With a TikTok ban possibly hitting the United States in less than a week, another Chinese social media app is quickly gaining traction. Xiaohongshu, known as “RedNote” in English, surged to the top spot among free apps in the Apple App Store on Tuesday, Jan. 14.
The app launched in 2013 and has 300 million monthly users. It checks a lot of the boxes TikTok users are looking for in an alternative to share and consume content, including short-form videos, images, community engagement and shopping features.
Chinese users on the app have welcomed American users with the hashtag “TikTok refugees,” which is getting millions of views and comments.
Some content creators are hoping to rebuild communities they had on TikTok, as others are moving to the app to protest the U.S. government.
TikTok’s looming shutdown largely comes from national security concerns related to its Chinese parent company, ByteDance.
RedNote is owned by a Shanghai-based company, Xingyin Information Technology.
What issues will arise with users moving to another Chinese app?
More scrutiny from the U.S. government over privacy and data concerns is likely to follow, similar to ByteDance.
Some who haven’t been as eager to download RedNote have raised concerns about its terms of service.
Part of the document states the company can use user data without authorization when it’s “necessary for the performance of statutory duties or obligations.” This means the company may be required to use user data to fulfill legal responsibilities or to comply with government regulations.
In China, internet and social media companies are required to comply with all requests from the communist government.
RedNote’s terms of service also state the company can use user data to “carry out news reporting and supervision by public opinion for the public interest” and in “other circumstances provided by laws and regulations.” This means user data can be shared with journalists and in situations that aren’t specifically listed without permission.
Yahoo News talked with digital safety experts who said since RedNote is relatively unknown in the U.S., it should be “approached with caution.”
The founder of fraud protection platform Hitprobe, John Jackson, told Yahoo that RedNote doesn’t have the same level of child protection that other apps have, saying it’s “an unsafe platform for young people to use.”
Another issue is user experience. Many Americans who joined the app are relying on translation tools to navigate the Chinese platform, which is different from TikTok since it was created for a global audience.
If ByteDance does not sell TikTok by Jan. 19, the app will be illegal for distribution through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
