U.S. TikTokers flock to Xiaohongshu, baffling and bonding with Chinese users
restofworld.org
Americans are joining the Chinese social media app en masse to protest an imminent TikTok ban.

Americans are joining the Chinese social media app en masse to protest an imminent TikTok ban.

  • American users have flocked to Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu in defiance of security warnings.
  • Chinese and American users have engaged in surprisingly friendly conversations about each other’s lives.
  • The influx of American users could burden Xiaohongshu’s censorship mechanism, experts say.
  • CameronDev@programming.devEnglish
    0·
    5 days ago

    With all due respect, this comment is exactly what a faked “Grass roots marketing campaign” would write. But your account has an extensive post history, so thats a lot more effort than a typical astro turf account.

    Also, inflating subscriber numbers and view counts wouldn’t be out of the question either, remember Facebook video…

    • ComradeSharkfucker@lemmy.mlEnglish
      0·
      5 days ago

      I just talk like that. Is it so hard to believe that there are plenty of Americans who would flock to a genuinely chinese owned social media out of spite or just bc it is funny? I haven’t even seen an ad on the site so I don’t think they are making enough money to astroturf nor can I find a reason why they’d want to.

      • CameronDev@programming.devEnglish
        0·
        5 days ago

        I dont mean that your tone is bot like or anything, just that they would want authentic voices.

        I do find it hard to beleive, because look at the reddit and twitter transitions. They either took years (bluesky is only barely starting to gain notability, and I’m not convinced that isn’t also doing astroturfing) or never happened (Lemmy userbase is a rounding error). Getting people to switch social media is very difficult. And tiktok isnt even banned yet.

        Also, just because there are no ads, doesn’t mean that no one is propping up the business. Someone is paying to keep the servers running and lights on, and an astro turfing campaign isnt that expensive. Social media companies either grow or die.

        So if your liking this new site, power to you, but I suggest you enjoy it while it lasts, because its going to have to become profitable somehow, and that is never good for the users.

        • alcoholicorn@lemmy.mlEnglish
          01·
          5 days ago

          Also, just because there are no ads, doesn’t mean that no one is propping up the business.

          There is a shopping tab, and ads are allowed as long as it’s declared I think. Undeclared sponsored content gets bans.

          • bishbosh@lemm.eeEnglish
            0·
            5 days ago

            My phone failed whenever I tried to buy something (just testing to see what it would do), and I haven’t seen anything that stood out as an obvious ad.