TikTok Users Rush to Chinese-Owned RedNote as US Ban Looms, Despite Similar Risks
TikTok users are rapidly downloading RedNote (Xiaohongshu) as an alternative platform ahead of the impending US TikTok ban, though this Chinese-owned app could face similar restrictions.
RedNote, which recently topped the Apple App Store charts, combines short-form videos, pictures, and text posts across three main feeds: "follow," "explore," and "nearby." The platform has evolved from its 2013 shopping-focused origins to now boasting over 300 million monthly active users and generating more than $1 billion in profit last year.
TikTok logo on mobile phone
However, the migration to RedNote may be short-lived. The same US law requiring ByteDance to sell TikTok to an American company by January 19 or face a ban could also affect other Chinese-owned apps, including RedNote, WeChat, and ByteDance's Lemon8 and CapCut.
While Frank McCourt and Kevin O'Leary's People's Bid has made a formal offer to purchase TikTok, ByteDance remains unwilling to sell. The Supreme Court recently heard arguments about the law's constitutionality, but preventing the ban before the deadline appears unlikely.
US-based content creators might be better served by transitioning to American-owned platforms like Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts rather than risking another potential platform ban.
Supreme Court at dusk
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