With the potential TikTok ban looming in about two weeks, many content creators are increasingly turning to Lemon8, a new social media platform. Notably, both apps are under the ownership of the same Chinese parent company, which could lead to both being unavailable if the ban is enacted.

Lemon8 is emerging as a social media platform that brands itself as a “lifestyle community.” It has rapidly climbed to the top of the Apple App Store and has been downloaded over 10 million times from the Google Play Store as of this Tuesday.

This app combines elements of TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest into one platform, according to its description in the Apple App Store, offering users versatile tools for photo and video sharing and editing.

Owned and developed by ByteDance, the same Chinese company behind TikTok, Lemon8 could face significant repercussions if the U.S. government enforces a ban on TikTok. Last spring, President Biden signed a law mandating ByteDance to divest TikTok and its other applications by January 19. Failing this, TikTok and potentially Lemon8 will be prohibited in the U.S., becoming unavailable for download, and service providers will be instructed to restrict relevant websites.

Here’s a rundown on Lemon8 and how the TikTok ban might impact it.

When was Lemon8 launched?

Lemon8 made its debut in Asian markets in 2020 and reached the U.S. market in February 2023.

Is Lemon8 owned by ByteDance?

Indeed, Lemon8 is developed and owned by ByteDance, the same company that created TikTok.

Could Lemon8 get banned alongside TikTok?

Lemon8 is not specifically mentioned in the “Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Control Applications Act,” which would prohibit TikTok. Nevertheless, the legislation refers to “any other applications or services developed or provided by ByteDance,” indicating that Lemon8 could be impacted.

Christopher Krepich, the communications director for the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, stated that Lemon8 would also be banned under the proposed legislation. This committee backed the bill.

As of Tuesday, neither TikTok, Lemon8, nor the House Committee on Energy and Commerce responded to inquiries from YSL News.

Another popular video-editing app may also face a ban

CapCut − Video Editor, another well-known app from ByteDance, could also be banned in the U.S. by January 19. This app offers a mobile-friendly platform for video editing and has reached the No. 1 ranking for photo and video downloads on the Apple App Store, receiving over one billion downloads from Google Play Store as of Tuesday.