China’s ‘TikTok Refugees’: RedNote’s Rumoured Server Split to Curb US Influence

Key Takeaways

• With a potential ban looming, American TikTok users have been flocking to RedNote
• In response, RedNote has reportedly segregated Chinese and American users.
• The new model resembles how ByteDance operates TikTok and Douyin as distinct apps.

With millions of so-called American ‘TikTok refugees’ flocking to alternatives as the platform faces a looming U.S. ban, RedNote has reportedly responded to the influx by ringfencing Chinese and international users.

This approach aligns with Beijing’s preference for limiting Chinese internet users’ exposure to foreign content. It could also set the stage for a more formal separation further down the line.

TikTok Refugees Flock to RedNote

Known as Xiaohongshu in Chinese, until recently, RedNote had few users outside of China.

However, evidence of RedNote’s surging popularity in the U.S. can be seen in the app’s ascendancy to the top of the app store download charts this week.

On Jan. 13, RedNote was the most downloaded free application on Apple’s App Store  in the U.S. and the third most downloaded on Google Play.

By Jan. 15, it had topped the leaderboard on both major app stores.

Incidentally, Lemon8, TikTok’s sister app, is the second-most downloaded app on both platforms. Lemon8 may be spared the ban order affecting ByteDance’s most popular social media offering.

Responding to American Users

In general, RedNote has welcomed the influx of Americans, running an advertising campaign aimed at English language users in recent days. However, Chinese users have reported  that the app released an update in the greater China region that will silo content from foreign IP addresses.

The tactic isn’t new for Chinese social media platforms. ByteDance runs TikTok separately from Douyin, a model that helps enforce China’s “great firewall” by ensuring Chinese users aren’t exposed to foreign content.

Up until now, RedNote’s diversion from this approach has helped popularize it with the Chinese diaspora community as it has provided a way for expats to keep up with popular culture at home.

By segregating Chinese and international users, RedNote will now operate two distinct platforms with separate user bases.

Echoes of TikTok National Security Concerns

For RedNote/Xiaohongshu and TikTok/Douyin, operating separate apps for Chinese and international users helps maintain a domestic social media ecosystem that adheres to Beijing’s Chinese nationalism.

But the binary setup also underpins the U.S. government’s goal of spinning off TikTok from its current owner ByteDance. Likewise, creating an international version of RedNote could anticipate a more formal divorce further down the line.

Additionally, while the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act  was created with TikTok in mind, the legislation theoretically gives the president the power to ban other social media applications on national security grounds.

As such, if RedNote emerges as a viable TikTok alternative, it may soon face the same challenges.

Many of the concerns about Chinese state influence are equally applicable to RedNote, which is owned by the Xingyin Information Technology Company and counts Alibaba Group and Tencent as investors.

In Taiwan, these concerns have already prompted the government to ban public sector workers from using Xiaohongshu on official devices, echoing similar directives in the U.S. prohibiting government employees from using TikTok.