As the U.S. prepares to implement a TikTok ban on January 19, many American users have turned to the Chinese social app RedNote (Xiaohongshu) as an alternative, leading to a surge in cultural exchange and unexpected challenges. Over 700 million TikTok users have migrated to RedNote, embracing its Chinese-designed social networking experience and demonstrating continued demand for such platforms despite concerns over data security. The language barrier on RedNote, which defaults to Mandarin, has driven a 216% increase in U.S. users learning Mandarin on Duolingo, with many citing TikTok as their reason for starting. This migration highlights a lack of concern among many U.S. users about potential data collection risks from Chinese apps, defying one of the key arguments for TikTok’s ban. While some users face technical and community challenges on RedNote, the shift signals a strong preference for innovative social networking platforms over domestic imitations. Continue here.
