Chinese social networking app RedNote has become the most downloaded app on Apple's US App Store in recent days, ahead of a possible ban on TikTok in the US.
The app's rematch comes at a time when ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, is facing the prospect of a permanent ban on the popular platform in the United States on Sunday, when the government decision will take effect.
The law, signed by US President Joe Biden last April, requires TikTok to sever ties with its China-based parent company, ByteDance, by mid-January or the app will be banned.
The move by the US came as a result of concerns among some American politicians that ByteDance was sharing TikTok user data with the Chinese government, despite the company's repeated assurances that this was not the case.
Although there are many video platforms like TikTok available on the market, it is evident that in the last 24 hours many users from the US are flocking to RedNote, seeing it as the best "alternative".
But why does this happen and what is RedNote?
RedNote, known as Xiaohongshu in China, is a social networking app now available in English. It was created in 2013 by Shanghai-based company Xingyin Information Technology and is extremely popular in Mandarin and Chinese-speaking countries, with over 300 million monthly active users, according to Bloomberg.
Although it has grown steadily over the years, the biggest increase in its popularity was recorded during the pandemic.
According to Sky News, it's not a TikTok clone, as many compare RedNote more to Instagram. While it offers users short videos and images via a TikTok-like algorithm, text posts and shopping features also play a central role. The app's interface differs from TikTok's, as videos don't automatically start playing when you open the app and users must first log in to use it.
In China, Xiaohongshu is the app of choice for those looking for recommendations on popular topics such as beauty, fashion, travel and food. Its users are mainly young women. Furthermore, the platform is subject to less censorship than others, as users post content from the LGBTI+ community or discuss the positive aspects of singleness for women, issues that are considered particularly sensitive in China.
The influx of Americans now gives Xiaohongshu's mostly Chinese users a chance to ask for help with schoolwork or advice on translating terms into English, while also giving them a chance to learn about each other's cultures.
"It's fun and ironic that Americans and Chinese are meeting online because of the US government's ban on TikTok," said 26-year-old Amanda Zhang.
This content creator and student in the US expressed her concern that Xiaohongshu could also be banned by US authorities if the platform continues to attract American users.
What drives American TikTok users towards RedNote?
If the goal of TikTok users in the US was simply to find another social media platform with short videos, then popular Western apps like Instagram and Facebook, owned by Meta, could be an alternative.
However, some American creators on TikTok – many of whom make a living from the app – are urging their followers to download RedNote to send a clear message to the US government that it has crossed the line by banning the app.
An American TikTok user said in a video: "Our government, I'm convinced, likes to see us unhappy and struggling...RedNote, another Chinese app based in that country, is the number one app in the App Store today, it's just amazing."
"They're trying to stop TikTok because they say China is stealing data. They're not stopping any American company from stealing our data," complained another user.
He has 264,000 followers and says he chose to download the Xiaohongshu app, rather than turning to American platforms like Instagram and Facebook, as he considers those apps for "elderly people" which also "steal personal data and sell it to other companies" .
"That's why many Americans are angry right now, we prefer China to have our data," he stressed.
Other users share this sentiment. "I know our government is a bit racist, but I love you Chinese. I don't care if you take my data. Take it," explained newcomer to the Xiaohongshu platform, Adam, in a video he posted on Monday.
This trend shows how "idiotic" the TikTok ban is, said Milton Mueller, a professor at Georgia Tech in the US, who filed a case in the Supreme Court explaining his opposition to the measure.
"It seems like the TikTok ban pushed users towards other apps that are even less disconnected from the Chinese Communist Party," noted Robin Kaplan of Duke University.
For Meng Bingchan, a professor at the London School of Economics, the phenomenon demonstrates the ineffectiveness of the American strategy against the Chinese technology sector, which is summarized by the expression "small garden, high fence" . That is, Washington is trying to limit a small number of technological applications that are considered sensitive to American national security.
"The garden never stops growing and the fence is full of holes. Worse, in this particular case, those living inside the fence can move into digital space," Meng said. (A2 Televizion)
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