PP2: Global Media
Global Media: The Rise of RedNote Amid TikTok Ban
As global media continues to evolve, social media platforms have transformed alongside it, reshaping how content is created, shared, and consumed. In recent years, short-form content has become increasingly popular with platforms and features like TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and others. While TikTok has dominated this specific content space for years, ongoing legal challenges threatening a ban of the app in the U.S. have created opportunities for emerging platforms to gain traction. One Chinese app in particular, called RedNote (also called Xiaohongshu and RedBook), has made headway in the U.S. as a potential TikTok competitor. RedNote represents a shift in global media trends, showing how platform dynamics can change depending on legal regulation and user demand.
After ByteDance's merger with Musical.ly in 2018, TikTok rapidly ascended to become the top app for short-form video content, revolutionizing the social media landscape. Its easy-to-use interface and personalized algorithms quickly gained a popularity that was reminiscent of a similar app called Vine in the early 2010s. The app's success is fueled by music, humor, trends, and creativity, allowing even casual users the chance to create viral content. TikTok has had a global impact on a plethora of different areas, including how music gains traction, how brands advertise, and even how political commentary can shape public perception, specifically among younger demographics.
Despite its explosive popularity, TikTok has been on the U.S. government's radar concerning privacy for quite some time. In 2019, the app faced a federal charge of violating U.S. child-privacy laws and had to pay a hefty fine of $5.7 million (CNN). That following year, the Pentagon banned the app from all military phones as politicians continued to look into the safety concerns within the app. President Trump even floated the idea of banning the app, but nothing definitive came of the statement until last year (AP News).
In 2024, a bill was introduced that called for a ban of TikTok if the parent company, ByteDance, refused to sell the app to a U.S. company within a year. This bill was passed by Congress and later signed by President Biden, marking an uncertain future for TikTok users across the Nation. After failing to sell the app, U.S. TikTok servers were shut down on the night of January 18th, 2025 and the platform was removed from app stores. The very next day, the app came back to U.S. users following an executive order from President Trump to halt the ban for 75 days (Forbes).
However, in the weeks leading up to the ban, as uncertainty loomed over the enforcement of the bill, users began searching for an alternative to TikTok. Amid this uncertainty, RedNote presented itself as a feasible option. Created in 2013, the app presented an interface and algorithm similar to TikTok, and users from the U.S. began to download it and post content on there. Popular content on RedNote ranges anywhere from beauty, lifestyle, and fashion, among many other topics. As more influencers and everyday people flocked to RedNote, it gained a ton of momentum and soon became the number one app in the App Store (VICE).
The irony of users migrating from TikTok to RedNote is that the latter shares similar privacy policies and data collection practices with the former. In fact, RedNote may be a larger security threat than TikTok, with their data being stored on Chinese servers rather than in Texas, where TikTok stores theirs (Forbes). Many users understand this threat, though, and began using the app as a form of retaliation to the U.S. government's ban of their beloved app.
RedNote became a trending topic on TikTok in the weeks leading up to the ban. Many users began posting videos talking about their experience with the app, stating that they were learning Mandarin and discovering Chinese news from Chinese users on the platform. On RedNote itself, U.S. users would often connect with others by posting videos introducing themselves, and they were ultimately met with acceptance from the app's long-time users. In fact, it quickly became common practice to provide English translations on videos, and vice versa. As more and more people spread awareness about the app and encouraged others to join, RedNote became a serious competitor to TikTok amidst the ban.
As the legal proceedings surrounding the TikTok ban unfold in the upcoming weeks, it remains unclear whether the app will retain its dominance in the social media landscape or if platforms like RedNote will continue to rise in popularity. The TikTok ban could do more than just open the door for other apps to thrive; it may also have a detrimental impact on the U.S. economy, and, in turn, the global economy. A study from Oxford Economics reveals that, in 2023, small/medium businesses' use of TikTok contributed $24.2 billion to the U.S. economy. Given how many business owners rely on TikTok for effective advertising and/or commerce, a ban would significantly harm countless businesses. The question arises: Would another app be able to fill the economic shoes of TikTok if the app were to be banned?
In conclusion, the rise of RedNote amidst the ongoing legal battles that TikTok is facing highlights the fluctuations of social platforms within global media. While TikTok continues to be a leading force in the short-form content space, RedNote's sudden emergence in the U.S. showcases how quickly people adapt to uncertainty and censorship in this modern digital age. As the global media landscape evolves, it will be interesting to see which of these platforms will end up on top, and whether U.S. laws will be able to make an actual change in security and protection. The competition between TikTok and RedNote represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of social media, where political factors shape its future.
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