Welcome, Tiktok refugees
The fate of Tiktok hangs in the balance: if the supreme court considers the ban constitutional, ByteDance must sell off its U.S. operation by Jan 19. Today, a deluge of Tiktok users flocked into the Xiaohongshu, participated conversations in chatrooms. They chatted in English and discussed the future of the platform. It was surreal to observe the diverse, inclusive cultures in such a tight gripped platform.
I spoke with several of Tiktok refugees to understand why they favor Xiaohongshu over platforms like X or Instagram? The choice feels like a statement of protesting: if the government targets a company simply for being based in China, I would join another social network based in China! Yet, grievances aside, it is not practical to start their business in Xiaohongshu. They would face the challenge to engage their audience with radical cultural and ideological differences; while navigating the platform’s pervasive censorship.
I am also skeptical whether Xiaohongshu is capable to fully capitalize on the influx of Tiktok users. A simple “Hello” post from a newcomer garnered thousands of likes, — an anecdote the platform favors these newcomers with disproportional exposures. Meanwhile, some long-time content creators openly expressed frustration, criticizing the favoritism undermines fairness on the platform.
Content consumers also voiced dissatisfaction with this shift. Many Chinese students and professionals have long valued Xiaohongshu as a space to connect with Chinese community, — a niche that platforms like reddit, X, and Instagram catering for broader, international audiences. However, the influx of newcomers diluted this uniqueness, leaving many feeling that the platform’s unique appeal is eroding.
There are more logistical challenges for Xiaohongshu’s developer to adapt to the this newfound international attention. Originally designed with a Chinese users base in mind, the domestic version supports only Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, and English; while the international version, REDNote, lacks key features such as live chat. Perhaps the most complicated hurdle task is ensuring the community discussion comply to the Chinese regulations as a Shanghai-based company. It is intriguing how Xiaohongshu’s leadership responded to this unexpected growth opportunity. Will they seize the chance to expand their global footprint, or will the platform’s rising place it in the crosshairs of international scrutiny, making it the next target in this geopolitical tug-of-war?