If the Supreme Court doesn’t step in, TikTok will be banned in the U.S. on Jan. 19.
In response to this, many of the 170 million Americans on the app have been scrambling for a replacement to TikTok. For many, Chinese app Xiaohongshu (known as “Rednote” in English) has become a viable replacement.
The app features a layout that is very similar to TikTok; however, the majority of the users, content, and settings are Chinese. Still, this isn’t stopping Americans, calling themselves “TikTok refugees,” from simply using the app with Google Translate in hand.
As of Jan. 13, Xiaohongshu is the No. 1 free app on the Apple App Store, beating Meta’s Instagram, Facebook and Threads.
So why are people flocking to Rednote instead of already well-established Instagram or Facebook?
“I would rather stare at a language I can’t understand than to ever use a social media [platform] that Mark Zuckerberg owns,” said one user in a video posted to Xiaohongshu.
Many people also believe that too many people argue on Instagram and Facebook and that it’s hard to find people agreeing with each other.
The controversial act by Congress to ban TikTok has garnered widespread criticism among Americans, with many calling the ban a violation of their right to free speech. Congress, however, insists that the law is necessary for national security purposes and is only an attempt to “make TikTok better,” according to U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi.
According to many users, their migration to the Chinese app is an act of defiance against the U.S. government.
“We are doing this to spite our own government,” Xiaohongshu TikTok refugee Lexi Angeline said. “Many of us believe that the TikTok ban is not actually because of a threat to national security but is more so a means of controlling our media.”
Chinese users on the app have, for the most part, been accepting American newcomers with open arms. Some Chinese users have even been offering to teach Americans Mandarin in exchange for them to be taught more English.
“It’s so amazing to have you here,” said one Chinese user who called himself Abe. “This is such a good chance for us to really get to know each other and maybe create something amazing together.”
Abe acknowledged many cultural gaps and policy disagreements between Chinese and Americans but said that “that’s what just makes life so exciting.”
