Is RedNote Safe?

Introduction

With TikTok’s fate in the air, many Americans are looking for alternative means of similar social media. The bite-sized videos have become a staple of entertainment ever since Vine, and with TikTok possibly getting banned in the United States, people have been flocking to an app called RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu in Chinese. With it, many are questioning whether or not it’s a good idea.

One of the bigger questions that people are wondering: is RedNote safe? Is Xiaohongshu, being a Chinese app, going to steal your information? When using apps on your devices, it is always important to ask these questions, regardless of whether it’s a Chinese-based app or not. You should never be installing apps or programs that you don’t know to begin with and it’s always beneficial to research before deciding. It’s the basics of cybersecurity on your devices.

What is RedNote?

RedNote, or Xiaohongshu, is a China-based app that does something similar to TikTok. It allows its users to upload small, vertical videos to connect with others, gain a following, and even sell products. However, it has been used almost exclusively by Chinese and Chinese-American people. It wasn’t as popular or well-known to Americans because of this, but with the looming ban, people have flocked there in droves.

RedNote has been on the market since 2013. It is a very popular app in China and is considered worth over $1 billion. There are over 300 million active users monthly, making it a strong option for many people. However, with it being based in China, people have wondered if it’s actually safe for Americans to use. As with most answers for things like this: it’s complicated.

Safely Using Apps

Despite RedNote being a Chinese application, there are things that you should keep in mind when using any app on any device. Each app is different, and may be tied to questionable things, so always be aware of what you’re downloading.

Research

One of the most important factors of safely using an app on any device is research. While many applications are allowed on places like the Android and Apple stores, that doesn’t mean they’re completely safe. Data harvesting is, unfortunately, commonplace now, but there are plenty of other dangers that can be lurking in an app.

Reading about apps, be it on review websites or otherwise, can be very beneficial. People will let you know about any problems they had with an app, even if it’s not that well-known. A Google search can tell you about the inner workings of an app too, even if you’re unaware of how apps function. Always pay attention to what other people are saying, even past the masses.

Read the Fine Print

Many privacy and procedure policies are long, annoying, and full of jargon that you might not understand. However, each app on any store will have “terms of service”, which can be an important read. This will list everything that the app will do with your data and information, what they will do with it, and how things work when it comes to actions taken on the app.

For something like RedNote, this is a very difficult thing to do. While the app is being translated into English, the entirety of Xiaohongshu’s procedures is in Mandarin. Unless you know Chinese languages, this will practically be impossible to read. There are translation options, but even those can be difficult to use and may translate poorly.

Restrict Permissions

Built into most Android and iOS devices, there are options to restrict permissions for certain apps. This includes things like location, contact information, camera usage, and more. Unless the app requires any of these to function, they should be restricted form accessing them. If they require these, however, you should know why the app needs these permissions first. Accessing your phone and contact information is rarely a good thing for an app to have.

Conclusion

RedNote, or Xiaohongshu, is a Chinese app that has grown in popularity due to the TikTok ban that may or may not happen. It’s hard to tell what its future is, but it might not be the best idea to jump to RedNote. China has different protections than the US when it comes to your data and accessing these things. Beyond that, if something goes wrong, it will be very difficult to get assistance on something like RedNote.

Apps and programs can be a dangerous thing if you’re unaware of where they come from or what they do. They can even be disguised as phishing or malware. You should never install an app that you don’t know, and more importantly, never give permissions to an app that you don’t trust. Always do your research when it comes to these sorts of apps, and make sure you read the terms of service and any privacy statements that the app has if you aren’t sure about it.