What's Driving American Tiktok Refugees To China's Rednote?

(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Xinhua

Beijing: Just days before the potential enforcement of a U.S. government ban on TikTok, American users have responded by migrating to an alternative Chinese social media app -- RedNote.

The app, known as Xiaohongshu in China, is a popular lifestyle app where users share their lives and offer tips on travel, fashion and beauty. The app has now become crowded with foreign newcomers, mainly Americans, who call themselves "TikTok refugees," eagerly sharing their lives and interacting with Chinese users.

Experts observed that American users have shifted to RedNote as an act of defiance against Washington's action on TikTok.

Here is what to know about the migrant phenomenon and why RedNote has gained popularity among Americans.

WHAT HAPPENED?

As TikTok faces a possible ban on Jan. 19, RedNote has suddenly surged in popularity among American users.

The app climbed to the top position on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store on Monday. Within two days, more than 700,000 new users joined RedNote, according to Reuters.

The hashtag "tiktokrefugee" garnered over 700 million views and over 10 million comments by Thursday morning. The sudden migration of U.S. TikTok users to RedNote has created a platform for Chinese and American users to directly interact with each other.

Many newbies expressed their respect for the user community, while "native" RedNote users warmly welcomed the newcomers and offered useful tips to navigate the app.

"I just want to reassure you that we want to try to find a way to communicate with you, and be respectful to your community," one American user said.

A playful term -- "cat tax" -- emerged as many Chinese users joked that foreigners must share pet pictures, preferably of cats, as a "tax" to continue engaging on the platform. Foreign users eagerly joined in, posting cat photos with captions like, "Here's me paying my cat tax."

Some Chinese pupils even seized the opportunity to ask for help with English homework.

The new American users had "unexpectedly created one of the most organic forms of cultural exchange between the U.S. and China we've seen in recent years," CNN reported.

"Users are finding creative ways to transcend language barriers, navigate cultural differences, and co-exist in fascinating ways," the report continued, saying this community building happening in real time could have a lasting impact.

RedNote "opened my world up to China and its people," said Sarah Fotheringham, a 37-year-old school canteen worker in Utah, as quoted in a BBC report.

"I am now able to see things I never would have seen," she said. "Regular Chinese people, finding out about their culture, life, school, everything, it has been so much fun."

WHY MIGRATE?

One of the biggest reasons is the looming ban on TikTok by the U.S. government. For years, some U.S. politicians have sought to ban TikTok, citing unfounded national security concerns and alleged risks to data privacy.

Last year, U.S. Congress passed legislation that would force TikTok's China-based parent company ByteDance to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban. U.S. President Joe Biden signed the legislation into law in April, giving ByteDance until Jan. 19 to divest from TikTok.

On Dec. 6, the company lost its first legal challenge when a panel of three federal judges unanimously rejected TikTok's argument that the law violated the First Amendment. The U.S. Supreme Court is currently deciding whether to uphold the law and allow TikTok to be banned on Sunday.

Anxiously waiting for the outcome of the U.S. Supreme Court and any changes the incoming Donald Trump administration might bring, many content creators originally from TikTok have begun to embrace the Chinese platform as a form of protest and an alternative where they can still create content they like and interact with others.

Industry insiders say the choice of RedNote is a vivid example of the backlash against U.S. claims of national security, which is probably why many U.S. netizens didn't flock to U.S. apps like Instagram or Facebook instead.

"They tried to ban TikTok (for national security concerns), so everybody now goes to an actual Chinese app," said a self-claimed "TikTok refugee" on Xiaohongshu, via a short video post.

WHAT'S REDNOTE?

Founded in 2013, RedNote initially focused on overseas shopping advice but has since evolved into a comprehensive lifestyle platform that combines elements of Instagram, Pinterest and e-commerce platforms.

In recent years, it has become a go-to search engine for its 300 million-plus monthly active users looking for product reviews, travel tips and personal experiences through text, images and short videos.

RedNote offers a single version of its app, unlike many other Chinese apps that provide separate versions for local and international users. It primarily serves Chinese-speaking users, with a limited number of users overseas. While users can change the app's language, most of the content to date has been in Mandarin.

The platform's success can be attributed to its unique blend of social media and e-commerce features. Users can open their own online shop selling goods through the platform, and others can purchase products directly through the app and post feedback, creating a seamless shopping experience.

RedNote's user base consists primarily of young, urban Chinese women, with 70 percent of its users reportedly born after 1990. However, the recent influx of American users has begun to diversify its user demographics.

In a post by an American user named Brecken Neumann which has gained over 64,300 likes, he published a photo holding his lovely daughter and wrote "This is me and my daughter saying hello to all and look forward to all the new friends we make across the sea!"

Many Chinese users followed below by welcoming him and posting their own happy family photos. One Chinese user commented, "That's how the world should be."

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