TikTok’s Struggle for survival

On Jan.19, TikTok was removed from American app stores and stopped self-updating for American users. 

The demise of the app was due to the Supreme Court case TikTok Inc. v. Garland, where the Supreme Court held their decision that TikTok’s ties to China are a threat to national security.

The owners of the app ByteDance, are a Chinese-based tech company that tried to argue taking away TikTok was an impeachment of Americans’ First Amendment rights to free speech. 

As the app loses its ability to self-update, TikTok will soon become impossible for users to access or use.

What app is the new TikTok?

ByteDance has been promoting the app Lemon8—another app they own that is meant to have a similar feel to TikTok. The app features a mostly identical layout with a For You page, short video content creation and the ability to search any account. At first glance, the app does appear to be an adequate alternative to TikTok. 

ByteDance has made users able to access a Lemon8 account with their already existing TikTok account. The app can be accessed with the same login information, making the switch more easily adaptable. 

Lemon8 originated in Japan in 2020 and launched in the U.S. in 2023. The app was never able to fully flourish, as most people were satisfied with just having TikTok downloaded. However, with TikTok’s ban Lemon8 now seems like an optimal and easy switch. 

But is the switch that simple?

Given that Lemon8 is so similar to TikTok and is owned by the same China-based company, will it be banned as well??  

The simple answer is no, or at least not for now. While the law banning TikTok only explicitly names TikTok, it makes the upkeep of TikTok by U.S. companies illegal unless all ties to its Chinese ownership are severed

Considering Lemon8 is also run by ByteDance, which refused to sell TikTok in order to sever its Chinese ties, it seems unlikely that they would change their minds for Lemon8. 

Some more permanent switches

Aside from the obvious instagram, facebook and snapchat reels, there are a plethora of apps that follow a near identical format as TikTok that are beginning to arise through the ban. 

Triller, YouTube shorts and Clapper all follow the same idea with their content creation through short videos. There are similar ways of editing videos, connecting with other creators, and simply being able to scroll. 

So, although TikTok’s ban may seem like the end of the world right now, it really will all be ok. 

What is going to be your TikTok switch? Let us know on Instagram @VALLEYmag

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