The countdown to TikTok being banned in the United States — or worse, owned by Elon Musk — is on, and as the days until January 19 get closer, some Americans are protesting by moving to a similar Chinese app.
Xiaohongshu — which translates to "little red book" — is being referred to as RedNote by English users, who have flooded the app with the hashtag #tiktokrefugee. As the TikTok ban looms, RedNote has become the most downloaded app in the US.
The app is also available in Canada, and according to some research (read: curious scrolling) from our Managing Editor, it has an extremely wholesome vibe. It takes a bit for the algorithm to figure out that you're an English speaker, but from there, Chinese-speaking users are reportedly very welcoming to the influx of new people. Apparently, they're just as happy to give mandopop recommendations as they are to joke about being your personal Chinese spy.
TikTok faces a ban in the US over concerns of user privacy, though they ironically still give out their data to Mark Zuckerberg like it's candy on Halloween. If the app's parent company ByteDance sells its US operation by the 19th, it could hypothetically continue operating there.
If you may entertain some shameless self-promo, now is a good a time as any to follow Exclaim! on the dreaded clock app, as we intend to lose some American followers over the weekend. Think of it as supporting CanCon, and this Social Editor who intends to continue embarassing herself on the internet for money.