Heard of Lemon8? Nor us. Yet, in the shadow of a potential TikTok ban, this relatively unknown social media app has skyrocketed to fame, only to face a similar fate.
Lemon8, described as a “lifestyle community,” blends features from TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest into a single platform. Its rise has been meteoric, claiming the No. 1 spot in the Apple App Store while racking up over 10 million Google Play downloads. But here’s the kicker: Lemon8 and TikTok share the same parent company, ByteDance, which has put both apps squarely in the crosshairs of U.S. lawmakers.
The legislative drama began with a law signed by President Joe Biden, requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok and its other apps, including Lemon8, by January 19, otherwise, a ban looms. This would make them inaccessible in app stores and block associated websites. Ironically, Lemon8’s surging popularity seems like an elevator ride to the gallows .
Despite not being explicitly named in the “Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Control Applications Act,” Lemon8 falls under the legislation’s umbrella of “any other applications or services developed by ByteDance,” clarifying its likely demise. Christopher Krepich from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce confirmed the app would face the same fate as TikTok.
So, while influencers fled to Lemon8 hoping to dodge TikTok’s fate, it seems they just traded one sinking ship for another. ByteDance’s social media empire may be navigating viral success, but in the U.S., its latest breakout hit might end up trending… in oblivion.
