The other ByteDance apps are not just TikTok
TikTok, Lemon8, and Other Apps Have a Dark Law: The Case of the US-Based ByteDance App
In May, TikTok and a group of US creators appealed to stop the law from going into effect, saying it violated the First Amendment. The Supreme Court ruled on January 17 that the provision was motivated by well-supported national security concerns.
There are similar notifications on other apps owned by ByteDance, which is based in China and sits at the core of the controversy over a popular video app. Video-editing app CapCut, photo- and video-sharing app Lemon8, and others have now gone dark in the US.
“It’s a blatant violation of the First Amendment,” says Evelyn Douek, a professor at Stanford Law School who specializes in online speech issues. “Unfortunately for me, all nine of the Supreme Court justices disagree, and pretty much everyone that matters is going to listen to their opinion over mine. It’s hard to think of the national security justification in relation to recent days when the presidents past and future seem to be backpedaling on whether an immediate shutdown is necessary.
With days to go until the deadline, President Biden signaled that he’d leave enforcement of the law up to the incoming Trump administration. TikTok urged the Biden administration to provide a definitive assurance that the app wouldn’t enforce the law after the move left the app in limbo. In response, Biden’s team suggested TikTok raise its concerns with Trump.
On Blind, an anonymous messaging app popular with tech workers, some TikTok employees spiraled about whether they’d have jobs next month, while others went about business as usual. One user suggested that a manager should stop scheduling meetings about new projects without acknowledging the ban. “I have 2025 strategy meetings next week,” another user responded. I am doing what I’m told. It’s comforting in a way.”
It’s Not Just TikTok: These Other ByteDance Apps Are Gone Too? A Case Study of the Lemon8 App
ByteDance is not required to block US users of its apps. It does not allow any company in the US to give any service totribute, maintain or update ByteDance-owned apps. Many of these apps are no longer accessible in the app stores of both Apple and Google. That may change soon after Donald Trump takes office on Monday, however, with the US president-elect indicating that he plans to extend the deadline for a sale of TikTok by 90 days. It’s all very confusing.
CapCut can be used to edit vertical videos that can be posted on TikTok. It’s a good option for amateur creators because of its professional features. Some creators also use CapCut to first produce videos before uploading them to platforms other than TikTok.
The photo-based social media app Lemon8 was created by ByteDance. It has become a destination for many Tik Tok users who are in exile this week due to the success of RedNote in China. Some TikTok users had also chosen to migrate to Lemon8, but the app has also gone offline.
Gauth will use artificial intelligence to understand the problem and provide step-by-step solutions when students take pictures of their homework. It also has other features that help students be more productive while studying. According to the app’s shutdown announcement this weekend, it has “helped 300 million users with billions of questions.”
Apps not supported in the US by ByteDance-owned properties as a consequence of the Indonesian government’s ban on Tokopedia
January 19, 2025: updated 9 am. Added the games Marvel Snap, Land of Empires, and Mission EVO to the list of apps unavailable in the US as a result of the ban on ByteDance-owned properties.
Hypic, launched in 2022, is a photo-editing tool with a heavy focus on generative AI tools. It uses computer vision to help users make their photos look better.
The app is like a workspace communications app. Originally created for ByteDance’s own internal messages among employees, it has now become one of the most-used office communications apps in China, with several million active users.
Poligon, a Singapore-based subsidiary of ByteDance, publishes several apps that allow users to watch short vertical dramas (Melolo) or read online fiction novels (Fizzo and MyTopia Books). One of the apps that did not end support for US users is MyTopia Books, and it is still available on the US App Store.
Tokopedia is one of Indonesia’s largest ecommerce platforms. It was acquired by ByteDance in December 2023 and merged with TikTok Shop’s operation in the country after the Indonesian government banned the latter app, citing “the need to protect smaller merchants and users’ data.”
