TikTok’s last dance: the ‘spy’ you can’t quit

As TikTok nears its US ban, users are saying goodbye to their “Chinese spy” with a viral farewell. But with new apps on the rise, the party’s far from over.

TikTok users have taken to an emotional goodbye on the platform, leaving an array of videos parodying a Squid Game scene, in a glorious parting gift.

As the fate of TikTok still hangs in the balance, with a ban on Sunday, January 19th looking quite likely, a precious slice of irony has emerged in the culminating days before the ban.

A whimsical sense of farewell has gained pace with users thanking their spy for surveilling them. Some TikTokkers posted parody scenes from Squid Game, another created a comical melodrama over instrumental music, and one even sang a tribute song in Chinese.

This frenzy of videos has seen the platform explode into life with very creative tributes.

@yanxiao1003 No gathering lasts forever #tiktokban #chinesespy ♬ See You Again - Saymon Cleiton & jhonatan Rodrigues

The looming deadline of January 19th seems to have caused havoc, in both speculative and sentimental ways.

If the Supreme Court does decide to uphold the ban, then TikTok wouldn’t be removed from devices immediately. Instead, updates would no longer run, meaning that it will be an eventual phase-out, rather than a sudden wipeout.

These public concerns about being spied on shouldn’t be taken lightly, however. By owning a vast trove of users' data, an algorithmic influence could shape narratives and project a kind of soft power, especially regarding the treatment of Hong Kong and the future of Taiwan, not to mention the treatment of Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

Conspiracy theories aside though, this time it’s TikTok users driving the narrative.

The great TikTok migration: what’s next for US users?

If TikTok is truly banished from the States, it remains unclear where users will migrate to.

Currently, the top two apps on the Apple iPhone download charts are both Chinese. Xiaohongshu and Lemon8 – the latter is also owned by Bytedance – are two of the possible contenders to plug the gap should TikTok fall to the legislature.

Xiaohongshu – or Rednote in the US – is the Chinese cousin of Instagram (in style) has witnessed an influx of users who have dubbed themselves “TikTok refugees.”

The platform is successful in China, with an epic 450 million users, but it is mainly a travel and pet trending platform, hence its ascendancy in the States took many by surprise.

The app, which has a built-in commerce aspect, like ordering products from Alibaba and other outlets for example, could potentially be the natural successor to TikTok.

The incredible thing that could spill over politically is the name of the app, which translates as “little red book.” The company denies this bears any resemblance to Mao Zedong’s 1964 book of communist propaganda – of course they do.

As we previously reported, Lemon8 is a confused amalgam of Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest, but lacks TikTok's ability to gain a surge in followers.

Also, it lacks TikTok’s “go live” feature, therefore seems a bit muddled and dicey whether users would want to flock and stay there beyond winter.

Still, Bytedance would probably be able to refine its features if the mass relocation gained solidarity.

As Business Insider observed, it’s perplexing that such a large departure can happen en masse, while US legislation could quite quickly swallow up Lemon8 and Redbook if it saw fit, as they surely have Chinese values at heart too.

Perhaps it’s so millennial to nitpick at every nuance, and that Gen Z is perfectly comfortable in an ironic “screw you” to the government. Business Insider called it “trolltivism,” as they’re most likely being very ironic in leaving love letters to Chinese spies.

Could Trump still do a double-flip backspin, and find a way to maneuver the case onto a different trajectory? Can Bytedance still sell up? Both are looking less likely but stranger things have happened.

Bloomberg even ran a piece speculating that Elon Musk had been approached by Bytedance to acquire the company, but he’s probably got his hands full right now, dancing his merry dance.

What is certain, is that this snowballing chaos and upheaval may create the perfect storm for a new equilibrium. Whether on TikTok, Rednote, or someplace else, the thirst for viral social media usage remains. Americans far and wide will be able to make videos great again.