Is Lemon8 A ‘Safer’ Alternative to TikTok?
TikTok, the video-focused social media platform owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, may be banned in the U.S., and content creators who are monetizing the platform may face uncertainties regarding their income source should the app become unavailable in the U.S.
Why is TikTok Being Banned?
TikTok has always been a controversial app due to data privacy concerns. U.S. officials have also been worried that China could manipulate the content shown to the 170 million Americans using the app. In an interview with Today, Dr. Gabriela Zanfir-Fortuna, Vice President for Global Privacy at the Future of Privacy Forum, explained that the issue is not with the app itself. The court is deciding whether it should rule in favor of a law that would ban the app if ByteDance could not sell it to an American company.
“This is a requirement that TikTok will not be controlled by China or by another adversary, or a country that the U.S. considers as an adversary. So the app itself, it’s not the issue here, and users will be able to continue using it as long as there will be an American company or an American entity that buys the app.”
What Will Happen to the App if the Ban is Implemented?
If the ban is enforced, new users will not be able to download the app, and those who have already downloaded it will still be able to use it but will not be able to download updated versions. Reuters reported that TikTok stated in a court filing that banning the app in the U.S. will affect not only American users but also those outside the country, as hundreds of service providers in the U.S. help make the platform available to users worldwide.
Alternatives to TikTok
Since news broke about the impending ban, users have begun looking for alternatives to TikTok, especially those who use the platform for monetization. Lemon8, an alternative app, has seen a rise in popularity. The app, which is often described as a hybrid of Instagram and Pinterest, hit the U.S. market in February 2023. According to The Independent, it was the number one free app on the Apple App Store at the beginning of this year.
However, if the TikTok ban is enforced, Lemon8 could also be banned since its creator is the same company, ByteDance. While the law regarding the ban did not specifically mention Lemon8, it encompasses the app, as the divest-or-ban requirement applies to all “apps that are owned or operated by ByteDance, TikTok, or any of their subsidiaries.”
Another alternative that TikTok users are considering is RedNote, which has seen an increase in downloads in the U.S. and the UK. However, as NBC reported, RedNote is also a China-based platform and might face the same issues in the future.
