As the ban on TikTok looms, creators have been scrambling to find an alternative. Many are finding a new home in RedNote. The actual name of the Chinese-owned app is Xiaohongshu, which translates to Little Red Book in English. Americans have shortened it to RedNote.
According to CNN, the app has been under the radar of Americans since it was created in 2012. However, it now ranks number one in the App Store. Lemon8, another Chinese social media app owned by TikTok’s owner ByteDance, ranks number two.
The app is one of China’s largest social media platforms with over 300 million users, CNN reported. It has been used as an Instagram
alternative in China, where users share lifestyle tips, including travel, makeup, and fashion.Americans are gravitating to the app as TikTok faces a shutdown if it fails to find a buyer. One reason why content creators are using it is an act of defiance over the U.S. leader’s controversial decision to control what many perceive as an assault on their First Amendment rights
when they decided to ban TikTok.“It was a bit of a spite thing. I also wanted to be one of the first people over there,” Christina Shuler, owner of Glam Farmhouse, told Time. “Hopefully I can be part of the crowd that maybe can change how our government views this whole situation.”
Chinese Users Welcoming ‘TikTok Refugees’ To RedNote
As more people migrate to RedNote, Chinese users are welcoming Americans who are finding a new home for the social media platform. Some users have reportedly gone the extra mile to help what they call “TikTok refugees” navigate the app.
Interestingly enough, while Xiaohongshu was not created for English speakers, TikTok is banned in China and inaccessible. Like other U.S. social media platforms banned, such as Facebook and YouTube, China has made a TikTok sister app, Douyin, that people use.
As more people migrate to RedNote, Chinese users are welcoming Americans who are finding a new home for the social media platform. Some users have reportedly gone the extra mile to help what they call “TikTok refugees” navigate the app.
Last year, Congress passed a bill that forces ByteDance to either sell TikTok by Jan. 19 or face a ban in the U.S. TikTok has since taken the argument that this bill violates freedom of speech to the Supreme Court. Still, the high court expressed skepticism about the company’s legal arguments.
ByteDance has doubled down on its position of not selling, which means the ban will likely go into effect Sunday.
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