TikTok Pushes Users To Lemon8 As Ban Looms (axios.com) 38
TikTok has been pushing the platform's sister app, Lemon8, encouraging users to migrate via sponsored posts amid a looming ban. Axios reports: In the last few weeks, Lemon8 has been promoting its app to TikTok users through sponsored TikTok videos. In one sponsored post, TikTok user @miller.dailylife shares a video with a creator saying, "TikTok actually has another backup app. It's called Lemon8 ... and it automatically signs you in with your TikTok so you can still keep the same TikTok name and things like that. And it's supposed to transfer your followers over. ... Once you add Lemon8, it automatically pops up on your TikTok bio, so that people can just click on it. So, just so you guys know, now that they're trying to do this ban, if you want to have somewhere else to go where the government is not 100% controlling what we see, what we consume ... Just go ahead and go on to Lemon8."
In November, TikTok began informing users of its sister app, Lemon8, that beginning late that month Lemon8 would be powered by TikTok, and their TikTok usernames would also be used on Lemon8. "Some of your data on TikTok will be used to power services on lemon8," the notice says. "Your Lemon8 profile link will be shown to your TikTok profile publicly by default," it continues. "You can choose not to show it by editing your TikTok profile." Last March, Lemon8 jumped into the U.S. App Store's Top 10 list shortly after it launched in the U.S. It currently ranks as one of the top-ranking free apps on Apple's app store.
The report notes that the TikTok ban law also applies to other apps owned by TikTok's Chinese parent ByteDance, like Lemon8. "ByteDance could be betting that regulators and app store companies are so focused on TikTok that they won't pay attention to its other apps," says Axios.
In November, TikTok began informing users of its sister app, Lemon8, that beginning late that month Lemon8 would be powered by TikTok, and their TikTok usernames would also be used on Lemon8. "Some of your data on TikTok will be used to power services on lemon8," the notice says. "Your Lemon8 profile link will be shown to your TikTok profile publicly by default," it continues. "You can choose not to show it by editing your TikTok profile." Last March, Lemon8 jumped into the U.S. App Store's Top 10 list shortly after it launched in the U.S. It currently ranks as one of the top-ranking free apps on Apple's app store.
The report notes that the TikTok ban law also applies to other apps owned by TikTok's Chinese parent ByteDance, like Lemon8. "ByteDance could be betting that regulators and app store companies are so focused on TikTok that they won't pay attention to its other apps," says Axios.
This will go well (Score:5, Insightful)
"But...but... it is a different subsidiary!"
Never try to rules-lawyer a judge.
If they agree with you, you don't need to make up complicated work-arounds for the orders as the ruling will be in your favor. If they don't agree, they will slap you with contempt charges.
Re:This will go well (Score:4, Interesting)
The ring has already been kissed. It's not going anywhere. https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/16... [cnn.com]
Re: (Score:1)
I assume Lemon8 is Don Lemon dedicated app. It makes sense that China wants to push that, just like it makes sense that China pushes Don Lemon and slivergrunt in order to destabilize the USA. It's all a bunch of lemons to me anyway...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Re: (Score:2)
No, it's based on lemon party. Eww.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
I'd rather see how SCOTUS is getting bought, we know how Trump gets bought. Trump is purely transactional, billionaires are more strategic.
But you're right, the fix is in. Not sure the point anyway, the incoming administration is pro-propaganda, just don't compete with their propaganda and you're gold.
Re: (Score:1, Insightful)
But you're right, the fix is in. Not sure the point anyway, the incoming administration is pro-propaganda, just don't compete with their propaganda and you're gold.
You can't be serious! You just described the Biden and the Trudeau administrations where opposing the propaganda narrative gets you cancelled and de-banked! Yes, de-banking is real! It happened to a few people I personally know.
A majority of people figured out that they would be gold if they just shut up. But they can still vote the tyrants out without risking anything and that's what they did in the USA and that's what they are about to do in Canada and many other countries where elections aren't a farce.
Re: (Score:1)
So, nowhere?
Re: (Score:2)
Never been to Switzerland, then.
Re: This will go well (Score:1)
Planning to say some point.
