TikTok users are seeking alternate platforms to share and view content as the U.S. is set to ban the popular social media app on January 19, 2025. Instead of turning to U.S.-based companies like Facebook or Instagram, users are flocking to another Chinese app called Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote. The app, which previously had little presence in the U.S. market, shot up to the most downloaded app in Apple’s app store this week. RedNote shares similarities to Yelp, where users share recommendations, but it also allows users to post short clips, similar to the soon-to-be-banned TikTok.
While some of these TikTok users choose to switch to RedNote because of the similar short-form video format, other users appear to be purposefully choosing another Chinese-owned app as a form of protest. Either way, ordinary American and Chinese citizens can easily interact in new ways on the internet through RedNote.
However, RedNote includes many of the same privacy and national security issues that the U.S. government raised concerning TikTok. Although many users ordinarily ignore privacy policies, RedNote’s privacy policy is written in Mandarin, making it even more difficult (and in some cases impossible) for users to understand. A translation of the privacy policy indicates that RedNote collects sensitive data like a user’s IP address and browsing habits. As a Chinese-based app, RedNote is also similarly subject to the Chinese data laws that led U.S. lawmakers to ban TikTok. The TikTok ban could eventually be extended to include RedNote and other Chinese (and other foreign country) apps national security and privacy concerns exist. With other short-form video services (e.g., Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts) provided by U.S. companies, users do not need to expose their personal data to Chinese-based companies. Additionally, using RedNote to circumvent the TikTok ban could be problematic, particularly for government workers with security clearances. RedNote is not worth these risks, and Americans should avoid downloading it.