TikTok users are flocking to a Chinese-owned app, not back to Meta. It's wild. | Opinion

I have some bad news for Americans and lawmakers living in fear of China spying on us and taking our data through TikTok.

A mass exodus is happening right now of Americans flocking to an actual Chinese-owned social media app instead of embracing Facebook or Instagram.

That's right. Instead of TikTokers returning to Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk, it would appear that droves of us have chosen to download and explore RedNote, an app created and operated in China that is also known as Xiaohongshu. That means Americans who don't speak Mandarin have to use translating apps to figure out what's going on.

But they're doing it.

RedNote's ascension in America is the most ironic thing going

On Jan. 13, 2025, RedNote was the most downloaded free app in Apple's U.S. App Store.
On Jan. 13, 2025, RedNote was the most downloaded free app in Apple's U.S. App Store.

As of Monday morning, RedNote was the most downloaded free app in the Apple app store. That means Americans have made a Chinese app the most popular free one in Apple's U.S. App Store as our government tries to protect us from the Chinese government taking our data.

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A translation, through Google Translate, of RedNote's community standards shows it wants users to promote "patriotism, collectivism, and socialism." That's the No. 1 app in my American app store right now.

The irony and message there are both staggering.

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, listens as he testifies on Capitol Hill on Jan. 31, 2024.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, listens as he testifies on Capitol Hill on Jan. 31, 2024.

American tech billionaires and lawmakers have misunderstood what American social media users want. I can tell you that increasingly, it's not Meta's antiquated algorithm that is so bloated with ads that it can't be bothered to showcase engaging content.

It certainly isn't Musk's version of "free speech" or social media, where even MAGA royalty gets punished for speaking too loudly against President Musk.

I would wager we don't want the disinformation haven that Facebook and the platform formerly known as Twitter are becoming now that Zuckerburg has stopped pretending to care about facts and Musk has essentially become MAGA's misinformation spreader.

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Meta is so bad Americans are trying to learn a new language

I can't overstate how much of a movement this has become, even if it's short-lived. Americans are on RedNote fully engaging with posts and are being welcomed with open arms. TikTok users are joking about deciding to learn Mandarin in order to be able to engage fully. I have even found posts on RedNote of users teaching that language or excited about being able to practice English.

It would appear that many of us want a social media platform with a responsive algorithm and technology that let people create imaginative content that the rest of us can engage with.

You might not know this, but TikTok's in-app camera and editing features are among the best in the industry, and its algorithm is social media perfection.

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It seems that Americans are willing to at least try a Chinese-focused app, complete with "socialism" in the guidelines, out of growing frustration and disappointment with what our American tech geniuses are trying to shove down our digital throats.

I don't expect Americans to live on RedNote the way we do on TikTok, mainly because I imagine the censorship will become overwhelming.

Nonetheless the message is clear: Ban TikTok if you must, America. You're just going to force a bunch of us to learn Mandarin.

Louie Villalobos is Gannett's director of Opinion. You might find him learning Mandarin after TikTok gets banned.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: What is RedNote? TikTokers dunk on Facebook with Chinese app | Opinion