by Martin Haffner Associate Editor
Taiwan has announced plans to block access to the popular Chinese social media app Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, for a duration of one year due to concerns over online shopping scams.
The island’s Criminal Investigation Bureau revealed on Thursday that it has identified over 1,700 fraud cases linked to the app since last year, resulting in losses exceeding NT$247 million (£5.9 million; $7.9 million).
Xiaohongshu is a platform similar to TikTok, integrated with shopping features. Taiwan’s internet service providers have been instructed to restrict access, impacting at least three million users within the country.
The BBC has reached out to both Xiaohongshu and Taiwanese authorities for comment. Observations from Taiwan indicate that some users are no longer able to access the platform, with the app displaying a message stating it is unavailable due to “security restrictions.”
Local media reports suggest that the ban is driven by a series of fraud incidents and concerns over the app’s failure to meet data security standards, which could jeopardize user safety. Furthermore, the app’s operators lack a local office and have not responded to regulators’ requests for a cybersecurity improvement plan, according to Taiwan’s Taipei Times, citing the interior minister.
Founded in 2013, Xiaohongshu has hundreds of millions of users worldwide, particularly in Asia. Its user base has expanded this year as some Americans sought alternatives to TikTok amid potential bans in the US.
Taiwan’s temporary restriction comes amid rising worries over Beijing’s use of social media to influence public opinion and spread disinformation favorable to China. Beijing considers Taiwan a renegade province that should eventually reunite with the mainland, and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve this aim. Xiaohongshu has faced pressure from Chinese regulators, who, in September, called for “strict punishment” for the platform’s leadership over what they described as “negative” content posted on the site.
