A Mass Migration of TikTokers are Moving to the Platform ‘RedNote’

The new year so far has caused quite a stir for online users today.

With the looming threat of TikTok being banned across America, there has been a mass influx of downloads with the app ‘RedNote’, which may as well be considered the next big trend for young Gen-Z and Millennials.

There had been previous warnings regarding the ban of TikTok since the beginning of 2020, which had usually amounted to meaningless gossip in the end. However, this month has proven to be one of the most spiraling cases of paranoia after legislators have pushed the ban’s deadline to January 19th, 2025.

It can be argued that the ban had emanated due to the gross influx of users being spread with misinformation and dangerous trends, ones which have proven to have hindered the younger generation in ways that have drastically set back our society’s educational and behavioral issues. However, the true reason for the ban, which has been promoted by many viral sources, such as the BBC, is due to the government’s ongoing concern for the U.S.’s privacy and safety, as they have had reasons to believe that their national security has been breached by the Chinese government thanks to the viral platform.

“The US Justice Department has said that because of its Chinese parent company, and access to data on American users, TikTok poses "a national-security threat of immense depth and scale". States Liv McMahon, a reporter for the BBC network.

TikTok’s company – ByteDance, currently owned by a Chinese production – had lost its first legal battle to maintain the platform within the U.S. on December 6th when three federal judges unanimously overruled their argument that the law violated their right to the First Amendment.

Despite these grim circumstances, some internet users have found humor in the situation, poking fun at those who are finding difficulty dealing with the pending loss.

“The TikTok ban just means more annoying people.” Says user @Laeswrld on the platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The comment has received over 170k views and 1.7 reactions.

In the meanwhile, others have, unfortunately, found themselves taking part in a historical mourning period over the tragic news, some even going so far as to hopefully offer funding to keep the platform.

“I wouldn’t mind paying 9.99 a month to keep TikTok.” @sorealne, X/Twitter

“Wtf am I supposed to do when TikTok gets banned? These are my likes. They don’t have this [expletive] on reels.” @pk_kenzie, X/Twitter

One of the main concerns about the ban that has been brought up with the government has been the amount of people who would find themselves unemployed. Over 11,000 U.S. individuals will find themselves out of the job if the ban is to move forward.

Senator Edward J. Markey is one of the few governmental higher-ups who have shared these concerns publicly, and as a result, he has announced his efforts to try and push an extension of the deadline for the ban by an additional 270 days.

“These communities cannot be replicated on another app. A ban would dismantle a one-of-a-kind informational and cultural ecosystem, silencing millions in the process. The stakes here are high.”

“Let me be clear: TikTok has its problems. Like every social media platform, TikTok poses a serious risk to the privacy and mental health of our young people. I will continue to hold TikTok accountable for such behavior. But a TikTok ban would impose serious consequences on millions of Americans who depend on the app for social connections and their economic livelihood. We cannot allow that to happen.”

(Edward’s full remarks can be found here) https://markeysenate.app.box.com/s/xov2syii44fk3pzqzzep83xed8v7tfux

Red Note, also known as ‘Xiaohongshu’, is a Chinese-based platform that is currently the number one most downloaded app on the Android Play Store, and quickly climbing the ranks within the Apple Store platform, reaching number 5 on the social networking chart practically overnight.

There’s a bit of irony to be found in this situation overall, as the newfound popularity for RedNote may be counter-productive to the government’s ban, as it has only pushed users to continue supporting Chinese-owned products despite their concerns.