Restrictions on TikTok in the United States

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Screenshot of an error message displayed on TikTok's mobile app taken on an iPhone. The title reads "Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now." The body text reads, "A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, this means that you can't use TikTok for now. We are fortunate that President Trump has indicated that he will work with us on a solution to reinstate TikTok once he takes office. Please stay tuned!" 2 options are available, the left reading "Learn more", and the right reading "Close app."
Message displayed to US users on the TikTok app during the shutdown on January 18, 2025

Since January 19, 2025, the short-form video app TikTok has been banned nationwide in the United States. The U.S. government imposed this ban due to concerns about potential data collection and influence activities by the Chinese government. The ban came into effect after ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, refused to sell the app by the deadline set by the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act. Before the nationwide ban, various states, cities, universities, and government devices had already restricted the use of TikTok.

In 2020, President Donald Trump proposed banning TikTok, considering it a national security threat. In August of that year, he issued an executive order requiring ByteDance to sell the app. However, a court injunction blocked the order in September, and the Biden administration reversed it in 2021.

In 2024, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act was introduced in Congress. This bill, citing security concerns and pro-Palestinian bias, ordered ByteDance to divest from TikTok. The bill was approved by Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden. Despite a lawsuit from TikTok, the Supreme Court of the United States of America upheld the law.

2025 Ban[edit]

Messages displayed to US users who search for TikTok on the TikTok website (top), Google Play Store (middle), and Apple App Store (bottom) while the ban is in effect


In January 2025, as the threat of a TikTok ban loomed, many users started looking for alternative apps. On January 13, a significant number of U.S. TikTok users began downloading and switching to Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote,[1][2][3] a Chinese app similar to Instagram and TikTok. They used RedNote as a form of protest against the ban.[4]


The hashtag "#tiktokrefugee" and the term "TikTok refugee" quickly went viral on RedNote,[5][6] gaining traction among both American and Chinese users. By January 16, RedNote had become the most-downloaded free app on Apple's App Store and had attracted millions of U.S. users.[7][8] RedNote moderators worked extra hours to translate content into English and help the influx of new users.[9][10]


References[edit]

  1. ↑ "US TikTok users flock to Chinese app Xiaohongshu in protest with TikTok ban looming". opb. Archived from the original on January 15, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  2. ↑ Shepherd, Christian; Chiang, Vic; Northrop, Katrina (January 14, 2025). "'TikTok refugees' flock to another (heavily censored) Chinese app". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 15, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  3. ↑ WANG, Tommy; LOW, Zoe. "'Take My Data': US 'TikTok Refugees' Flock To Alternative Chinese App". www.barrons.com. Archived from the original on January 15, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  4. ↑ "Days Away From U.S. TikTok Ban, 'Refugees' Flood to Rival Chinese App". Caixin Global. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  5. ↑ Tayir, Hassan; Cheung, Eric (January 14, 2025). "The great social media migration: Sudden influx of US users to RedNote connects Chinese and Americans like never before". CNN Business. CNN. Archived from the original on January 15, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  6. ↑ Jing, Shuang (January 14, 2025). "Xiaohongshu: the new home for "TikTok refugees"". TechNode. Archived from the original on January 14, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  7. ↑ Paul, Katie. "Chinese app RedNote gained millions of US users this week as 'TikTok refugees' joined ahead of ban". Reuters.
  8. ↑ "Over half a million 'TikTok refugees' flock to China's RedNote". The Indian Express. January 15, 2025. Archived from the original on January 15, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  9. ↑ "小红书走向国际化，小红书连夜招聘英文内容审核员" [Xiaohongshu goes international, recruiting English content reviewers overnight]. finance.sina.cn (in 中文（中国大陆）). January 15, 2025. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  10. ↑ Goh, Brenda (January 15, 2025). "China gives a wary welcome to influx of 'TikTok refugees' on RedNote". Reuters. Retrieved January 15, 2025.

Notes[edit]

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