On TikTok, Chinese factories are trolling anxious American shoppers

is platforms and communities reporter with five years of experience covering the companies that shape technology and the people who use their tools. Hermà¨s handbags, Birkenstocks, Tide Pods, Lululemon activewear, and mountains of luxury furniture — what if I told you you could cut out the middleman and buy it straight from the source for a fraction of the cost? So goes a genre of viral videos cropping up on social media that claim to show Chinese manufacturers producing the products beloved by American consumers. The videos have cheery background music, some light editing, and are delivered in English, clearly…