TikTok's American void: RedNote reignites privacy fears
TikTok has been deactivated in the United States due to a change in legislation. Users there can no longer access the app, leading many to seek alternatives, often opting for another Chinese app.
TikTok took the world by storm, gaining immense popularity globally. Short, often entertainment-focused videos, watched vertically and recommended by an algorithm, create a dopamine rush that users find hard to resist. Quickly scrolling through videos can become addictive. It's no surprise that Americans, deprived of their daily dose of "happiness," are searching for alternatives.
Some suggest that the alternative could be the Xiaohongshu app, known in Western media as RedNote. Recently, many Americans have registered with it. It has surged in popularity in the American App Store, reaching the top spot among the most popular apps. It is also gaining traction in the Google Play Store.
"Little TikTok"
However, RedNote does not yet match the success achieved by TikTok. The app has been downloaded over 10 million times from the Google store, which is just 1% of TikTok's over 1 billion downloads.
As reported by the Investopedia service, data from Similarweb shows that as of 13th January, 13.3 million Americans were using the app, about 15% of the number who used TikTok in the country. Clearly, there is interest, yet RedNote will not dominate the American market overnight.
This is partly because the app is not designed for the international market. It’s primarily aimed at Chinese users. Some navigation features in the app remain in Mandarin.
Information found online indicates that RedNote only partially resembles TikTok. The service allows users to post videos and photos, and take advantage of infinite scrolling, spending hours watching endless content. However, as reported by TechCrunch, the service more closely resembles Yelp or Google, offering recommendations for local businesses in addition to a video channel.
Addiction to China?
In response to TikTok's popularity, other social media platforms have promoted short video formats. YouTube has Shorts, while Instagram and Facebook offer Reels. Therefore, the desire for another app for posting short videos might seem surprising.
Given the political tensions between the United States and China, it's possible that RedNote might soon lose favour with the USA. However, it should be noted that the TikTok ban could be lifted if Donald Trump returns to office.
Forbes reports that TikTok gathered substantial user data, leading to its ban in the USA. As Forbes mentions, RedNote does not perform any better in this regard.
RedNote collects a lot of data
According to its privacy policy, the app collects significant data about its users. This includes information such as location based on IP address and browsing habits. As the app's terms are in Mandarin, many new users may not even get the chance to review them and make an informed decision about accepting the terms. Adrianus Warmenhoven, a cybersecurity expert at NordVPN, warns against a mass migration from TikTok to the RedNote app:
- RedNote might seem like a quick fix for TikTok fans ahead of its potential ban in the U.S., but it comes with serious cybersecurity and privacy risks, comments the expert.
The problem is that, similar to TikTok, RedNote is subject to Chinese data regulations. This implies that the Chinese authorities can access users' data without the privacy protections the United States provides for its citizens.
- The platform collects extensive personal data, including location, browsing activity, and device-specific information like IP addresses. It can also share this data with third-party service providers or government authorities, raising concerns about user privacy, says Warmenhoven in an interview with Forbes.
New platform, old problems and threats
Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at ESET, shared similar concerns. He reminded us that modern social media are driven by data, learning about their users, and passing the obtained data to advertisers and other third parties. Everything is directed towards the algorithm delivering as much content as possible, which can influence our purchasing decisions, among other things.
Warmenhoven suggests that to protect privacy in the RedNote app, users should minimise the amount of personal data shared. It is also advisable to thoroughly check the app settings to limit the data collected.
In discussing the new platform's drawbacks, we should also mention restrictions on freedom of expression – the content moderation policy is likely fully aligned with the Chinese government's expectations. This could lead to censorship or manipulation of content on specific topics.
- The same privacy, transparency and national security concerns that led to the TikTok debate are likely to apply here, concludes the NordVPN expert.
