RedNote: How TikTok's Ban Sparked an Unexpected Cultural Bridge
Will the party last? What about censorship? What's next for RedNote?
My favorite app has been everywhere in the news lately. I've spent the past few days talking about it. It started with
’s excellent Vogue Business piece, and then explaining RedNote for Canada Broadcasting Company (yes, for their TikTok and Reels, the irony isn't lost on me), sharing my 2 cents with BBC radio World Business Report about what this means for US legislation and Chinese companies going global, and discussing content moderation and transcending cultural differences with CNN's Eric Cheung and Will Ripley. Also, I recorded an episode with and we talked about crisis communication and TikTok Ban. Listen here.Ok, let's break RedNote down from a few angles:
What is RedNote, and why does it matter?
RedNote was last valued at $17B, backed by Alibaba, Tencent, and Silicon Valley VCs like DST and Notable Capital (GGV). But calling it the "Instagram of China" or "Chinese TikTok" misses the mark.
What makes RedNote tick is how it serves different users differently. Like TikTok, it's built around discovery - but not in the same way. As someone who uses RedNote a LOT, I mostly scroll through whatever the algorithm serves me. I trust it'll show me stuff I care about, rather than new content from the creators I follow. TikTok started this way too - letting anyone go viral through great content, not just those with a big following. This keeps people posting because there's always a chance their next post could take off.
RedNote's core strength lies in its community. The trust among users stems from the platform's foundation of educated, urban and international users from major cities—though this has been changing. Even as more men join the platform, its strength is making everyone feel like "we're all in this together." That's actually RedNote's biggest advantage as it goes global.
Who are these #TikTokRefugees?
People who are joining the platform is a self-selective group of people I’d categorize into the following groups:
Users who equates signing up=active protest against the TikTok ban
People genuinely curious about what a Chinese app is really like and want to engage
Opportunists seeing the traffic shift and trying to build a following
MCN agencies playing the traffic game and pushing their TikTok/Instagram influencers to grab early territory
Cultural exchange and conversations are happening on the app, I observe a lot of collective meme making, finding commonalities as well as exploring differences as well. Comparing living costs and salaries is a hot topic of discussion. Call me an optimist, but digital utopia is happening in the best sense of the word.
The Cultural Moment We're In
Candid conversations are happening in the RedNote conversations, and it’s the kind of people to people exchanges China has been deliberately fostering in the past year in its official narrative.
And it’s happening organically. The folks going to RedNote aren't your typical TikTok users - they're the ones willing to deal with the hassle of using a new app to be part of this cultural conversation. It's a 2025 black swan that nobody saw coming.
The platform’s vibe is fundamentally different from TikTok’s. RedNote doesn’t even have a translation function yet - even WeChat's international version has that. RedNote faces a delicate balancing act—delivering the Xiaohongshu (小红书) experience to its existing user base while onboarding newcomers without alienating either group. But any sudden surge in users is bound to reshape the platform’s cultural fabric, for better or worse.
RedNote has some big decisions to make:
- Who is this app really for now?
- How do they tailor the user experience?
- Plan to cultivate new users and turn into a commercialization opportunity?
But right now, it’s fascinating is watching the genuine exchange happening in the comments - people comparing living costs, sharing grocery tours and cat photos, gossiping about everything from the Kardashians to Timothée Chalamet (yes, Chinese internet loves Timmy, his Chinese name is sweet tea, 甜茶 <3)
The question now is, will this last?
Maybe. People’s Daily has set the tone: American citizens want normal lives, Chinese businesses want to develop normally, and people from both countries want normal exchanges... This is the will of the people, this is the trend. "美国老百姓要正常生活，中国企业要正常发展，中美两国民众要正常交流……这就是人心，这就是大势。"
But as CNN points out, some new users are encountering Chinese-style censorship for the first time. RedNote is scambling to hire English-speaking content moderators. That is a hard job and ability to speak English alone won’t cut it. The moderators will need to have the breadth and depth of understanding of meme culture, communication norms, and cross-cultural sensibilities.
WIRED reported that “ Social media platforms in China are legally required to remove a wide range of content, including nudity and graphic violence, but especially information that the government deems politically sensitive. Platforms like Xiaohongshu rely on large teams of contractors managed by outsourcing companies to do both routine enforcement as well as respond to emergency situations.”
And “emergencies” are likely to happen. China Digital Times previously published a 2020 internal instruction manual for Xiaohongshu content moderators that explained how they should respond to “sudden incidents.”
RedNote's always had strong content moderation to comply with Chinese rules, but now they need to figure out how to handle this with flood of new users and geopolitics hanging over its head.
An opportunity or crisis for RedNote?
