TikTok faces the possibility of being banned in the United States shortly, as a bill signed by President Biden mandates its parent company ByteDance to divest from the platform. With a potential ban looming, users are already exploring options – and another Chinese social network has surged to the top of the US App Store charts.
Chinese app ‘RedNote’ emerges as the #1 downloaded app in the US App Store
Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote in English, is a Chinese social platform launched in 2013 to rival Pinterest and Instagram. Initially, the app allowed users and influencers to share product reviews combined with e-commerce features. Recently, RedNote has turned its attention to short-form videos, similar to TikTok.
As reported by TechCrunch, RedNote has gained immense popularity among younger users in China, particularly during the pandemic. The app boasts over 300 million active users each month, yet it hasn’t made significant inroads in other countries until now.
Out of the blue, RedNote has claimed the title of the most downloaded app in the US App Store, surpassing competitors like ChatGPT, Threads, Instagram, and TikTok. The growing interest in alternatives to TikTok is fueling the surge in RedNote’s downloads. The app has been actively promoted by influencers urging their followers to switch to this new platform.
While it’s possible that TikTok may avoid a ban in the US—given that President-elect Trump has indicated he would oppose such a move—content creators are anxious about the unknown future and want to retain their audience.
Interestingly, influencers are advocating for another Chinese app instead of promoting a US-based alternative like Instagram. To provide context, the US Department of Justice holds concerns that TikTok’s Chinese parent company shares user data with the Chinese government and manipulates content shown to American users for political purposes.
Only time will reveal whether RedNote will rise to become the next TikTok.
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