A new Chinese social media dominates the US App Store. Is the Senate a joke to you?

As you know, the Supreme Court seems poised to uphold a US ban on TikTok, set to begin January 19, due to its ties to Chinese owner ByteDance.

Right now, less than five days until this ban (originally forwarded by the Senate and signed by Biden in April 2024) takes place, something hilarious is taking place.

The US App Store's chart for most downloaded app is currently dominated by another Chinese social media platform: the Xiaohongshu app. The second spot is occupied by the social media Lemon8 app, which is also connected to ByteDance.

Xiaohongshu (a.k.a. RedNote in English) is a free app and on its App Store page, its creators describe it as a lifestyle platform that serves as a hub for sharing life experiences, uncovering interests, and connecting with others.

Users can check out hobbies such as outdoor activities, fashion, cooking, and fitness, while livestreams provide ideas about fashion, beauty, home decor, and more.

Currently, many TikTok creators are promoting Xiaohongshu as an alternative, urging followers to join the platform amid uncertainty about TikTok’s future. Xiaohongshu, often described as a mix of Pinterest and Instagram with social shopping features, has grown rapidly since its 2013 launch, especially during the pandemic, and now boasts 300 million monthly active users, many of whom are women.

The app’s viral growth has attracted significant investor backing, including Tencent, Alibaba, and DST, raising $917 million to date and achieving a valuation of $17 billion after a 2024 secondary share sale.

But will the app survive, or will it get the same warm treatment as TikTok in the US? If that one fails, which will be the third app? Is it possible for people to mass return to Facebook and use it as they did 10 or 15 years ago? So many questions! Probably just as many as the number of social media platforms out there…