Why TikTok Users are Downloading Red Note and Lemon8

Two apps owned by Chinese companies, Xiaohungshu (which translates to "little red book" and has been called Red Note) and Lemon8, which is owned by TikTok parent company ByteDance, are topping the free app download charts in the US for iPhone and Android users. Red Note is owned by Xingyin Information Technology, a private company based in Shanghai.

As Jen Hamilton, one popular TikTok user, explained in a video, the act of downloading the Chinese apps is a form of protest against the moves to shut down TikTok in the US. "You don't want the Chinese to have our very sensitive personal data? We will drop it off directly," Hamilton said. "I do not care."

See also: Here's What You Need to Know if TikTok Does Get Banned in the US

Red Note has been likened to a cross between Pinterest and ...