Just days before TikTok faces a potential ban in the United States, millions of users have already started seeking alternatives to the popular platform. One of the primary beneficiaries of this situation is the Chinese app "RedNote" (known as Xiaohongshu in China), which has recently surged to the top of Apple’s free app chart, also dominating the social networking category.
RedNote, a Chinese social media platform established in 2013, is one of the largest in the country, boasting over 300 million users, according to research firm Qian Gua. The app, which directly competes with Instagram, offers a user experience similar to Pinterest and has gained immense popularity for its practical guides and tips in fashion, makeup and travel.
Over the past few days, a phenomenon has emerged where users, calling themselves "TikTok refugees," are sharing their experiences transitioning to RedNote. The hashtag "TikTok refugee" has garnered approximately 60 million views and nearly 2 million comments as of Tuesday.
"Our government is crazy if they think we’ll accept a ban on TikTok," said Heather Roberts, a user who posted a video on RedNote that has already accumulated over 45,000 likes. "We’ll just move to other Chinese apps – here we are." Another user claimed in a video, "This is so much better than TikTok. Americans should join here."
Challenges for RedNote’s expansion
Despite the surge in popularity, many users have pointed out that RedNote is fundamentally a Chinese app designed for a Chinese audience, meaning its terms of use differ from what American users are accustomed to. Experts have also noted the possibility that China may eventually impose restrictions on content originating from foreign users on the platform.
At the same time, the rapid rise of RedNote has not gone unnoticed by the U.S. government, which is currently scrutinizing the platform much like it has with other Chinese companies. Some Chinese firms, however, have managed to prove they pose no threat to U.S. national security.
ByteDance gains popularity
If you thought TikTok’s ban would mean the disappearance of its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, from the U.S. market, think again. Another app, Lemon8, also owned by ByteDance, has recently climbed the charts. Focused on lifestyle content, Lemon8 is described as a blend of Instagram and Pinterest. It was first launched in Japan in 2020 and has since expanded to other countries.
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According to The New York Times, in 2023, during the height of the legal battles between TikTok and the U.S. government, ByteDance quietly promoted Lemon8 among content creators, offering them financial incentives to use and promote the platform. However, there is a strong likelihood that Lemon8, like TikTok, could also be added to the list of banned Chinese platforms in the U.S.
Should TikTok officially be banned in the U.S. within the next week, and if RedNote and Lemon8 follow suit, platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts are expected to experience a surge in user numbers. This would mirror the rise in YouTube’s popularity following the shutdown of Vine in 2017.
Such a development would primarily benefit American tech giants Meta and Google, which already hold an almost unrivaled dominance in social media and access to some of the largest data repositories in the world.