What is RedNote? Who owns it? What to know about the TikTok alternative

As the potential ban on TikTok looms, its users are exploring alternatives. This week, another Chinese app called Xiaohongshu, or RedNote, is gaining attention in the app stores.

TikTok, owned by ByteDance, must sell the app by Jan. 19. Otherwise, it will be illegal to distribute it through the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Internet service providers will also be required to make the app inaccessible to U.S. Internet browsers.

TikTok is trying to fight for its livelihood.

A Supreme Court decision regarding whether the popular social media application TikTok is getting banned in America is still pending. On Jan. 10, the Supreme Court began to hear arguments regarding whether a law requiring TikTok to be sold or face a ban in the U.S. violates the First Amendment.

However, according to legal experts, the court will most likely allow the ban to take effect based on national security.

Here is what we know about the RedNote app.

What is RedNote?

Launched in 2013, RedNote has become one of China’s fastest-growing social platforms, with a value of over $17 billion, according to the Financial Times. 

Known as Xiaohongshu, which translates to “little red book,” RedNote features a layout similar to Pinterest and is often described as a Chinese version of Instagram. According to TechCrunch, the app’s focus on short-term content, similar to TikTok, has helped it emerge as a viable alternative.

What are people saying about RedNote?

Here is what people are saying about RedNote on other social media platforms.

What is the TikTok problem?

Last April, President Joe Biden signed a law that banned Chinese-owned apps unless they were sold within a year. ByteDance, the parent company that owns TikTok, said it will not sell its app.

Lawmakers enacted the ban due to concerns about ByteDance's connections to China, specifically, the fear that they may share American user data with the Chinese government.

A federal appeals court in Washington, DC, unanimously upheld the U.S. ban on TikTok last month. The court ruled that the government has a national security interest in regulating the social media platform.

TikTok filed an emergency application for an injunction. The Supreme Court is currently listening to arguments from TikTok.

-USA TODAY Network contributed to this report.