What is RedNote? Chinese social media platform sees massive jump in ‘TikTok refugees’
A social media app gained huge prominence in the run-up to the ban of TikTok in the United States of America.
The video-sharing app was banned in the US for around half a day over the weekend due to data collection concerns, with users flocking to RedNote.
The social media giant was inaccessible in America for around 12 hours before incoming President Trump weighed in on the matter, delaying the enforcement of the ban.
However, in the lead up to the ban, US TikTok users flocked to Chinese social media app, Red Note.
WHAT IS REDNOTE?
Chinese social media app RedNote is more known by its Chinese name, Xiaohongshu. The app is more regarded as a version of Instagram, and was founded in 2013.
The app is the biggest social media platform in China, and gained prominence last week with Reuters reporting that more than 50,000 American and Chinese users joined the app’s chat ‘TikTok refugees.’
The chat saw the long-standing users interacting with newly-arrived American users on topics including food and unemployment.
Reuters added that more than 700,000 new users joined the app across a two-day period in the run-up to the US TikTok ban.
Reuters reported Red Note is ‘widely regarded’ as the most used search engine in China for all things beauty, fashion, travel and food.
The typical demographic is young females.
FEATURES
RedNote has its own features and is not similar to TikTok or Instagram in the way that multiple posts can be viewed simultaneously. This includes videos, pictures and longer-form text.
Like many social media sites, users can take part in discussions. They can also share, call each other — and even purchase products on the site.
Much of the content on the app is in Mandarin, though there is an option to change the language.
The influx of TikTok users caught bosses by surprise according to Reuters, who said the company were ‘scrambling’ for ways to moderate the app to cater to English-speaking users.