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Now that the Supreme Court upheld a law that effectively bans TikTok unless it’s sold to a U.S. owner by Jan. 19, what will happen to other Chinese apps that Americans have been flocking to as an alternative, like RedNote?
Because of the law, come Sunday, TikTok will no longer be offered in U.S. mobile app stores. While the law doesn’t take TikTok off of existing users’ phones, the company told Reuters it plans to shut its U.S. operations on Sunday, making the app go dark for U.S. users.
As the high court signaled it was inclined to uphold the law during oral arguments earlier this month, U.S. TikTok users started moving to Xiaohongshu, nicknamed RedNote. It’s a Chinese-owned lifestyle platform where users can upload photos and videos, and it’s one of China’s most popular apps, with over 300 million users. This week, the app gained nearly 3 million U.S. users, Reuters reported, citing data analytics firm Similarweb. As of Friday, it’s No. 1 on Apple’s free app chart. Lemon8 is another Chinese-owned app that’s gaining traction in the U.S., though it’s also owned by TikTok owner ByteDance.
However, RedNote could likely face the same fate as TikTok here in the U.S. because it holds the very same characteristics that turned Congress against TikTok. One U.S. official told CBS News, “This appears to be the kind of app that the statute would apply to and could face the same restrictions as TikTok if it’s not divested.”
Under the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, an app has to meet a few criteria in order to be considered unlawful. Firstly, the app has to be controlled by a foreign adversary, like China, Russia, or Iran, that the president determines presents a significant threat to national security. RedNote is Chinese-owned and is headquartered in Shanghai, plus its shareholders include Chinese tech giants Alibaba and Tencent.
Secondly, if the app is primarily meant for users to post “product reviews, business reviews, or travel information” then it would be exempt from the law. Unfortunately, that is not Rednote, as the app’s interface is similar to TikTok’s, and it’s designed for posting pictures and videos of one’s everyday life.
Lastly, the app has to have more than 1 million monthly active users—RedNote gained 3 million U.S. users this week alone.
But the law does not automatically ban RedNote. Trump, or future U.S. presidents, would first have to indicate they believe RedNote threatens the country’s national security. Trump would be required to submit a report to Congress detailing “the specific national security concern involved” and how the app would need to divest its ownership. The president would then make a final determination within 30 days of handing over that report. If Trump decides RedNote should be banned, then the company would have 270 days to divest its Chinese owners. It could also challenge the law, like TikTok tried to—though the Supreme Court is likely to rule in favor of Congress again.
With Friday’s decision, the Supreme Court basically got out of lawmakers’ way and said the ball is in their court to decide what to do with Chinese-owned apps—which means lawmakers could also change TikTok’s fate. Trump indicated he may still try to save TikTok in the U.S. “My decision on TikTok will be made in the not too distant future, but I must have time to review the situation. Stay tuned!” he said on Truth Social after the court’s decision.
