BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese social media app RedNote has been thrust into the spotlight after more than half a million TikTok users recently joined the platform in protest against a likely imminent ban on the short video app in the United States.
Known in China by the Chinese name “Xiaohongshu,” the platform is a popular lifestyle app where users document their lives and post recommendations.
Here are some details about the app:
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WHAT IS THIS APPLICATION?
RedNote is often considered as a local Chinese adaptation of Instagram. Its Chinese name Xiaohongshu translates as “Little Red Book,” a phrase that traditionally refers to a collection of sayings by Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong.
It is widely regarded as the most used search engine in China today for recommendations, and the most popular topics on the app span beauty, fashion, travel and food. Its users in China are mostly young people and women.
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Its interface is different from TikTok or Instagram, as it displays several publications — videos, photos or longer texts — simultaneously.
Users can participate in discussions, share their posts, call each other and buy products. Recently, the platform has given a big boost to sales through live broadcasts.
As of 2023, it has more than 300 million monthly active users, according to Chinese media reports.
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WHO OWNS REDNOTE?
The app was co-founded by Miranda Qu, its current president, and Charlwin Mao, its executive president, in 2013, in Shanghai. Initially, they called the app “Hong Kong Shopping Guide” and targeted Chinese tourists looking for recommendations outside the mainland.
RedNote is seen as a possible IPO candidate. Shareholders include Chinese technology giants Alibaba and Tencent, Singapore state investor Temasek, as well as venture capital firms GSR Ventures, DST Global and GGV Capital.
Mao has a personal fortune of about 18 billion yuan ($2.5 billion), while Qu has a fortune of 12 billion yuan, according to China’s Hurun Rich List.
GLOBAL AMBITIONS?
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The app is mainly used by Chinese people, and although users have the option to change the language, most of the content to date is in Mandarin.
The influx of TikTok users appears to have caught RedNote by surprise. Two sources familiar with the company said they were struggling to find ways to moderate English content and create English-Chinese translation tools.
RedNote only maintains one version of its app, rather than splitting it into national and international apps. On the other hand, Tencent maintains domestic and international versions of its WeChat app, while ByteDance also has a mainland China version of TikTok called Douyin, in part to comply with the Chinese government’s moderation rules.
The company is interested in exploiting the sudden wave of attention as executives see it as a potential path to achieving TikTok-like global popularity, the sources said. RedNote did not respond to a request for comment.
