American TikTok Users Migrate to the Chinese Social Network Xiaohongshu

Amid threats of a TikTok ban in the United States, American users are flocking to the Chinese social network Xiaohongshu, which has become the most downloaded app in the U.S. App Store. Some users, calling themselves "TikTok refugees," claim that choosing a Chinese alternative is a form of protest against the potential ban, NewsBox reports.

The U.S. Supreme Court is set to rule on a law requiring TikTok to separate from its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, by January 19. If not, the app faces a ban in the U.S. due to national security concerns, according to the Associated Press.

After reports suggested that the justices might uphold the law, many TikTok users began creating accounts on Xiaohongshu, adding hashtags like #tiktokrefugee and #tiktok to their posts. As of January 13, Xiaohongshu ranks first among free apps in the U.S. App Store.

Xiaohongshu, which translates to "Little Red Book," is a Chinese social network combining features of e-commerce, short videos, and text-based posts. In recent years, the app has gained popularity in China and regions with large Chinese diasporas, such as Malaysia and Taiwan. Its audience includes 300 million monthly active users, most of whom are young women. They use the app as a search engine for product recommendations, travel tips, restaurant reviews, and advice on makeup and skincare.