Blocking TikTok is near. The Chinese clone of the Instagram social network has become the most popular application in the United States

The Chinese application Xiaohongshu, which is functionally similar to Instagram, has reached the first place in the App Store on the eve of the expected ban of TikTok in the United States of America.

As early as this week, TikTok may be banned in the US due to failure to comply with the requirement to change ownership. Users from the US are preparing for a possible ban and are actively looking for a replacement for their favorite platform. Many users chose another Chinese application as an alternative — Xiaohongshu (RedNote).

Xiaohongshu was launched back in 2013. But just this week, the program took first place among free programs in the American App Store.

In the Xiaohongshu community, information is presented in the form of a photo wall layout, there are functions for publishing and watching videos, and streaming. Users can also share product reviews and text descriptions of tourist destinations on the platform.

TikTok ban in the USA— what is known

The debate over whether to ban or restrict the Chinese video-sharing app TikTok, which is extremely popular in the United States, has been going on in the country for more than a year. The intention to ban the social network is related to concerns among American lawmakers and intelligence officials that TikTok's owner could compromise the data of US users. This is largely due to China's national security law, which could force companies based there to hand over internal information to the authorities.

During his first term, President Donald Trump issued executive orders restricting American cooperation with the app, citing security concerns. He suggested that the app could be a “Trojan horse” for data collection by the Chinese government. The ban faced a number of legal challenges, and President Joe Biden rescinded the order in 2021.

In April 2024, the US passed a law requiring TikTok's owner, China's ByteDance, to sell its platform to a company based outside China by January 19, 2025, or the app would be banned in the country. Trump, who had previously advocated for restrictions on the social network, moved away from active criticism of the app in early 2024 and promised to save it from a ban. Trump reportedly changed his stance initially after meeting with a Republican with a significant financial stake in the app. In late December, the US president-elect filed a petition with the Supreme Court asking for a stay of the ban on the Chinese app to give him time to negotiate a way to “save the platform.”