Re: This will go well (Score:1)
AT some point
All I'm saying is (Score:2, Funny)
Meanwhile the Democratic candidates will report when they speak at a university and there are free bagels...
Re: (Score:1, Offtopic)
Re: This will go well (Score:1, Troll)
I find it endlessly hilarious that Americans will pretend only the other guy is bought. He's rich after all, all rich people are evil...
Not like my rich guy. He has morals! His PR firm told me so!
Re: (Score:1)
Re:This will go well (Score:5, Funny)
Mango Mussolini and His Oligarchs
That's my next band's name.
Re: (Score:2)
Mango Mussolini and His Oligarchs
That's my next band's name.
I'm going with Major Blast so if we ever get famous I can read headlines like "Major Blast Rocks London" and "Major Blast Rips Through New York"
Re:This will go well (Score:4, Insightful)
Maybe they're trying to buy some time procedurally until Trump's DoJ or Kevin O'Leary or SCOTUS can do something for them.
It's weird days when Dems are trying to shut down speech and go against China and the R's are backing China and courting the youth vote.
The 2008 demographic paradigm is totally reversed now.
Re:This will go well (Score:4, Interesting)
The type of speech being controlled matters. If you believe this is an effort to block a foreign agitprop or intelligence-gathering outlet, it's a good thing. If you believe it's an underhanded way of controlling the market for American business... Well, still a good thing if you're an American / America First kind of person?
Either way it makes sense for a government to act this way on behalf of its citizens. The fact that Trump might be a lifeline for a Chinese interest should make you ask some questions about who benefits. I'd be kind of impressed if you could keep a straight face while stating Trump would do it to be fair.
Re: (Score:2)
The Republicans will do anything to win. That's all. If it means working with China now, that's what they will do.
Re: (Score:1)
>"The Republicans will do anything to win."
The other half believes the Democrats will do anything to win. It is quite possible both halves are correct.
Re: (Score:2)
The Democrats won't do what they must to win. They did nothing about SCOTUS, or women's rights. Nothing like the gerrymandering that the R's get up to.
Re: (Score:3)
If the Democrats were willing to do anything to win, they'd have riled up their supporters into storming the capitol to 'stop the steal'.
Re: (Score:2)
Never try to rules-lawyer a judge.
No one is doing this. It wasn't a court order, it was legislation. Legislation by definition is rules-lawyering. If the legislation calls out Tiktok specifically rather than any service bytedance offers, then tough shit, they should write better legislation next time.
Laws literally are ruled on around edge cases. Whether Lemon8 is legal or not is up to a judge to decide, and judges often rule on the matter and text of a law rather than the implicit intent. You may have heard the term "loophole" before.
Re: (Score:2)
Please oh please (Score:5, Funny)
I hope the US Supreme Court eLemon8s this company too.
Re: (Score:3)
Why would the supreme court do this? It didn't do it to TikTok, the legislative branch did. All the Supreme Court did was uphold the law as not a free speech impingement. Now if that law is so very specific for TikTok then Lemon8 will need a whole new law written for it or the Supreme Court has no basis to make a ruling against it.
\o/ (Score:2)
Presumably the ban will be pushed to <StupidName2> too?
Re: (Score:1, Funny)
In retrospect, SchmikMok should pivot to stupid-names-as-a-service.
Re: (Score:1, Funny)
Or turning-your-loved-ones-into-retards-who-lose-focus-contests-to-goldfish-AS-A-SERVICE. Oh wait, that's what they do already; my bad.
Re: (Score:1)
Creating a new company is the new META.
Re: (Score:2)
Will it though? That will require a change in legislation, most critically from a completely different government now in charge.
Re: (Score:2)
Lemon8 is a very different app (Score:3)
In layman's terms...
- TikTok is Instagram Reels
- Lemon8 is more like Instagram itself
Lemon8 is not at all like TikTok - it is not video-centric, it encourages written posts and photo posts. You can't doom-scroll through videos on Lemon8.
Also of note... Lemon8 is only available in 8 countries - US, UK, Japan, and a handful of others. It is unclear why that is.