What's particularly interesting about these "TikTok refugees" is the split between creators/active participants and passive viewers. While RedNote hasn't released official data, I’m seeing a surprisingly high number of these new users actually engaging on RedNote- commenting, posting, and joining chatrooms. For any social media platform, this kind of active participation is gold, especially when it opens up an entirely new demographic. The trend is already spilling beyond the US into the EU and other regions, pushing RedNote to #1 in download rankings globally.
I’ll be following RedNote’s content audit process and its approach to shadow banning. Among its peers, RedNote has been the most particular in flagging sensitive terms, topics, and even marketing language/mention of competitors. Its content moderation criteria are also fluid, and constantly changing.
For reference, Xiaohongshu’s review process follows a hybrid model of automated screening and human review. Posts are initially filtered by AI, going live immediately if no violations are detected. If flagged, they undergo manual moderation, which can take up to 48 hours. Users rely on community guidelines and third-party tools like ZeroGram Checker (零克查词) to pre-screen content and avoid compliance issues.
Beyond moderation, Xiaohongshu’s traffic distribution operates on a tiered recommendation system. Posts gain exposure based on engagement (likes, saves, comments). Factors like titles, keywords, and compliance play a key role in whether a post gets indexed. Any sudden shifts in these mechanisms—whether in content audits or algorithmic exposure—can dramatically alter a platform’s user experience.
RedNote’s next challenge? Navigating this fine line between control and organic growth without suffocating the very culture it’s trying to cultivate. The new user base will create commercialization opportunities for the international business development team.
(Here’s a piece I wrote on on RedNote’s social commerce experience)
The past couple of days, scrolling through RedNote has been fascinating—watching the emergence of new subcultures and the real-time co-creation of a digital third space. Maybe in 2025, finding common ground really does start with sharing memes—and I’m all in!
Lastly, follow me on RedNote :D
I just subscribed to XHS (from Malaysia). Can I honestly say that this is the first social media app that I am comfortable using because I know it will be moderated according to Chinese standards of moderation. I really dislike how other social media have become tools for manipulation whether by the private sector or by the US government. I have no problems with content moderation, especially if it discourages abuse and prejudice.
As an investor, I think Chinese history gives us a hint to China’s future.
During the Ming Dynasty China dominated Asia with cutting edge technology like gunpowder, canons, silk, paper, the compass, the seismograph, tea, teacups and plates (called “fine China), the ship’s rudder, paper money, noodles (spaghetti), and modern banking.
China did not dominate Asia with military force.
Since the fall of the Ming, China was ruled by foreigners, by the Manchurians, then the imperial powers and finally by Stalin’s apprentice, Mao Tse Tung
Now, for the first time since 1662, China is ruled by Chinese people, and the government they choose is a Confucian meritocracy
Watch and see if China returns to its natural state, the Ming Dynasty
China is severely misunderstood by Americans on both ends of the political spectrum and it’s baffling to me . China is now a global net investor throughout the entire world. Malaysia alone is expecting to attract $100 billion dollars of Chinese foreign direct investment. China’s development strategy is a firm contradiction of the U.S.’s development policy while China strives to make the lives of ordinary people better in the countries that it chooses to invest in the U.S. strives to make itself and the elites in that country better off. Throughout the 20th century after the Second World War, U.S. restaurant chains often serving substandard food “manufactured at an industrial scale” penetrated almost every country in the world and the U.S. used them as soft power beacons as evidenced by their propaganda campaigning in the Soviet Union during Gorbachev’s reign. Chinese restaurant chains which have now begun expanding all over the world instead focus on providing the best value and best products to consumers whilst also not poisoning them with ultra processed junk. I’m a China focused investment publication and I think the Chinese restaurant sector will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the next 10 years as they expand globally to compete with U.S. based chains on two things which consumers all the world want: value and quality. If you or your viewers are interested then I’d love any feedback on my work as I’m just starting out
China is now a global net investor throughout the entire world. Malaysia alone is expecting to attract $100 billion dollars of Chinese foreign direct investment. China’s development strategy is a firm contradiction of the U.S.’s development policy while China strives to make the lives of ordinary people better in the countries that it chooses to invest in the U.S. strives to make itself and the elites in that country better off. Throughout the 20th century after the Second World War, U.S. restaurant chains often serving substandard food “manufactured at an industrial scale” penetrated almost every country in the world and the U.S. used them as soft power beacons as evidenced by their propaganda campaigning in the Soviet Union during Gorbachev’s reign. Chinese restaurant chains which have now begun expanding all over the world instead focus on providing the best value and best products to consumers whilst also not poisoning them with ultra processed junk. I’m a China focused investment publication and I think the Chinese restaurant sector will be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the next 10 years as they expand globally to compete with U.S. based chains on two things which consumers all the world want: value and quality. If you or your viewers are interested then I’d love any feedback on my work as I’m just starting out
https://open.substack.com/pub/dragoninvest/p/restaurant-analysis-series-part-1?r=53xvwu&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false