Vancouver Man Mistaken for RedNote CEO As TikTok Ban Looms

• A person from Vancouver caught individuals’s consideration as a result of they thought he was RedNote’s CEO.
• Jerry welcomed new customers who had been flocking to the app forward of a possible TikTok ban.
• Folks obtained a bit carried away, and it turned a viral case of mistaken id.

Individuals flocking to the Chinese language app RedNote thought the platform’s CEO had left them an encouraging message.

Seems, he wasn’t the CEO. He is only a man from Vancouver.

Jerry, who shares a RedNote account along with his girlfriend Dani that has about 31,000 followers, posted a video on January 13.

Within the video he welcomed US customers who had been signing up forward of a attainable ban on TikTok. He mentioned the app, also called Xiaohongshum, was primarily Chinese language-speaking, and it was a spot individuals primarily used for locating eating places and sharing life-style content material comparable to make-up movies.

“However do be happy to talk English and submit English content material as a result of I consider there are much more English-speaking individuals on this platform these days,” Jerry mentioned. “We have to construct this neighborhood.”

Mistaken id

For causes that are not fully clear, some customers assumed Jerry was RedNote’s CEO.

His video obtained reposted on TikTok, and the rumor shortly unfold across the platform. Folks thanked him for welcoming them with open arms whereas the potential TikTok ban loomed.

Jerry’s video was additionally talked about on the finish of a Fox 5 New York information section in regards to the ban risk.

“The CEO of RedNote even made a video welcoming new customers who communicate English to the app, and he additionally inspired them to by no means cease sharing their voice,” mentioned Jennifer Williams, a sports activities reporter for FOX 5 Information.

On Tuesday, Jerry and Dani, on their TikTok account FakeCEORealGF, tried to clear up the confusion. Within the video, Dani confirmed Jerry what had occurred, and he responded with disbelief.

“Guys, I am not the RedNote CEO, simply to be clear,” Jerry mentioned.

“I am simply one other regular man in Vancouver,” he added. “I did not count on this submit to go viral like this, and thanks for all of the feedback, however I need to make clear that I am not the CEO of RedNote.”

Jerry mentioned all of the factors he made have been nonetheless true, and he hoped new customers loved the platform.

Dani, who’s Chinese language and grew up in North America, and Jerry, who was born in Shanghai and moved to Canada a decade in the past, mentioned they’d loved watching Chinese language and American cultures merge on RedNote.

“Guys, I hope you guys aren’t mad at us,” Dani mentioned. “We’re actually sorry for any misunderstandings this induced.”

TikTokers who made the error joked within the feedback that Jerry had been promoted.

“We married the primary man to be good to us,” one viewer wrote. One other mentioned: “He mentioned ‘welcome’ and we mentioned ‘THE CEO?!?!'”

Others remarked on Jerry’s American accent, remarking, “We’ve to begin utilizing vital pondering expertise.”

Jerry and Dani and Fox 5 New York didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark from Enterprise Insider.

TikTok faces a January 19 deadline to adjust to a divest-or-ban regulation requiring its US operations to be bought. It stays unclear what the ramifications of the invoice may very well be.

Creators have been extremely vital of the ban, saying their small companies and livelihoods will likely be destroyed. Black creators, who have been instrumental within the platform’s development, may very well be considerably affected.

Component of trolling

In response, TikTok customers have been contemplating their choices and downloading different apps, together with Lemon8 and RedNote. Each have quickly climbed the app obtain charts in latest days.

The inflow to RedNote has been serving to a few of its customers be taught English, BI reported this week.

There’s additionally a component of trolling happening. Annoyed about dropping a beneficial useful resource for his or her earnings and talent to mobilize, TikTokers are leaning into downloading different Chinese language apps to ship a message.

A serious criticism of the potential TikTok ban is that it’s hypocritical. Many declare it focuses closely on one app whereas leaving alone different tech firms comparable to Meta, which owns Instagram.