The impending shutdown of TikTok in the US has given rise to a phenomenon known as “TikTok refugees,” American users who have flocked to Xiaohongshu, meaning “Little Red Book,” a Chinese social media app that resembles Instagram.
Following China’s ban on social media giants like Google, Facebook, and others, Chinese netizens have had few avenues to interact with Americans on the same digital platforms until recently.
Ironically, the US government’s efforts to limit Chinese influence appear to have facilitated greater interaction between Chinese and American social media users.
The closure of TikTok in the US, mandated by a federal law citing national security and data privacy concerns, requires ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, to sell the app to a non-Chinese company by January 19. ByteDance has refused, leaving the app’s future uncertain.
Around 170 million Americans use TikTok, and many are unwilling to wait for the outcome. Rather than switching to US-based platforms like Instagram or Facebook, they have opted for Xiaohongshu, which briefly became the most downloaded free app on the US Apple App Store on January 13.
Some Americans expressed their disapproval of the US government’s stance by deliberately choosing another Chinese-owned app. Others are drawn by the chance to connect with a vast audience across the globe.
Founded in 2013, Xiaohongshu boasts 130 million daily active users as of mid-2024. Its name is a modern reference to Mao Zedong’s “Little Red Book,” a symbol of the Cultural Revolution. Although it lacks an official English name, some Americans have dubbed it “Red Note.”
Surprisingly, the Chinese government appears to tolerate this organic cross-cultural interaction, despite traditionally banning Western social media to prevent foreign influence.
Posts by American users on Xiaohongshu have remained accessible, and state news agency Xinhua even reported on the phenomenon, suggesting tacit approval from Beijing. This openness may signal a subtle gesture of goodwill towards the US as Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House on January 20.
The spontaneous migration of American users to Xiaohongshu highlights the potential for people-to-people exchanges to foster mutual understanding amid strained US-China relations.
Meanwhile, the future of TikTok in the US remains uncertain. As the Supreme Court prepared to issue a decision on the law banning TikTok, the app’s representatives launched a last-ditch effort to prevent its enforcement.
Lawmakers, including Senator Chuck Schumer, have urged President Biden to extend the deadline, arguing that a ban could harm his legacy. President-elect Donald Trump has signalled potential support for TikTok and may issue an executive order to counter the ban.
With the Supreme Court expected to uphold the law, TikTok’s impending shutdown has galvanised attention on the broader implications of the ban.
Sarah Kreps, director of the Tech Policy Institute at Cornell University, observed that the threat of losing the app has “crystallised what’s really at stake.” In the end, the unanticipated migration of users to Xiaohongshu might prove to be an unintended bridge between two divided digital worlds.
