RedNote: Chinese users react to US ‘TikTok refugees’

At the heart of the US ban is the fear that China is using TikTok to spy on America.

The app has faced accusations that user data is already in the hands of the Chinese government – due to a Beijing law that requires local companies to “support, assist and cooperate with state intelligence work”. TikTok denies this has ever happened, or that it will ever happen.

But that possibility isn’t worrying for some US users – 700,000 new users have signed up to RedNote in the last two days, making it the most downloaded free app in the US App store.

“The reason our government says they’re banning TikTok is because they insist it belongs to you, the Chinese, the government, whatever,” said one new RedNote user, Definitelynotchippy.

He went on to explain why he was on RedNote: “Many of us are smarter than that even if we decide to mess with our government and download an actual Chinese app. our government and learn about China and hang out with you.”

TikTok, although owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is headquartered in Singapore and says it is run independently. In fact, the Chinese version of TikTok is another app called Douyin. RedNote, on the other hand, is a Chinese company based in Shanghai and is among the few social media apps available in China and abroad.

So Washington’s fears about TikTok will extend to RedNote as well.

That’s why American users on RedNote refer to themselves as “Chinese spies” – continuing the TikTok trend where people have said goodbye to “personal Chinese spies” who allegedly watched them for years.

RedNote is now full of posts where former TikTok users are looking for a replacement. One post says: “I’m looking for my Chinese spy. I miss you. Please help me find him.”

And Chinese users have answered: “I’m here!”