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‘TikTok refugees’ flock to China's RedNote

26 points by Sharon_Q 2y ago

CM30 2y ago
Possibly. Though I think relying on any China based services is a poor choice, since the US government will be just as likely to try and block/restrict them for similar reasons to TikTok. Honestly surprised we haven't seen any European, South American, African, etc developed social apps take off given the privacy and moderation concerns. Or apps based in Asian countries other than China.
- nine_zeros 2y ago
  US alternatives don't feel too good either. We need a neutral social media society that plays fair. Maybe a company HQed in Switzerland or something offering full privacy and full ad protection seems to be an opportunity.
  - toomuchtodo 2y ago
    https://pluralistic.net/2025/01/14/contesting-popularity/#everybody-samba https://pluralistic.net/2025/01/14/contesting-popularity/#ev... https://freeourfeeds.com/ https://freeourfeeds.com/ https://techcrunch.com/podcast/social-media-should-be-built-on-protocols-not-platforms-says-mastodon-ceo-eugen-rochko/ https://techcrunch.com/podcast/social-media-should-be-built-... "Social media should be built on protocols, not platforms."
  - est 2y ago
    Or use decentralized ones like Bluesky
    - winterbloom 2y ago
      There's a reason that it isn't as popular as Twitter
      - est 2y ago
        besides the user base difference, any articles explain the reason?
      - CM30 2y ago
        Uh what? Most of the more active Twitter users/power users moved over, at least on one side of the political spectrum. That and Twitter has been around way longer.
    - fsflover 2y ago
      It's not decentralized. Mastodon is.
- Buttons840 2y ago
  Perhaps the kids will purposely prefer Chinese apps and sources as an act of rebellion.
  - ideashower 2y ago
    That's... exactly what's happening though?
- monophonica 2y ago
  It is because China has 1.4 billion people that can't be dominated by Silicon Valley. I am sure there are all kinds of social media apps in those other countries that no one uses.
- monophonica 2y ago
  It is because China has 1.4 billion people that can't be dominated by Silicon Valley. I am sure there are all kinds of social media apps in those other countries no one uses. I also assume this story has little to do with reality and it is just a nice headline that will get clicks.
dang 2y ago
Related ongoing thread: TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42710339 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42710339 - Jan 2025 (807 comments)
almaight 2y ago
The heat will gradually fade away, because without real-name authentication, nothing can be done.
lintkw 2y ago
[dead]
_lvbh 2y ago
This is about the dumbest thing you can do. TikTok at least maintains a facade of neutrality. 小红书 does not differentiate between the Chinese and western versions, meaning you're under the same rules as in China. Any comments against the CCP will get deleted, including jokes. It's not a "free speech" platform. It's also just funny seeing people use this outside China. The TikTok ban should be a good opportunity for people to quit their social media addiction.
- krapp 2y ago
  >Any comments against the CCP will get deleted, including jokes. It's not a "free speech" platform. I have bad news for you about "free speech" on any social media platform in the Western hemisphere...
  - hsavit1 2y ago
    exactly. this whole RedNote development frames the problem of United States social media data harvesting and surveillance. We've been institutionalized to believe that the Chinese are the most propagandized and censored people on the planet, meanwhile American "free speech" social media platforms regularly de-platform and de-monetized accounts regularly.
  - vinodc 2y ago
    Comments critical of the US government do not typically get deleted from social media platforms based out of the US.
    - krapp 2y ago
      Deletion of comments critical of the US government, while not typical, do not comprise the only form of moderation on social media platforms based out of the US which many Americans consider to be censorship. The point being that there are no "free speech" social media platforms, at least not on the open web, because true free speech on the internet would require allowing felonious content. The only difference between Chinese social media and American social media is where the arbitrary line between allowed and disallowed speech is drawn, and by whom (governments or corporations.) I'm not arguing that this is a bad thing, personally I prefer private platforms having the option to choose what to moderate and what not, and for the government not to get involved more than necessary, but the premise that an American familiar with Facebook or Twitter or even HN (where you can be negged for just about anything) should be shocked by the lack of "free speech" on a Chinese app is absurd.
tfrefugees 2y ago
[dead]

