The emergence of a new social media platform, Xiaohongshu, has surprised Chinese users who are now bombarded with English-speaking Americans downloading the app in large numbers. The influx of American users is ironic given that Xiaohongshu’s own social media censorship rules are often stricter than those of its US counterpart, TikTok.
ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, must sell the app to a non-Chinese owner by January 19th or face the threat of a ban in America. The Supreme Court has upheld a “sell-or-ban” law passed last year, which could have significant implications for ByteDance and its subsidiaries.
While some American users see Xiaohongshu as an alternative to TikTok, others are concerned about data collection and privacy issues. They point to the Cambridge Analytica scandal as hypocritical given the US government’s accusations that China is using TikTok for surveillance purposes.
Xiaohongshu’s new users may be short-lived, however, as the app lacks mechanisms for users outside China to monetize their posts, a key feature of popular American social media platforms. Its fate, like TikTok’s, likely rests with Donald Trump, who is considering suspending enforcement of the US ban once in office.
The situation highlights changing attitudes towards data collection and the growing appeal of Chinese social media apps among young Americans. However, it also raises concerns about online censorship and the potential loss of freedoms on Xiaohongshu.
Source: https://www.economist.com/united-states/2025/01/17/a-protest-against-americas-tiktok-ban-is-mired-in-contradiction