TikTok Ban Drives 700,000 American Users to RedNote, Another Chinese Social App
As TikTok faces a potential shutdown in the United States, American users are migrating to RedNote (known as Xiaoshongshu in China), another Chinese-owned social media platform. Over 700,000 new users have joined RedNote recently, though this represents only a fraction of TikTok's 170 million U.S. users.
RedNote app shown on smartphone screen
Chinese users on RedNote have welcomed these "TikTok refugees," engaging in discussions about Chinese culture, tourism, and social policies. Jacob Hui, a translator from Hangzhou, notes this unprecedented opportunity for direct interaction between Chinese and American users.
Chinese state media has endorsed this migration, with CCTV reporting positively on the trend. Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun emphasized that social media choice is personal, supporting cultural exchange between nations.
While China maintains its "Great Firewall" blocking American platforms like Meta and X, it has developed domestic alternatives including:
- Weibo (similar to Twitter)
- RedNote (similar to Instagram)
- Douyin (Chinese version of TikTok)
New American users have tested RedNote's content boundaries, reporting restrictions on discussing sensitive topics like the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. In response, RedNote is developing enhanced English-language moderation tools and improving translation capabilities to accommodate the growing American user base.
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