TikTok users in the US, abandoning the platform in anticipation of its possible closure, are flocking to the rival Chinese app RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu. Analysts, whose opinions were quoted by the newspaper South China Morning Post (SCMP), are actively debating how long the American fad for another Chinese platform can last.
As the publication notes, although the exact number of downloads is not known, the Apple store ranked RedNote in first place among free social networks among all free iPhone apps in the US. The exodus of the “TikTok refugees“, as they are known in the media, comes amid growing concerns about the fate of their beloved app. Shanghai-based RedNote launched in 2013 as China's answer to Instagram and has nearly 300 million active users by December 2023, with 50% aged 15 to 28, according to SCMP.
At the same time, analysts quoted by the publication believe that the mass transition to this Chinese platform is mainly seen as a demonstration of dissatisfaction with the law, which could come into effect on January 19, banning TikTok from the Chinese company ByteDance in the United States.
Paul Triolo of the Washington-based consulting firm Albright Stonebridge Group says that most Americans who visit RedNote "seem to be doing so in protest" of the upcoming ban on TikTok. The expert believes that if TikTok is banned, "American users will most likely switch to Lemon8 (a social networking app similar to TikTok, also owned by ByteDance) or other American platforms like Instagram."
Dennis Simon of the Washington-based Quincy Institute agrees, saying that the lack of an English version or translation features on the RedNote platform makes it difficult to use. However, he noted that "we could consider creating one version of this app for mainland China and another for foreigners."
According to a law passed in 2024, the Chinese company ByteDance must either sell TikTok or cease operations in the United States by January 19. The situation surrounding the social network has become a subject of controversy between Democrats and Republicans, despite the fact that the law that made it possible to block it received broad support in both parties. American youth, who are the most active users of TikTok, are the most vocal against blocking the social network.