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LITTLE RED BOOK

As The TikTok Ban Nears, Disgruntled Americans Flock To A Different Chinese App

Grant Brunner
Grant Brunner
As The TikTok Ban Nears, Disgruntled Americans Flock To A Different Chinese App
Americans would still rather use a native Chinese app than suffer through terrible Instagram Reels.
· 7.9k reads ·
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The United States is on the verge of completely banning TikTok this month. Unless the Supreme Court shocks us all by invalidating the ban this week, TikTok's owner, ByteDance, is forced to sell to a non-Chinese owner or shut down operations in the US by January 19.

Members of congress, like Senator Mark Kelly, have repeatedly said that they passed the ban because of a perceived "national security risk" the app carries, while those in favor of the app and free speech advocates argue that TikTok is being forced out by competitors.

While Meta Platforms has denied that its recent $7.6 million lobbying efforts in federal government are directed against TikTok, the company stealthily worked against the Chinese app just a few years ago by planting dubious stories. Some elected officials have also been candid about issues surrounding content on the app that has been critical of Israel's continued bombing of Gaza as a reason to stifle it. The ongoing cold war with China, as well as the related widespread sinophobia, undoubtedly plays a role too.

TikTok users are now pissed, and they're not playing ball. Instead of suffering through low-quality Reels on the newly revamped and feckless policies on Meta-owned properties, they're downloading an entirely different Chinese app instead: Xiaohongshu (also known as RedNote). In fact, for some time on Tuesday, January 14, it was the top free app on Apple's App Store.

Even though the app is entirely in Chinese, and the vast majority of its user base speaks Mandarin, many angry American users have been pleased to find the platform welcoming, where they've been christened "TikTok refugees." Long-time Xiaohongshu users have been playfully referring to themselves as "Chinese spies," and leaning into the narrative that the US government has overplayed its hand.


The internet reacts

Xiaohongshu user is correct unfortunately

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— Cecelia (@notedfool.bsky.social) January 13, 2025 at 3:31 PM

The U.S. government is about to be PISSED that the RedNote (Xiaohongshu chinese tiktok) app is #1 in social networking right now on GooglePlay.

When Tiktok gets banned, we aren't going to Meta platforms. Collectively, we would all rather learn Mandarin than be force-fed American propaganda.

— Jennine🌿 (@pxlefawn.bsky.social) January 13, 2025 at 10:40 AM

Just joined Xiaohongshu (Red Note) because they’re banning TikTok. Liking it so far!

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— JTB (@justintbrown.bsky.social) January 12, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Post by @[email protected]
View on Mastodon
@general.malaise DONT FALL FOR IT !!!! jk, nǐ hǎo !! 🤭 @Duolingo #duolingo #mandarin #mandarinchinese ♬ original sound - kittykittyivy

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