried for years to lure in Tiktok users, and they failed so badly that even with Tiktok potentially getting banned, people would rather switch to a different potentially sketchy Chinese app.

[–] webghost0101@sopuli.xyz 80 points 1 week ago (7 children)

That they specifically went to another sketchy app is what gets me the most.

I could name tons of social network alternatives that are decentralized, give users control but for some reason those are sidelined as everyone suddenly wants an account on app they never heard off a few weeks ago and its main selling feature is that is at least as insecure and censored as tiktok..

[–] AltheaHunter@lemmy.blahaj.zone 62 points 1 week ago (1 children)

They're looking for a "fuck you" to the US government more than they're looking for a new social media. Maybe it will stick as a popular platform, but I suspect it was chosen more for its name and ties to the CCP than any actual features.

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[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 36 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I can see the logic. If I used these apps I'd rather have a different sketchy government spying on my than my own.

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[–] atrielienz@lemmy.world 25 points 1 week ago (6 children)

Supposedly they're doing it on purpose as a protest. Not just one sketchy Chinese app, but any sketchy Chinese app they can find. In the hopes that Meta and Google will miss them, and the federal government will capitulate to stop them using those apps.

Because apparently they haven't read the bill in question and think banning these apps too will somehow be "unsustainable".

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[–] callmepk@lemmy.world 95 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

I saw people in some Chinese source saying XiaoHongShu is updating the algorithm to segregate Chinese users and foreign users (image 1) and hiring English Post Inspectors (image 2) to moderate English contents due to China’s policy

Image 1:

Image 2:

It’s kind of like why there are Weixin and WeChat, Douyin and TikTok, Taobao and AliExpress, Pinduoduo and Temu

[–] southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 101 points 1 week ago (10 children)

When I saw the headline, this was my first thought.

But damn, it could have been something cool if reality wasn't so fucking predictable and ugly.

I mean, imagine a reality where a bunch of humans end up using the same service like that, between two countries at odds, and they realize that they have a lot more in common than they thought possible. It could be a bridge that changes a world.

Well, that world, because it sure as hell isn't the one we're in

[–] callmepk@lemmy.world 73 points 1 week ago (3 children)

I mean, imagine a reality where a bunch of humans end up using the same service like that, between two countries at odds, and they realize that they have a lot more in common than they thought possible. It could be a bridge that changes a world.

The answer is Fediverse. From last time I checked while I am in Mainland China, lemmy.world is not banned (yet lemmy.ml is banned lol)

I am also able to use my own Mastodon instance in Mainland China.

Fediverse is the key and tool to break the Great Firewall.

[–] paraphrand@lemmy.world 48 points 1 week ago

Until they turn their gaze to it. I’m sure it’s trivial to block and monitor due to the federated/networked nature.

[–] southsamurai@sh.itjust.works 34 points 1 week ago

Let's hope it stays that way :)

We don't get to actually interact much with chinese people in China, here in the states. The more all us regular people can get to know each other, the more chance we have of maybe breaking down the artificial barriers that keep us locked into our own worlds

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[–] alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml 30 points 1 week ago (7 children)

I mean, imagine a reality where a bunch of humans end up using the same service like that, between two countries at odds, and they realize that they have a lot more in common than they thought possible. It could be a bridge that changes a world.

There's a lot of users expressing as much:

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[–] essteeyou@lemmy.world 72 points 1 week ago (7 children)

Is it that surprising that your average person in another country is easy to get on with? I've been to a fair few different countries and the everyday people you interact with are lovely (except France).

It's the fucking politicians you've got to look out for, and not just the foreign ones.

[–] hydroxycotton@lemmy.world 37 points 1 week ago (13 children)
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[–] Boomkop3@reddthat.com 64 points 1 week ago (21 children)

I've seen a bunch of companies claiming us users are flocking to them. I guess we shall see where users end up

[–] CameronDev@programming.dev 40 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Yeah, this honestly sounds like a press release with made up "users". Definitely part of a marketing campaign.

[–] alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml 70 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

Everyone I followed on tiktok said they're going to Rednote, and my FYP on rednote is extremely active with tiktok refugees. It's also been the number 1 app on both apple and chrome for 3 days. The users are very real.

[–] Enkers@sh.itjust.works 28 points 1 week ago

That picture is amazing, lol.

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[–] sharkfucker420@lemmy.ml 31 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (29 children)

Nah, I am on xiaohongshu. Its fucking crazy. Most of the mandarin speaking audience woke up to their app filled with english. There is a running joke on the site now about US citizens "colonizing" the app. It is silly and in good fun but I cannot stress enough how real the influx of users is. Some brits are even moving there because so many Americans they follow did. I have seen multiple chinese citizens have their account jump from a few hundred followers to 30k in an hour or two. I mean you can hop on and see for yourself, it is free. It has actually been really wholesome so far and I hope the vibes continue to be good.

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[–] john89@lemmy.ca 54 points 1 week ago (3 children)

This is a fine example of how the american government doesn't care about the interests of americans.

The government only exists to serve the wealthiest among us. Some of those wealthy people are upset that Chinese aristocrats are getting all that money.

This trade war only exists because rich americans want more money for themselves. It has nothing to do with national security and you're a useful idiot if you think otherwise.

[–] surph_ninja@lemmy.world 41 points 1 week ago (39 children)

You don’t lift 800+ million people out of poverty by concentrating all of the profits among a small few. And China has increasingly been prosecuting their wealthy.

Which is what they really don’t want us learning to do.

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[–] SpikedPunchVictim@lemmy.world 50 points 1 week ago (9 children)

This might have an interesting side effect. Western voices and opinions being shared enmasse with Chinese youths on platforms they're comfortable with. It will be interesting to see how the Chinese government responds to this

[–] TrueStoryBob@lemmy.world 29 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I'm on the app and, honestly, I have been seeing the exact opposite. Loads of American users are seeing, for the first time, that folks in the PRC don't have it so bad.

[–] frezik@midwest.social 50 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (5 children)

Consistent problem with fascists who want you to hate outsiders. When those barriers fall, it turns out that most of the "enemy" are just people who want to live their lives.

This goes both directions.

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[–] LouNeko@lemmy.world 48 points 1 week ago (7 children)

😳😳😳 Westerners not voluntarily giving personal information to the Chinese government for 5 seconds [Challenge Impossible (They caught us)] 😵😵‍💫😧

[–] Glytch@lemmy.world 34 points 1 week ago (7 children)

They already bought all our info from Facebook and Google so why not?

Besides, what are they going to do with it that's worse than what an American company will?

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[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemmy.ml 33 points 1 week ago (6 children)

Good for them. People should be free to live their lives.

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[–] Murvel@lemm.ee 27 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Replacing one Chinese Spyware app with another. Lmao, it's just so funny to me.

[–] aarRJaay@lemm.ee 34 points 1 week ago (26 children)

Because an American Spyware app is much better?

[–] Murvel@lemm.ee 26 points 1 week ago (19 children)
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[–] Dupree878@lemmy.world 24 points 1 week ago (5 children)

I’m amazed at all the CCP dick sucking here. It’s like I stumbled into r/Sino

操你中國政府

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[–] Dancermouse@lemmy.world 24 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Remember when it was called musical.ly and everyone thought it was the cringiest thing ever and wished it would die…. Lol

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