What is Lemon8? TikTok’s Chinese owner ByteDance ‘paying influencers’ to push new app

With the ban looming, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is trying to diversify by promoting its other social media platform named Lemon8.

According to the New York Post, the company is paying influencers to suggest the other app via TikTok.

Often described as being similar to Pinterest, Lemon8 allows users to share photos and look for inspiration from others. It’s said to be very similar to the Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu.

A content creator spoke exclusively to The Post saying she was offered $200 for a brand deal where she was asked to upload ‘a video that promotes Lemon8 on TikTok.’

While she didn’t take ByteDance up on the offer, other influencers are starting to speak out about the Pinterest-like platform. It’s unclear whether there’s been a move to the app organically or if these creators have been paid to post.

In March of last year, Lemon8 was in the top 10 most downloaded apps. Just a month later the app’s daily active users almost halved from 11,930 to 6,360. The current statistics have not yet been publicized.

This all comes after ongoing debate around the ban of video app TikTok, with the US House of Representatives having passed a bill on March 13 that calls for the Chinese developer to divest from the company or be banned from US app stores.

There seems to be some confusion around the app by TikTok users as people say they’re not sure what Lemon8 actually does. In one video by user Audreygentilee she asks her audience ‘wtf is lemon8.’

im so serious what is it #lemon8

♬ original sound – audreygentile

Some social media fans don’t seem to be too convinced as yet, with one person responding to that video saying “I wanted to get it at first bc it looks cool but idek what it is and now I’ve seen it too much I will never get it.”

Another said, “i downloaded it to see as well, and there was like a list you had to do to sign up it was so confusing so i just stopped and never got an account good luck if you find out lmk.”

Featured image: Via Apple App Store

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