Unusual 'Love for Chinese Apps' Among US MZ Generation... The Reason: "I Didn't Know They Were Made in China"

Strong Pressure to Ban TikTok and Others Due to Viewing Concerns
Chinese Apps Like Temu, CapCut, and Shein Remain Popular
"Concerns Over User Data Access Collected by Apps"

TikTok, a video-sharing platform popular mainly among people in their teens and twenties in the U.S. and other countries, is facing pressure to be banned due to national security concerns, but other Chinese apps continue to enjoy significant popularity, according to foreign media including the U.S. CNBC broadcast on the 30th (local time).

U.S. intelligence agencies and Congress are concerned that the Chinese government can effectively access information collected from U.S. users by China-based companies such as TikTok, including email addresses, user interests, and driver’s license information.

However, some Chinese apps still remain highly popular in the U.S., and consumers appear largely undisturbed by concerns over data leaks, the reports say.

Some Chinese-origin apps remain popular... 'Smaller scale than TikTok, many unaware they are Chinese apps'

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The shopping app 'Temu' from PDD Holdings, based in China, ranked second among free apps on Apple’s App Store. Additionally, during last year’s year-end shopping season, it ranked 12th among digital retailers, surpassing department stores and well-known online furniture platforms in terms of unique visitors.

Following that, ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, had another app, 'CapCut,' and TikTok itself ranked 4th and 5th respectively on the Apple App Store, while the Chinese fast-fashion app 'Shein' ranked 14th.

According to U.S. app data provider Apptopia, after the congressional hearing of TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew, ByteDance’s social networking service platform 'Lemon8' recorded 1 million downloads from late March to early April.

Like TikTok, these apps collect user information and analyze trending interests. They also use algorithms to provide various features aimed at increasing users’ app usage time, raising concerns about whether users’ information is adequately protected.

However, despite these concerns, these apps have not attracted much attention because their number of monthly active users (MAU) in the U.S. is much smaller compared to TikTok’s 150 million, experts point out.

Moreover, while Americans are increasingly wary of TikTok and tend to avoid using it, many users of these other apps are reportedly unaware that they originate from China, the media explains.

"Efforts must be coordinated beyond the U.S. to other regions as well"

Senator Mark Warner (Democratic Party).

The U.S. suspicion toward Chinese apps beyond TikTok intensified after it was revealed that malware was included in Pinduoduo, the sister company of the shopping app Temu.

Mark Warner, chairman of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee, said, "It is understandable that Americans enjoy the convenience of Chinese e-commerce and the creative tools of many Chinese communication apps," but he warned, "They need to know that the companies making these apps are ultimately subject to the demands of the Chinese government."

He added, "The influence of these apps is growing, and the situation is worsening as these China-based companies are used as tools of Chinese power."

Lindsay Gorman, senior technology fellow at the Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD) under the German Marshall Fund (GMF), said, "As the U.S. considers the threat posed by TikTok, it should also develop ways to assess the relative risks of other Chinese apps."

Andy Yen, CEO of Proton, stated, "The U.S. ban law aimed at blocking foreign technologies that threaten national security is so broad that its effectiveness is questionable," adding, "To create a more competitive digital market in the U.S., a level playing field should be established and regulated within the bounds of not undermining democratic values."

Jonathan Ward, a China expert at the Atlas Organization, expressed concern, saying, "Even if these Chinese app companies fail to establish roots in the U.S. market, like Huawei which was placed on the U.S. trade restriction list due to national security issues, they can still succeed in other regions outside the U.S."

He said, "The U.S. and its allies need to develop countermeasures against these Chinese app companies," and added, "Efforts should be made globally among the U.S. and its democratic allies beyond just the U.S. Congress."

Meanwhile, as concerns continue that TikTok user data is being transferred to China, some state governments including Utah, Maryland, and South Dakota have increased regulations by banning the use of TikTok on government electronic devices.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.