A US netizen explains in a video she posted on Xiaohongshu, a social media platform run by a Chinese company, the reason why many TikTok users from the US have migrated to the Chinese platform. Photo: Screenshot from Xiaohongshu
As US TikTok users anxiously await the fate of TikTok as the US Supreme Court is set to rule if the platform has to be suspended in the US on January 19, a portion of the users from the US have flooded
Xiaohongshu, a social media platform run by a Chinese company, to open accounts and engage with local Chinese users and their fellow US users.
On Monday, a large group of TikTok users based in the US, calling themselves "TikTok refugees," were seen on the Chinese social media platform, which they call "RedNote." Many of them posted videos in which they explained why they are on this platform that has mostly Chinese speaking users.
They said that they moved to RedNote as they fear they are not going to be able to access TikTok after January 19, and they are engaging with Chinese netizens, eager to learn how to use the new app and build communities around their interests.
"The reason there are so many Americans coming over all at once is because TikTok is about to be banned in the US, and US government is claiming that it is because of data private concern as the parent company of TikTok is Chinese," one of the newcomers of US netizens named "WakoGeek" explained on a video she posted on RedNote.
The US Supreme Court held a two-hour discussion on January 10 regarding the future of TikTok in the US, according to an audio livestream on the court's website. On December 6, 2024, a US federal appeals court upheld a law requiring ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, to divest the app in the US by January 19, 2025 or face a ban, Reuters reported.
Nina from Texas is a newcomer among them. She told the Global Times that many people like her have recently switched to RedNote in the wake of recent developments related to TikTok. On "Red Note," Nina posted photos of her collections of books and toys.
"After I opened an account on RedNote, I found it very similar to TikTok and it's one of the few Chinese apps that are available in the US App Store," Nina told the Global Times.
In the meantime, a bunch of videos have been released on the platform by existing users offering English-language tutorials on how to navigate the Putonghua-dominated app while overcoming language barriers. Tips include how to activate Chinese-English subtitles and use the app's translation feature to understand Chinese content. Comments of "welcome" were left under the newcomers' posts and tips were given on how to use the app. "If you are interested, you can click on the link in the comments to join a group chat," a Chinese netizen wrote, aiming to provide important information to the newcomers.
A Chinese netizen surnamed Liu, who posted some tips on using RedNote for international users, told the Global Times that she had noticed many foreigners had questions about how to use the app. By sharing these tips, she wanted to help them use the platform more effectively and to prevent the spread of content that may be inappropriate or incompatible on the app.
"The fundamental principle of communication is openness and inclusiveness. We also hope that they will bring their perspectives on China, giving us the opportunity for fair communication," Liu said.
Marly, a senior student from the University of Virgina, also told the Global Times that she wouldn't mind learning Chinese in order to use the app and studying the language is now on her 2025 to-do list.
As of press time, the RedNote ranks first among US Social Networking apps in the App Stores. Many of the newcomers are apologizing for not knowing Putonghua and promise they will take "Chinese language lessons."
"I personally would love to interact with Chinese users as well as US users. One thing we hope to see is an in-house option to translate comments," Nina said.
She also noted the shop option in the app, which she hopes will become available for international users in the future.
In March 2024, China's Foreign Ministry said that the proposed TikTok ban puts the US on the opposite side of the principle of fair competition and international economic and trade rules.
"If so-called 'national security' reasons can be used to arbitrarily suppress other countries' outstanding companies, then there is no fairness or justice left. When one sees something good from others, the goal should not be to seize it for oneself — this is entirely a robber's logic," the Ministry said. The Ministry stressed that the way the US handles the TikTok issue will make the world see more clearly whether the so-called "rules" and "order" of the US are truly beneficial to the world or only serve the interests of the US itself.
According to The New York Times, there is a chance that President-elect Donald Trump will "try to rescue the app," which boasts 170 million users in the US, but the law is scheduled to go into effect the day before his inauguration.
"We are still hoping for a miracle to happen, and even if the ban doesn't go into effect I would still love to remain on RedNote," Nina said. "The Chinese people here are so kind and I wouldn't want to part ways with such a lovely community."