Editorial Note: Opinions and thoughts are the author’s own and not those of AFROTECH™.
Last week, the Chinese social app RedNote grew in popularity as a potential TikTok replacement. As TikTok users waited for the Supreme Court to rule on the ban, they quickly migrated to the platform. The app became number one in the Apple App Store, with thousands of American users joining.
Users have mistakenly referred to RedNote as the Chinese version of TikTok, but the platform is more akin to Instagram. RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu in China, launched in 2013 as a shopping platform. Like many apps, it serves as a default search engine for content on makeup, fashion, travel, and lifestyle tips. Users can post photos and videos in a similar fashion to Instagram Reels and TikTok.
The migration from TikTok to RedNote has become a protest statement in the wake of the U.S. government’s ban on TikTok. Initially, calls to ban the app began with President Donald Trump in 2020 before being passed by Congress and signed by former President Biden in 2024 due to privacy and national security concerns. While government officials haven’t spoken about the immediate popularity of RedNote, the privacy terms of RedNote don’t differ much from TikTok. According to Reuters, the app had around 700,000 daily users in the United States; now, that number has jumped to nearly 3 million active users. The influx of self-proclaimed TikTok refugees has even disrupted algorithms.
As the Supreme Court upheld the ban, TikTok users began jokingly crafting eulogies for the app, thank you notes to their fictional Chinese spy, and packaging their precious American data in manila envelopes to deliver to Chinese President Xi Jinping himself. The TikTok ban impedes American’s right to free speech. Even though the Supreme Court upheld the ban citing the same security concerns, they have offered very little explanation as to what those security concerns are. Banning TikTok could disrupt the economy, as many Black-owned businesses and creators thrive on the app. For millions of Americans, TikTok has been the source of their livelihood.
Late Saturday night, TikTok claimed that they would be shutting down all American TikTok servers even after President Biden stated that he wouldn’t enforce the rule and leave it for the incoming administration to handle. The anticipated TikTok ban was short-lived as the app went dark for U.S. users for approximately 15 hours before they restored the app on Sunday afternoon with a pop-up message thanking President Donald Trump for working behind the scenes to save the app.
The message thanking Trump before he took office rubbed many users the wrong way. Despite users’ relief that the app intends to extend its shelf life, TikTok’s friendly deposition with Trump could signal unsavory updates to the app. Some users reported that searching for words like “fascism” or “banned books” in the app yielded no results, but the lack of a functioning search function could also be attributed to the shutdown.
In the wake of oligarchs ruling every social media aspect, RedNote could be a refreshing break from the monotonous American social media. Like Instagram’s Reels and TikTok, RedNote’s algorithm shows users related videos based on their likes and interests. Compared to other apps, RedNote’s sections are expansive and highly curated, with sections dedicated to food, travel, skincare, art, music, and more.
However, the most significant difference between RedNote and other apps is Chinese censorship rules. Every social media platform has its own rules surrounding censorship and the use of language, but in China, certain posts are too sensitive. CNN reported that RedNote has removed U.S. users’ posts that didn’t comply with its rules by being too political or discussing LGBTQ topics.
Just like TikTok, there are also privacy concerns regarding RedNote usage. Cooper Quintin, the senior staff technologist at Electronic Frontier Foundation, explained in a statement to The Verge, “Anyone for whom privacy is a matter of personal safety should think twice before downloading Rednote.” According to RedNote’s privacy policy, the app amasses large amounts of user data. Much of RedNote’s terms and conditions and the rest of the app are in Mandarin, and U.S. users will have trouble translating everything into English.
Although these concerns are valid, they apply to other apps like X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook, which all amass unfathomable amounts of data from their users. I would recommend that users take the use of their data seriously, whether it’s RedNote or Instagram. With Trump delaying the TikTok ban by 75 days pending the U.S. having 50% ownership of the company, TikTok won’t leave anytime soon. However, for anyone looking to divest into Meta and Musk-owned social media, RedNote could be an engaging platform to start with.
