TikTok Refugees. Amid a possible ban, Americans are downloading another Chinese app.

TikTok Refugees: Americans are looking for another Chinese app
TikTok Refugees: Americans are looking for another Chinese app

Users of TikTok in the USA are switching to RedNote due to fears of a TikTok ban in the country. This was reported by the BBC.

These users are called 'TikTok refugees' and have made RedNote the most downloaded app on the Apple App Store in the USA during 2025.

RedNote is an alternative to TikTok, popular among youth in China and Taiwan, combining features of TikTok and Instagram. RedNote has a lot of content about the lives of young urban residents sharing tips on life, fashion, dating, food, and more.

There are already 63,000 posts on RedNote on the topic 'TikTok refugee', teaching new users how to use the app and basic Chinese phrases.

However, like TikTok, RedNote also has censorship, especially regarding criticism of the Chinese government. In Taiwan, government officials cannot use RedNote as it poses a threat to their cybersecurity.

Ban on TikTok in the USA

It was previously reported that US President Joe Biden signed a law that includes a ban on TikTok in the USA if the company ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, does not sell its stake. The ban on TikTok was included in a bill providing foreign aid to Israel, Ukraine, and Taiwan. However, this ban will not lead to an immediate blocking of TikTok. ByteDance has a year to sell TikTok to a Western company, and if this does not happen, the service will be banned throughout the United States.

Shortly after signing the law, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew stated in a video address that he is confident in winning in court.

Furthermore, the US Congress also approved a decision to ban the Chinese social network TikTok. The app will not be available for download after 270 days if the owner from China does not sell the platform.

It is noteworthy that Germany's Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz joined the TikTok platform, although the government previously expressed concerns about the security of the Chinese app and ordered ministry staff to remove it from their work devices.


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