Due to the potential ban of TikTok in the United States, users are migrating to the Chinese app Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote. In just one day, almost three million Americans downloaded the app, which raised it to the top of the most popular apps in the United States. However, the new users have already faced challenges related to Chinese censorship, according to China Digital Times.
The RedNote platform, which is a clone of Instagram, has introduced mandatory registration with real names, which requires a Chinese SIM card. This has already resulted in access restrictions for some foreign users. At the same time, Weibo has posted information about an urgent recruitment of English-language content moderators, which indicates the app's efforts to adapt to the sharp growth of its international audience.
“Xiaohongshu’s censorship system is likely being greatly challenged,”said Eric Liu, a former content moderator for Weibo and current editor of China Digital Times based in the United States, in an interview with Rest of World.
Chinese authorities have expressed concern about the possible access of Chinese users to American posts, which could create serious regulatory problems. In this context, some experts point out that the presence of American users within the "Great Firewall" poses an unprecedented challenge for both the Chinese and American sides.
Despite the challenges, many see this situation as a unique opportunity. Former Global Times editor Hu Xijin called for retaining the newcomers, as their presence can be a valuable resource.
The situation has sparked discussions about the possibility of launching an international version of Xiaohongshu that would exclude Chinese users, but no concrete action has been taken yet.
“To comply with Chinese law, the app may need to create a wall between domestic and foreign users, as ByteDance has done with TikTok and Douyin,” Liu added.
By the way, amidst the growing popularity of Xiaohongshu, Duolingo, a language learning app, has noted a sharp increase in activity among American users who have started learning Chinese. In particular, the number of Mandarin Chinese learners increased by 216%.