ASHEBORO N.C. (ACME NEWES) — As the TikTok ban looms, many American users are flocking to Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social media app known in English as RedNote, as a potential alternative.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard arguments from ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, challenging a law that requires TikTok to be divested from ByteDance or cease operations in the United States by Jan. 19, 2025. No decision has been announced yet, but legal analysts say the court seems unlikely to delay or block the law.
“I thought the argument was pretty brutal for [ByteDance and TikTok], and I don’t think there are five votes to issue an emergency injunction against the law,” said Leah Litman, co-host of the “Strict Scrutiny” podcast and a law professor at the University of Michigan.
The TikTok ban, passed by Congress last April, cites concerns that the Chinese government could exploit ByteDance’s ownership to access Americans’ data or manipulate TikTok’s algorithm to spread propaganda.
RedNote Gains Traction
RedNote has seen a surge in interest in recent days. Google Trends data shows a spike in searches for the app, and analytics firm Sensor Tower reports that RedNote’s downloads are up more than 200% year-over-year. According to Reuters, over 700,000 users joined the platform in the past two days.
Unlike TikTok, RedNote functions more like a blend of Instagram and Pinterest. The app allows users to share videos, photos, and text, with content focused on topics such as travel, fashion, beauty, and shopping.
The app’s Chinese name, Xiaohongshu, translates to “Little Red Book,” a term historically associated with quotations from Mao Zedong.
Cultural Exchange or Censorship Concerns?
Some new users, calling themselves “TikTok refugees,” are navigating cultural and political differences on the platform. RedNote enforces stricter content rules due to its alignment with Chinese censorship laws. Videos documenting bans for low-cut tops and LGBTQ+ content have already circulated online. Reports suggest the platform bans content referencing over 500 nicknames for Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Despite these restrictions, Americans on RedNote are connecting with Chinese users by joking about data collection, exchanging language tips, and sharing cat photos.
However, critics question the sustainability of this migration. The app was not designed for an international audience, and cultural differences may pose challenges. U.S. users accustomed to TikTok’s open platform may clash with RedNote’s stricter moderation.
In a TikTok skit, user @johnstone.gregory humorously highlighted the irony of switching to another China-based platform:
@johnstone.gregory Some of these sound fun, right? #latestnews #2025update #savetiktok ♬ original sound – Greg Johnstone
Senator Tom Cotton, addressed the flood of Americans to the app, saying: “If users flood to RedNote, they’re going to face the same problems there because it’s also controlled by the Communist Party.”
In response, TikTok user @markysharki dismissed political concerns, saying, “We don’t care. Ban RedNote, and we’ll find another platform.” The user argued that banning TikTok hurts creators and businesses reliant on the platform for income, adding, “There are local and small businesses that will have to shut down because they run on TikTok Shop.”
Chinese Government Responds
When asked about the sudden influx of American users on RedNote, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated, “It is a personal decision which social media to use. China supports and encourages cultural exchanges to promote mutual understanding.”
Meanwhile, TikTok user @bella_vandala criticized lawmakers in a widely shared post, accusing them of prioritizing the TikTok ban over addressing pressing issues like gun violence, affordable housing, and climate change.
It’s the fact that Republicans and Democrats across all legislatures can expeditiously and unanimously pull together like never before, and probably never again, to streamline legislation banning a social media app while completely ignoring everything important to us. They can’t pull together to make sure my kids don’t get shot while they go to school, fix the economy, to mandate a livable wages, to kick hedge funds out of single family homes so I can afford my f***ing mortgage again. They are doing fuck all about homeowners insurance stealing billions of dollars from Americans and then leaving them for dead while their homes wash away in a flood or burn to the ground in a f***ing fire.
Whether the surge of American users on RedNote will last remains uncertain, but for now, the app offers a temporary refuge for those navigating the uncertain future of TikTok in the U.S.
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