What is Lemon8?

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Lemon8 was released back in March of 2020, but it wasn’t available in the US or the UK until February of 2023. ByteDance, the same company that owns TikTok, also owns Lemon8. And as TikTok faces an uncertain fate in the US, it's gaining traction in Apple's Top Charts.

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As a result, Lemon8 makes it easy to "feel" like you're continuing your TikTok experience. Upon opening the app, you get the option to log in with TikTok, follow the same users you follow on TikTok, and your TikTok username will carry over into Lemon8. According to Social Media Review:

"While Lemon8 will remain a separate app, TikTok and Lemon8 will share a unified user login. This means that creators can use one account to login to both platforms, enhancing their ability to cross-share content between the two apps."

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Content posted to Lemon8 is also shown on TikTok by default. The image below shows how to turn that off in the settings:

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How does Lemon8 Work?

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When signing up, Lemon8 will ask you to share your preferred pronouns, birth year, email or phone number, and select a few of your interests.

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Using Lemon8 feels like a combination of navigating Instagram and Pinterest. It’s mainly focused around aesthetics, traveling, fashion, health, travel, and food. Users can post pictures and videos with a very similar feel to Instagram, and you can also add posts to your “collections” which function similarly to a Pinterest “board.”

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Users can find and share posts and collections by searching and exploring on the platform. Using and searching hashtags are very relevant on this app, and can lead to finding inappropriate content.

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All of this makes Lemon8 feel like a mix-up of multiple social media features - a feed like Instagram, a "board" like Pinterest, hashtags like every social network.

Does Lemon8 have Privacy Risks?

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Normally, we would say the privacy risks falls alongside that of other common social media platforms, but Lemon8 is a little different. With ByteDance being its parent company, we approach the topic of privacy with a little more skepticism.

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Lemon8’s Privacy Policy states all the ways in which they collect and use your data. They state how they might store your data in a server outside the country you live in, and might be sharing certain data with third party companies.

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Some of their members or affiliates may have access to specific data, which could mean that it’s possible for ByteDance to see the information given to Lemon8. So, we can’t help but feel a little uneasy about the data being collected on this app. People should take a “use at your own risk” approach to the privacy concerns on Lemon8.

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Does Lemon8 have any Parental Controls?

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Yes, sort of. They now allow parents to "supervise" an account. This process is very easy, but only locks one setting. Here's how to enable Supervision (see images below):

1. Select your profile in the bottom left (the person icon).
2. Tap the gear icon in the top right.
3. Select Supervision and tap "Turn on."
4. Enter your phone number and verify the code.
5. Once it says "You're supervising this account," select Privacy settings and turn the account to Private.

Turning an account private this way ensures that your teen can't go back and change it, at least not without your phone.

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In our testing, this is the only setting that can be locked with Supervision. Even with a supervised account that's forced to be private, users can still search for any kind of content. The controls don't actually filter anything out, they just prevent your content from being seen by others. Which is good! But not enough.

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In our testing we didn't find any explicit nudity or mature content. But there are sexual themes and suggestive posts just like with any social media platform. external links found in users profiles (see image below) can be of greater concern.

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Check out our video on "in-app browsers" to ensure your child is safe from digital backdoors.

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And while there is no way to direct message others, you can still comment and reply to comments on posts, so there is a way for people to talk with each other. Users can also link their TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or other external links for anyone to click on. The links listed within accounts have always been a spot to watch for, Lemon8 offers 5 ways to leave their app and go somewhere else. Please be careful!

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Thankfully, users can report others.

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Bottom Line: is Lemon8 Safe for Kids?

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• Too much exposure, not enough controls. With such a lack of privacy on this platform, on top of its connection to ByteDance, it’s may not be worth the potential risks.
• Even with a supervised account that's forced to be private, users can still search for any kind of content. The controls don't actually filter anything out, they just prevent your content from being seen by others. Which is good! But not enough.
• This app does not support our goals of teens being prepared, balanced, and protected online.

What if I have more questions? How can I stay up to date?

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Two actions you can take!

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1. Subscribe to our tech trends newsletter, the PYE Download. About every 3 weeks, we’ll share what’s new, what the PYE team is up to, and a message from Chris.
2. Ask your questions in our private parent community called The Table! It’s not another Facebook group. No ads, no algorithms, no asterisks. Just honest, critical conversations and deep learning! For parents who want to “go slow” together. Become a member today!

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