New users have piled into Chinese social media app RedNote just days ahead of a proposed US ban on popular social media app TikTok, as the lesser-known company rushes to capitalize on the sudden influx while treading a delicate line of moderation. in the English language. content.
In a live chat called “TikTok Refugees” on RedNote on Monday, more than 50,000 American and Chinese users joined the room. Veteran Chinese users, with a sense of bewilderment, welcomed their American counterparts and exchanged notes with them on topics such as food and youth unemployment. However, from time to time the Americans ventured into riskier territory.
“Is it okay to ask how the laws are different in China and Hong Kong?” asked one American user. A Chinese user responded: “We prefer not to talk about it here.”
These impromptu cultural exchanges were taking place all over RedNote, known in China as Xiaohongshu, when the app shot to the top of the US download chart this week. Its popularity was boosted by American social media users looking for an alternative to ByteDance-owned TikTok days before its imminent ban.
RedNote, a venture-backed startup with a most recent valuation of $17 billion, allows users to select photos, videos and texts that document their lives. It has been seen as a possible IPO candidate in China. In recent years, it has become a de facto search engine for its more than 300 million users searching for travel tips, anti-aging creams and restaurant recommendations.
In just two days, more than 700,000 new users joined Xiaohongshu, a person close to the company said. Xiaohongshu did not immediately respond to a request for comment. RedNote downloads in the United States were up more than 200% year over year this week and 194% from the previous week, according to estimates from app data research firm Sensor Tower.
The second most popular free app on Apple’s App Store list on Tuesday, Lemon8, another ByteDance-owned social media app, saw a similar surge last month, with downloads jumping 190% in December to about 3,000. 4 million. The app saw a similar surge on Google’s Play Store.
The influx appeared to take RedNote by surprise, and two sources familiar with the company said they were scrambling to find ways to moderate English content and create English-Chinese translation tools. TikTok users posted videos of themselves speaking basic Mandarin to engage more fully with RedNote users.
RedNote maintains only one version of its app, rather than splitting it into domestic and foreign apps, a rarity among Chinese social apps that are subject to domestic moderation rules. ByteDance publishes two versions of its short-form video app: Duoyin in China and TikTok in the rest of the world.
RedNote is interested in taking advantage of the sudden rush of attention, as executives see it as a potential path to achieving TikTok-like global popularity. Share prices of some China-listed companies that do business with RedNote, such as Hangzhou Onechance Tech Corp, rose as much as 20% on Tuesday, hitting the daily limit.
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The surge in U.S. users comes ahead of a Jan. 19 deadline for ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban in the U.S. on national security grounds. TikTok is currently used by about 170 million Americans, about half the country’s population, and is overwhelmingly popular with young people and the advertisers looking to reach them.
“Americans using Rednote feel like a blatant middle finger to the US government for its corporate overreach and privacy concerns,” said Stella Kittrell, 29, a content creator based in Baltimore, Maryland. . He said he joined RedNote hoping to collaborate more with Chinese companies, which he found helpful. Some users said they joined the platform to look for alternatives to Facebook and Instagram, owned by Meta, and Elon Musk’s X. Some expressed doubt that they would be able to rebuild their TikTok fan base on those apps.
“It’s not the same: Instagram, X or any other app,” said Brian Atabansi, 29, a business analyst and content creator based in San Diego, California. “Mainly because of how organic it is to build a community on TikTok,” he said.