For months and months, TikTok's ban in the United States had been looming, with the platform accused of being “the Chinese spy.” On January 19, the long-anticipated day arrived. At 8:30 PM, American users were no longer able to access TikTok. A pop-up window informed them that using the app was no longer possible and that they would have to wait for new negotiations with President Trump.
If you are interested in how to optimize platforms like TikTok or RedNote and to improve your management of social media accounts, or e-commerce operations, please feel free to contact us!
As the ban approached, Americans began to realize the gravity of the situation. This sparked a storm of trends that emerged in the short lead-up to the ban:
1/ The TikTok Refugee Phenomenon
One week before the ban, creators started discussing “migrating” to the app RedNote, which is also Chinese, as a way to continue posting and protest the ban. This sparked a wave of humorous and explanatory videos about this "immigration." Many content creators produced videos sharing their experiences on RedNote, showcasing Chinese users’ reactions to their arrival, or making humouristic videos about learning Chinese and Chinese songs like “Jin Sheng Yuan,” which became a massive hit among Western users. Other videos depicted Americans helping Chinese children with their English homework, among other topics.
2/ "Since TikTok Is Getting Banned" Trend
Just a few days before the ban, many creators jumped onto the trend of revealing their secrets online, saying, “We’ve got nothing to lose now.”
3/ "Posting All My Drafts" Trend
The day before the ban, another trend emerged: creators began posting all their unfinished videos from their drafts, labeling them with “Since it’s the last day on TikTok...”
4/ "My Last TikTok Goodbye" Videos
Just hours before the ban, creators entered a phase of acceptance. They posted farewell videos thanking their communities and the platform for all it had brought them.
5/ During the Ban
When the ban came into effect, Americans were gone. Well, almost. Some creators, like James Charles or Katie Fang, tried to sneak back onto TikTok. Charles managed to post from an anonymous account, while Katie Fang uploaded videos using a VPN.
6/ International Trends
While the ban was in place, creators from other parts of the world started their own trends about the absence of American users, such as:
“It’s so calm here.”
“The loud ones are gone.”
“Who survived the ban?”
7/ The Ban Ends
The ban ultimately lasted just 14 hours! Creators quickly resumed posting, with videos like:
“POV: Americans after revealing their secrets.”
“POV: After the ban.”
If you are interested in how to optimize platforms like TikTok or RedNote and to improve your management of social media accounts, or e-commerce operations, please feel free to contact us!
Rougelink, with offices in Paris, Shanghai, and Hangzhou, specializes in e-commerce and digital marketing services. As a strategic partner of TikTok, Douyin ( TikTok China ), and Xiaohongshu, we work with international brands to implement online strategies in Europe, US and China, offering comprehensive solutions across the entire e-commerce value chain.
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