The U.S. government will officially ban TikTok on Sunday, Jan. 1, on Sept. 19 unless the U.S. Supreme Court decides to do something to stop it in August. Last minute ruling—The ban forced many TikTokers to migrate to the Chinese video-sharing app Xiaohongshu—Note notes Or Red Book in English—as is common practice for America's ruling class, and as RedNote remains number one in the Apple App Store in the United States for a second day. Therefore it is something to keep an eye on.
It's unclear whether Americans will continue to use RedNote in the long term. This is especially true if TikTok is saved by a sale to a successful American company or President-elect Donald Trump intervenes. Bloomberg reports that Elon Musk may try to buy TikTok. TikTok has been attacked. Quickly on Monday night But it was really interesting to see both American and Chinese users discuss the migration to RedNote in technological and utopian terms.
Internet users in the U.S. and China have long been separated by a large digital moat. RedNote users new and old spoke of how it felt at last to be an opportunity for true cultural exchange between general publics in both. two countries Because back in the 1990s, the idea of a “global village” where everyone could communicate peacefully around the world freely. It's a key part of humanity's technological dreams for the future, but things like China's Great Firewall and the U.S. surveillance apparatus has made that vision worse.
“Seeing TikTok refugees flooding the red note makes me so nostalgic,” one user on RedNote called out Zoey. Said in the video– “It reminds me of the early 2000s, when the internet first made a global village possible.”
Zoey compares it to what people in the 20th century often had. pen palIt's a common way to communicate with people you don't know on the other side of the world. Physical mail is exchanged through the postal service. This is usually coordinated through the school. so that the children Practicing language and writing skills while learning about different cultures, Zoey said her exercises in school were just pretending that she and her fellow students were really writing to pen pals. But the concept is still the same.
“I remember that time.. In China when I was a child When I first started learning English We practice writing by pretending to have a pen pal from the United States or the United Kingdom,” says Zoey, “and we write in English. That feels a lot like what's happening with Red Note right now.”
Zoey admits it's “a bit chaotic” but says people overall are very curious.
“It is almost miraculous that the intention to connect and gather can still cross so many boundaries. Especially in an era where the internet is highly fragmented. And the algorithm has created a really strong echo chamber. It prevents people from understanding each other,” says Zoey, which is amazing.
Zoey no longer needed to pretend to write to a pen pal. At least not now. But Zoe knows it might be an illusion. and a short period of time This may disappear quickly.
“Maybe I'm being too romantic. But it's been so long since I felt like this, like, people can really connect. And people are genuinely interested and curious about each other,” Zoey said. “I don't know how long this is going to last. I'm not an optimist. But I hope this can last a little longer.”
Other English-speaking users in China have spoken of their conflicted feelings when they see Americans pouring into the app. One creator said she was a TikTok Live host and would come to RedNote (or Red Book, as she called it) to complain about Americans she encountered on TikTok.
“Red Book is a place where I can talk about my American customers behind their backs. So I'm wondering where I should post those now,” the user joked.
Users also encourage Americans to start learning Mandarin. This is a common sentiment that appears frequently among US users. who are trying out the site
But of course it wasn't all serious talk. There are countless jokes in RedNote about the trend of American interest. Many users joke about It's a spear. on TikTok and wants to continue tracking spying as more U.S. users turn to Red Note. Jokes like that have also been very common among Americans on TikTok in recent days and weeks.
Other long-time RedNote users who spoke with American welcomed the new users. Instead, they offer advice on everything from ignoring trolls to using Mandarin when possible.
“At the end of the day, we're not that different,” one RedNote user said. Said in English About the cultural divide between American and Chinese users But that same user also spoke in coded language about RedNote's “rules.”
“Yes, there are rules here,” the user said. “The place is pretty cool. But it's not without rules. To be honest, I don't know much about it. Because I really don't need to. If you know what I mean.”
The user went on to say: “What You Should Say” in the United States “Chances are you shouldn't say it here either,” the user continued. “Do you see what I'm trying to say here?” while also encouraging Americans “Just use common sense.”
Red Note is not a utopia from the perspective of Americans who care about the ideals of liberal democracy and freedom of speech. This app plays according to the rules of the Chinese government. This means that you will no longer be criticized by the Communist Party. And China is not a utopia for LGBT people. The past year has seen repression About the LGBT support group in Beijing
One area where Americans might find more freedom is on topics like Luigi Mangione, the 26-year-old man charged with killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson in December. Social media sites like TikTok are playing whack-a-mole to suppress content. Celebrating Mangione But it seems that there are no such restrictions on Red Note.
One funny realization for Americans on TikTok in recent days is that other English-speaking creators they might enjoy around the world aren't necessarily booted from the platform. As one US user named Mystery of Kyle joked about British users remaining on the platform. speak“We can't make fun of each other anymore. What would you do without us?”
“Now it's going to be a truly British app. And there aren't that many of you,” he continued. “They're all confined to a confined space with horrible food. What will you guys do? Are you talking about canned fish? There is a man named who reviews canned fish. He will probably be the number one creator on the app when we leave.”
The utopian ideal of the online global village has always been romantic. US intelligence community It literally helped build the internet from its earliest days. 1960s and 70sThe NSA and CIA have been spying on this ever since. The internet was a creation of the Cold War. And the boundaries of the web are built along the same Cold Warrior lines. The first internet node outside the United States has been established in Norway for monitoring. Soviet nuclear tests
China, though, has been slow to join the internet party. But there are governments that have been spying on the internet for just as long. with Americans It has been monitoring and censoring its own population by blocking access to American websites for decades. And now it's Americans' turn to learn about this egregious form of censorship by banning TikTok.
If many Americans are on RedNote weeks from now, the US government could move to ban the app under the guise of privacy concerns. But when Trump takes office on Monday, So it's unlikely that a new ban on Chinese-owned apps will be front-page news. Everything Trump promised to do on day one From deportation to serious crackdowns on political opponents. Another banned app will be another Monday in America.