26 points by Sharon_Q 2y ago

CM30 2y ago

Possibly. Though I think relying on any China based services is a poor choice, since the US government will be just as likely to try and block/restrict them for similar reasons to TikTok. Honestly surprised we haven't seen any European, South American, African, etc developed social apps take off given the privacy and moderation concerns. Or apps based in Asian countries other than China.

nine_zeros 2y ago
US alternatives don't feel too good either. We need a neutral social media society that plays fair. Maybe a company HQed in Switzerland or something offering full privacy and full ad protection seems to be an opportunity.
- toomuchtodo 2y ago
  https://pluralistic.net/2025/01/14/contesting-popularity/#everybody-samba https://pluralistic.net/2025/01/14/contesting-popularity/#ev... https://freeourfeeds.com/ https://freeourfeeds.com/ https://techcrunch.com/podcast/social-media-should-be-built-on-protocols-not-platforms-says-mastodon-ceo-eugen-rochko/ https://techcrunch.com/podcast/social-media-should-be-built-... "Social media should be built on protocols, not platforms."
- est 2y ago
  Or use decentralized ones like Bluesky
  - winterbloom 2y ago
    There's a reason that it isn't as popular as Twitter
    - est 2y ago
      besides the user base difference, any articles explain the reason?
    - CM30 2y ago
      Uh what? Most of the more active Twitter users/power users moved over, at least on one side of the political spectrum. That and Twitter has been around way longer.
  - fsflover 2y ago
    It's not decentralized. Mastodon is.
Buttons840 2y ago
Perhaps the kids will purposely prefer Chinese apps and sources as an act of rebellion.
- ideashower 2y ago
  That's... exactly what's happening though?
monophonica 2y ago
It is because China has 1.4 billion people that can't be dominated by Silicon Valley. I am sure there are all kinds of social media apps in those other countries that no one uses.
monophonica 2y ago
It is because China has 1.4 billion people that can't be dominated by Silicon Valley. I am sure there are all kinds of social media apps in those other countries no one uses. I also assume this story has little to do with reality and it is just a nice headline that will get clicks.

dang 2y ago

Related ongoing thread: TikTok preparing for U.S. shut-off on Sunday - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42710339 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42710339 - Jan 2025 (807 comments)

almaight 2y ago

The heat will gradually fade away, because without real-name authentication, nothing can be done.

lintkw 2y ago

[dead]

_lvbh 2y ago

This is about the dumbest thing you can do. TikTok at least maintains a facade of neutrality. 小红书 does not differentiate between the Chinese and western versions, meaning you're under the same rules as in China. Any comments against the CCP will get deleted, including jokes. It's not a "free speech" platform. It's also just funny seeing people use this outside China. The TikTok ban should be a good opportunity for people to quit their social media addiction.

krapp 2y ago
>Any comments against the CCP will get deleted, including jokes. It's not a "free speech" platform. I have bad news for you about "free speech" on any social media platform in the Western hemisphere...
- hsavit1 2y ago
  exactly. this whole RedNote development frames the problem of United States social media data harvesting and surveillance. We've been institutionalized to believe that the Chinese are the most propagandized and censored people on the planet, meanwhile American "free speech" social media platforms regularly de-platform and de-monetized accounts regularly.
- vinodc 2y ago
  Comments critical of the US government do not typically get deleted from social media platforms based out of the US.
  - krapp 2y ago
    Deletion of comments critical of the US government, while not typical, do not comprise the only form of moderation on social media platforms based out of the US which many Americans consider to be censorship. The point being that there are no "free speech" social media platforms, at least not on the open web, because true free speech on the internet would require allowing felonious content. The only difference between Chinese social media and American social media is where the arbitrary line between allowed and disallowed speech is drawn, and by whom (governments or corporations.) I'm not arguing that this is a bad thing, personally I prefer private platforms having the option to choose what to moderate and what not, and for the government not to get involved more than necessary, but the premise that an American familiar with Facebook or Twitter or even HN (where you can be negged for just about anything) should be shocked by the lack of "free speech" on a Chinese app is absurd.

tfrefugees 2y ago

[dead]