As TikTok faces a looming ban in the United States, American content creators are seeking alternatives—and many have landed on another Chinese social media platform. Xiaohongshu, known as RedNote in English, has surged to the top of the Apple App Store, drawing users with its Instagram-meets-Pinterest aesthetic.
Among those leading the migration is influencer Jen Hamilton, who boasts 3.9 million followers on TikTok. In a video announcing her move, Hamilton delivered a sharp critique of U.S. policies. “Oh, you don’t want the Chinese to have our sensitive personal data?” she asked sarcastically, hinting at the irony of the situation.
The catalyst for this exodus is a U.S. law passed last year requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to either sell the platform or shut it down entirely. The legislation, set to take effect this Sunday, has sparked heated debates. While critics argue it infringes on free speech, U.S. officials claim TikTok poses a national security threat, alleging it facilitates data collection, spying, and the spread of propaganda—claims that both China and ByteDance vehemently deny.
Despite these allegations, users like Hamilton remain unfazed. “It is impossible how little I care that the Chinese [have] my data,” she quipped in her video, poking fun at the paranoia surrounding privacy concerns. She even shared a joke about someone who “changed their username to their social security number” to help alleged spies “get promoted faster.”
Hamilton also issued an open invitation to her audience, calling her fellow creators “TikTok refugees” and urging them to join her on RedNote. Interestingly, the app’s predominantly Mandarin interface hasn’t deterred curious Americans from exploring the platform.
With TikTok boasting around 170 million users in the U.S., the migration to RedNote signals a significant shift in the social media landscape—one that raises questions about the intersection of technology, geopolitics, and personal freedoms.
