Under a federal law unanimously upheld by the Supreme Court(nouvelle fenêtre), TikTok will be banned in the United States starting January 19 unless it is sold by its China-based parent company, ByteDance. While existing users will still be able to access the app, new downloads and updates will no longer be available, and app stores and hosting services will be prohibited from supporting TikTok.
As users delete TikTok, however, many are flocking to a new alternative(nouvelle fenêtre): a Chinese-owned app nicknamed RedNote. While it’s marketed as a lifestyle and video-sharing platform, RedNote raises the same privacy and security concerns as TikTok.
This article explores why these risks matter, what makes RedNote the latest trend, and how you can protect yourself from the growing threats posed by invasive social media platforms.
What is RedNote?
With over 170 million users in the United States(nouvelle fenêtre) alone, TikTok has faced growing scrutiny for its invasive data collection practices(nouvelle fenêtre) and its ties to ByteDance, a company subject to Chinese national security laws(nouvelle fenêtre).
At the heart of the TikTok debate is China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law(nouvelle fenêtre), which compels all Chinese companies to assist the government with national security matters. This means any company, from TikTok’s parent company ByteDance to RedNote’s parent company Xiaohongshu, can be forced to share user data with Chinese authorities — even if that data is from users in the United States or elsewhere.
While the law does not explicitly mandate content manipulation(nouvelle fenêtre), it compels companies to comply with government requests for data access and national security assistance. Combined with China’s broader regulatory environment, which prioritizes censorship and state control(nouvelle fenêtre), this creates an environment where apps like TikTok and RedNote may suppress politically sensitive topics or promote government-approved narratives. These practices illustrate the broader risks of apps that collect and centralize user data without strong oversight to hold companies accountable.
While RedNote is wildly popular social media app in China, particularly among younger women(nouvelle fenêtre), it has recently gained significant traction in the US, topping the Apple App Store charts. RedNote is the English translation of Xiaohongshu, which means “Little Red Book” in Mandarin. While many refer to it as RedNote in English-speaking markets, Xiaohongshu is the app’s original name and remains its official name in China.
Focused on lifestyle content, RedNote combines the features of TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest, offering short videos, product recommendations, and e-commerce functionality. The RedNote experience is almost identical to the TikTok experience: an endless scroll of algorithm-driven content.(nouvelle fenêtre) It’s important to note, however, that RedNote has little to no political content — not because users aren’t interested, but because the app operates within the constraints of Chinese government regulations. These regulations require platforms like RedNote to suppress politically sensitive topics, which limits free expression and shapes the app’s content to align with state-approved narratives.
Is RedNote safe?
With TikTok officially banned in the United States starting January 19, many users are migrating to RedNote, but it’s important to note that these apps are notorious for collecting vast amounts of personal information. Just how much personal information? As with just about every social media platform, the answer is: “a lot.”
According to TikTok’s privacy policy(nouvelle fenêtre), even if you just download and open the app but never create an account, TikTok will collect your:
- GPS location data
- IP addresses and device identifiers
- Search and browsing histories
- Messages and in-app interactions
On TikTok, even users’ keystrokes have (nouvelle fenêtre)reportedly been tracked through its in-app browser(nouvelle fenêtre). Similar issues could arise on RedNote, although its practices have not yet been widely studied.
The sheer volume of this data — combined with Chinese laws requiring companies to hand it over to the government — underscores the risks of using such platforms, which also have a history of censoring politically sensitive topics and promoting government-approved content. From suppressing information(nouvelle fenêtre) about pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong to removing mentions of the Uighur crisis(nouvelle fenêtre), these apps can shape public discourse, often in ways that users don’t notice. For US-based users, this could mean a platform where free expression takes a back seat to geopolitical agendas.
Xiaohongshu’s privacy policy(nouvelle fenêtre), written primarily in Mandarin, indicates that the app collects a range of user data, including location information, browsing habits, and device identifiers. Although camera use might involve the processing of personal or facial data, the policy does not explicitly describe this as “biometric information” or detail how such data is stored. Furthermore, like other Chinese-owned platforms, Xiaohongshu complies with China’s Cybersecurity Law(nouvelle fenêtre), which requires companies to store data locally and provide government access upon request, raising additional privacy concerns.
While apps like TikTok and RedNote are governed by China’s national security laws, which prioritize government access, US-based platforms like Facebook or Instagram also collect vast amounts of user data. However, these platforms are subject to different legal and regulatory frameworks, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which aim to provide more transparency and user control.
How you can protect your privacy
Regardless of what happens to TikTok or RedNote, the risks of using social media platforms are here to stay. Other apps and social media companies, such as Meta and Threads, collect personal data to fuel advertising revenue, and their business models depend on tracking your behavior.
Read more: Is TikTok safe?(nouvelle fenêtre)
Read more: A privacy analysis of Meta’s new Threads app
To take control of your data, here are some actionable steps:
- Use privacy-focused tools: Start with secure email services like Proton Mail and a VPN like Proton VPN(nouvelle fenêtre) to encrypt your communication and shield your online activity.
- Read privacy policies: They might be dense, but they reveal how your data is collected and shared.
- Create email aliases: Proton Mail makes it easy to create email aliases, including hide-my-email aliases, which you can use instead of your primary email address when signing up for apps. This protects your identity, minimizes spam, and keeps your main inbox secure.
- Avoid granting app tracking permissions: When using RedNote, you may see an app tracking prompt asking for permission to track your activity across apps and websites. We recommend refusing this permission, as it limits the app’s ability to collect additional data about you beyond what is already required to use its features.
- Enable dark web monitoring with Proton Mail: Proton Mail’s dark web monitoring feature alerts you if your email address is found in a data breach on the dark web. This allows you to take action quickly to protect your accounts and prevent further exposure.
The bigger picture
The recent Supreme Court decision to ban TikTok in the United States highlights the intense scrutiny on Chinese-owned platforms and the privacy risks they pose. While TikTok and RedNote are often singled out for their ties to China, it’s important to recognize that many social media platforms — regardless of where they’re based — collect extensive personal data. Apps like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat also track your browsing habits, location, and other sensitive information, often using it to sell targeted ads or share with third-party partners.
The difference with Chinese-owned platforms lies in the added risks of government access under China’s regulatory environment, which prioritizes state control over individual privacy(nouvelle fenêtre). However, this doesn’t mean you should ignore the broader privacy implications of other social media apps.
At Proton, we believe privacy should never be an afterthought. Whether it’s TikTok, RedNote, or any other platform, your personal data is valuable — and should remain yours. By staying informed about how platforms collect and use your information, and by taking steps to protect your privacy, you can enjoy the benefits of technology without sacrificing control over your most valuable, sensitive information.
