OTTAWA — As the U.S. moves towards an imminent ban on TikTok, Canadian users are increasingly flocking to a rival Chinese social media app known as Xiaohongshu, or RedNote. This shift has propelled the app to the top of the download charts in Canada.
The U.S. ban is primarily driven by national security concerns regarding TikTok's parent company, ByteDance Ltd. U.S. officials have raised alarms about Chinese national security laws that may compel organizations within China to assist in government intelligence activities.
On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously upheld a federal law that will enforce the TikTok ban starting Sunday unless ByteDance agrees to divest the platform. The court determined that the potential threat to national security linked to TikTok's Chinese connections outweighed the concerns about limiting freedom of expression for its 170 million users in the United States.
This looming prohibition has led many users in both the U.S. and Canada to turn to RedNote, an app designed and primarily used in Mandarin and based directly in China.
Stephanie Carvin, an associate professor of international affairs at Carleton University, highlighted that, unlike TikTok, which had implemented certain theoretical protections to safeguard user data, RedNote lacks similar assurances. Carvin stated, "None of those even rudimentary protections exist with RedNote."
In 2023, TikTok executives testified before a parliamentary committee, assuring Canadian MPs that the app is not under the control of the Chinese government and that user data is stored in servers located in the United States, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Audrey Champoux, a spokesperson for Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne, remarked in a media statement that "Canadians should make informed decisions about their personal data and consider carefully how it is being used,” in light of the rising popularity of RedNote.
Although the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) did not specifically discuss RedNote, it did express its concerns regarding TikTok's ties to China, indicating that these links raise national security issues. The CSIS noted that in 2023, China has continued to bolster the capabilities of its domestic security services.
In November, Minister Champagne announced the dissolution of TikTok's Canadian operations following a national security review. Despite this, the app is still accessible in Canada, and the company is contesting the shutdown order in court.
However, concerns surrounding data security have not halted the influx of users opting for RedNote, which has now achieved the status of the most downloaded app on the Google Canadian app store. RedNote has also topped the Apple downloads chart in Canada as of Thursday.
On Thursday, the Chinese embassy in Canada circulated a post from China's Xinhua News Agency featuring a video of U.S. and Chinese users interacting on RedNote, with many sharing videos of their cats.
Former TikTok users have taken to both platforms to mock national security apprehensions, making jokes about saying farewell to "my Chinese spy." Nevertheless, Carvin argued that the migration to RedNote is largely fueled by a general mistrust of the data practices of large Western social media companies.
Many users feel that their data has already been compromised or exploited by opaque algorithms, which has led them to justify their choice to use RedNote, as they do not perceive Chinese firms to be significantly less trustworthy than their North American counterparts.
Carvin reiterated that using RedNote carries its own risks, stating that CNN reported on Thursday that the platform has been hiring English-speaking content moderators and that new users are experiencing a type of Chinese-style censorship.
Furthermore, Carvin pointed out the lack of clarity from the Canadian government on why TikTok's Canadian operations were ordered to wind down. "If these apps are a problem, be open and transparent with Canadians about what those problems are," she urged.
Overall, Carvin attributed the current situation to a broader failure in government policy from Western countries regarding data privacy, enforcement of data protection measures, and a lack of transparency surrounding security issues related to these applications.
The future of TikTok in the U.S. remains uncertain, especially as U.S. president-elect Donald Trump has called for the suspension of the ban until he takes office. Trump has claimed he will "save" TikTok, although his specific plans are still unclear.
