Upcoming On TikTok The “refugee” in the US has led to a mass migration of content creators to alternative social media platforms – and a Chinese app named for Chairman Mao's Little Red Book appears to be the most popular.

Shanghai-based Xiaohongshu, aka RedNote in the US, climbed to the top of the app store in the free apps section this week as social media users fled in anticipation of TikTok shutting down on Sunday, January 20.

More than 700,000 new users joined Xiaohongshu in just two days, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

Downloads of RedNote in the U.S. were up more than 200% year-over-year this week, and 194% from the previous week, according to estimates from app data research firm Sensor Tower, the report said.

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The TikTok logo can be seen in this illustration photo taken in Warsaw, Poland. (Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Images/Getty Images)

But with the surge in popularity comes a stark warning from one of the top China hawks in Congress, who fears the app's overt ties to China could put US users at risk.

“Chairman Mao's Little Red Book played an important role in the communist cultural revolution in China that led to the tragic deaths of tens of millions of Chinese citizens. Today, a Chinese app of the same name wants to be the next TikTok, complete with Chinese control,” – House. CCP Select Committee Chairman John Mulenaar, R-Mich., told Fox Business.

What is RedNote?

The app store description calls Xiahongshu “a lifestyle platform that inspires people to explore and connect with diverse lifestyles.” The app claims to have more than 300 million daily users and works like that Instagram or Pinterestusers can send text, images or short form video content.

Xiahongshu, which was founded as a venture capital startup in 2013, is now widely regarded as China's premier search engine for recommendations on popular topics ranging from beauty, fashion, travel and food, according to Reuters.

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A pair of Chinese-made social apps, Xiaohongshu and Lemon8, have taken the top two spots on Apple's iPhone download charts in the US as users look for alternatives to TikTok ahead of the imminent ban. (Raul Ariano/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Users can participate in discussions, share each other's posts, call each other and make purchases. The platform has recently given a big boost to live streaming sales.

There is no international version of the Mandarin language app. It is owned and operated by Xingyin Information Technology, a Chinese company. Most of the content is in Mandarin, although users have the option to change the app's language.

Xiahongshu was co-founded in Shanghai in 2013 by its current president, Miranda Gu, and CEO, Charlevin Mao. Originally called the “Hong Kong Shopping Guide,” the book is aimed at Chinese tourists looking for recommendations outside the mainland, according to Reuters.

Security Concern

TikTok on Friday said its platform would “go dark” on Sunday after the US Supreme Court upheld a bipartisan law requiring Chinese-owned parent company ByteDance to divest itself of the app, citing its ties to CCP.

Lawmakers raised national security China is concerned may use the app to download user data or otherwise push certain government-sponsored content to US users.

Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., leaves the clubhouse on Capitol Hill after a meeting of the House Republican Conference, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Moolenaar raised the same concerns about RedNote, suggesting that the law used to force ByteDance to abandon TikTok could be applied to platform owners in the same way.

“Parents and social media creators should be aware that the CCP is using PRC-based apps to track and censor Americans. The good news is that President Trump has signed the TikTok bill to force other CCP-controlled apps that pose national security risks to be abandoned. also has the authority,” he said.

Xiahongshu did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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TikTok content creators who jumped on Xiahongshu have warned other US users to be wary of the platform's strict content moderation policies and Chinese censorship.

“This is for TikTok refugees and my fellow Americans, behave on this app! Behave yourself because everyone in China is so nice to us that we're colonizing their sweet app because our government sucks,” American user Savannah posted on Wednesday. CBS News reports.

If the complaint about TikTok is that it collects too much user data, Xiahongshu has the same problem, and it's arguably worse.

The TikTok and RedNote apps are seen in this image taken on January 15, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration (REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration)

RedNote's privacy policy states the platform collects large amounts of data “Forbes” reports that users' location, browsing habits, etc. can be tracked through their IP addresses. including sensitive information such as

The terms were written in Mandarin and English users had difficulty translating them.

In addition, Xiahongshu is subject to the same Chinese data laws as TikTok, which may give CCP authorities access to user data, but without the privacy protections required by US law.

“The platform collects a wide range of personal data, including device-specific information such as location, browsing activity and IP addresses. It may also share this data with third-party service providers or government authorities, raising concerns about user privacy,” – Adrianus Warmenhoven, NordVPN's cybersecurity expert, told Forbes.

However, some TikTok users dismissed these concerns. Kayla Murphy, a lifestyle content creator with over 20,000 followers on TikTok, CT told Insider he is not concerned about Chinese data collection.

“Personally, I'm not worried. I live a very honest and open life and I don't feel there's anything to hide. If the Chinese or US governments want to know that I'm 28 years old, so be it,” said the old woman who loves travel, food and my cat on Wednesday. Murphy. “My biggest concern is about systemic issues like health care and the economy.”

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Murphy said he uses Google Translate to add Mandarin subtitles to his videos on RedNote so Chinese users can follow his content.

“One of my most liked posts on Wednesday featuring my cat was a simple introduction in both English and Chinese,” Murphy said. “Since most of my content focuses on visual storytelling such as travel and lifestyle, I think it will naturally cross language barriers.”

Murphy said he wouldn't be surprised if RedNote “became the next target in the US government's fight against social media platforms.”

“It feels like a mole game,” he said, “but young people will always find a way to adapt.”

Fox Business Network's Chase Williams and Reuters contributed to this report.