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Looming TikTok ban shakes up US social media; surprise winners emerge

As TikTok faces a US shutdown, rival platforms rally for creators, ‘TikTok refugees’ are exploring new homes, and Duolingo rides a Mandarin learning wave amidst the chaos.

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Nisha Qureshi
New Update
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The United States is preparing for the potential TikTok ban set to take effect January 19, 2025. This follows a legislative mandate requiring TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its US operations due to national security concerns. The divestment has not occurred yet, and TikTok may completely cease operations in the US as early as this Sunday, impacting approximately 170 million American users.

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According to reports, TikTok is currently the leading social media platform in the US. Other competitors such as Snapchat, Pinterest, and Reddit have notably fewer users, at 96 million, 74 million, and 32 million, respectively.

As we have seen in India, this shutdown can potentially impact the creator economy significantly and impose a halo effect on the global digital ecosystem.

The term ‘TikTok refugees’ has gained prominence across social media platforms since the announcement of the ban. Other social media platforms are poised to accept these users.

For example, Snapchat announced the ‘Find Your Favorites on Snapchat’ campaign starring several leading creators such as Loren Gray, Savannah Demers, Matt Friend, Avani Gregg, and Harry Jowsey, all of whom had initially gained prominence on TikTok.

Several influencers and creators are asking their audience on TikTok to follow them on other platforms such as Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and Snapchat.

How and why is Duolingo involved in the short-form video battle? 

Duolingo, a widely recognised language learning platform, has turned out to be the odd man out winner in this battle. Several TikTok users are joining another Chinese social media platform, RedNote, as a sign of protest against the ban.

However, the primary language on RedNote is Mandrian, and as a result, many consumers are learning the language and signing up for Duolingo.

According to reports, Duolingo has seen roughly 216% growth in new Mandarin learning in the US compared to this time last year, with a sharp spike in mid-January, the same time as RedNote’s adoption took off in the country.

The language learning platform, known for its unconventional and unserious marketing, even joked about the situation.

The tweet has since gone viral.The platform has also taken to TikTok itself to joke about the situation. In a TikTok video, the company showed its green mascot heading towards an airport with the text saying, “Me because I’d rather move to China & learn Mandarin on Duolingo.”  

Duolingo’s ability to capitalise on an unexpected opportunity highlights the unpredictability of digital ecosystems.

Meta, another social media giant, has revised its community guidelines and content policies around controversial topics such as immigration and gender identity. These changes include scrapping its fact-checking partnership programme and favouring a community-driven approach to emulate what X did in 2022 after Elon Musk took over the platform.

These developments in the US’s digital ecosystem are significant, as they coincide with Donald Trump's inauguration as the 47th President of the United States, set for January 20, 2025.

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