TikTok writes to employees – Creators say goodbye

The decision on whether or not TikTok will remain available on the US market is expected shortly. The fate of the service is up to the Supreme Court. It will decide whether the law banning TikTok will be approved. If so, it would end on January 19 at the latest. On TikTok, people are already saying goodbye to the service – but also to their “Chinese spies”. The gallows humor of affected TikTokers seems to be coming through. It's almost a joke: many of them are switching to another Chinese and much more questionable service.

The RedNotes app is actually called Xiaohongshu, which means “little red book”. This is probably a reference to the Mao Bible – a little red book that was widely used during the Cultural Revolution and also in Germany in 1968. The app is currently number one in the US download charts, although the service has been around for years. The app actually focuses on shopping functions. These are aimed at wealthy Chinese women who can buy products from abroad via the app. RedNotes is operated by Xingin Information Technology and is no less close to the Chinese government than TikTok's parent company Bytedance. Unlike TikTok, there are also no offices or servers outside China.

Meanwhile, many people are already saying goodbye to TikTok, not by shutting down the app prematurely, but with warm words to their “Chinese spies”. The US government accuses TikTok and the Chinese government of spying on and influencing American society via the service. This makes the video service a threat to national security. The farewells are amusing, for example: “Nobody understands me like my spy.”, i.e., “Nobody understands me like my spy.” Or: “Bye bye. I love you, you're my bestie.”, which means best friend.

Potential buyers of TikTok

According to The Verge, TikTok is running through various scenarios of what could happen if the Supreme Court allows the ban to pass. For now, employees are being reassured in a letter that their employment contracts will remain in place and the offices will remain open.

A purchase of the service by Elon Musk – is apparently being considered by the Chinese government itself. The former owner of the LA Dodgers, Frank McCourt, has also put himself forward as a buyer.

Donald Trump, who will become US President again on January 20, 2025, tried to ban TikTok from the US during his first term in office. Now he wants to protect the service, but apparently this can only be done by selling it. The ban will come into effect the day before he takes office, unless the US Supreme Court intervenes.

(emw)