American TikTok users are fleeing the social media platform ahead of an expected U.S. ban on Jan. 19 and flocking to China’s Xiaohongshu, known in English as RedNote.
More than 700,000 new users joined the platform’s 300 million existing users — who are mostly in China — within two days, a person close to the company told Reuters. Many are young Americans styling themselves “TikTok refugees,” taking what they see as refuge from the looming ban.
On Wednesday, a mobile app published by Xiaohongshu, which literally means “Little Red Book” — a reference to the book of quotes from Mao Zedong, the founder of communist China — topped the list of most popular free downloads on the Apple Store and the Google Play store for Android users in the United States.
What is RedNote and who owns it?
Known as Xiaohongshu in China, RedNote is a social media platform that includes images, short-form videos, community-building tools, shopping, and more.
TikTok offers only video, but RedNote combines elements of short-form video sharing, lifestyle content, and e-commerce, making it a hybrid of TikTok and Instagram.
Both platforms use interest-based algorithms, but RedNote places less emphasis on following accounts and more on curating content based on user preferences.
It is owned by Shanghai-based Xingyin Information Technology.
Why are U.S. TikTok users moving to RedNote?
The migration is driven by the impending Jan. 19 deadline for TikTok’s parent company, China’s ByteDance, to divest its U.S. operations or face a nationwide ban due to national security concerns.
Many TikTok creators are using RedNote as an alternative platform to rebuild their audiences and monetize their content. Some users also view joining RedNote as an act of defiance against the U.S. government’s decision to ban TikTok.
RELATED STORIES
TikTok ‘refugees’ flock to China’s RedNote
Over half a million ‘TikTok refugees’ flock to China’s RedNote
TikTok lawyers ask Supreme Court to delay ban
What are U.S. users saying about RedNote?
Many American users have praised RedNote for its welcoming community and unique features. The hashtag #TikTokRefugee has gained significant traction on the platform as users share their experiences transitioning from TikTok.
Others users have welcomed the chance to connect with youth in China on a personal level.
Are U.S. users experiencing any difficulties using the platform?
Despite the praise, American users have encountered some challenges while using RedNote.
Most notably, the platform’s interface and content are almost exclusively in Mandarin, making navigation difficult for non-Chinese speakers.
Additionally, some users have expressed concerns over censorship on the platform. According to the Washington Post, RedNote maintains a team of in-house censors that bans or limits discussion related to thousands of “sensitive terms,” much like every other Chinese social media platform.
Why don’t TikTok users migrate to a comparable U.S. platform?
Some “TikTok refugees” have said the move to RedNote is a form of protest — not only of the impending U.S. ban on TikTok, but also of platforms owned by Facebook parent Meta.
The aversion to Meta was apparently linked to reports that the company had paid online activists to boost messages calling TikTok a threat to American children, as part of a bid to turn public opinion against the platform.
Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.
