'TikTok refugees' flee to Chinese app RedNote in new phase o...

But there are many questions on whether any other alternative platform will be a viable, long-term refuge for US TikTok users. Social media giant TikTok is preparing to shut down its app in the US on Jan 19 - the day that legislation signed by President Joe Biden in 2024 banning the app takes effect. There is a slim chance this dramatic development might not happen if the US Supreme Court accepts a last-minute legal argument from TikTok's Chinese owner, ByteDance, that the ban is unconstitutional - or if ByteDance divests its US operations. But the 170 million users of TikTok in the US are not taking any chances. Many self-described "TikTok refugees" have begun to flee to alternative social media sites, mocking the alleged security concerns on TikTok in the process. "Goodbye to my Chinese spy" has become a new TikTok trend. The most popular alternative that has emerged is Chinese soc...