As Americans flock to RedNote, privacy advocates warn about surveillance

More than 700,000 US-based users have downloaded RedNote, a popular Chinese social app, as the TikTok ban deadline approaches. However, these users may soon find themselves looking for another alternative as RedNote could face a similar ban unless it divests from its China-based parent company. A US official stated that RedNote has many of the same issues that led to the TikTok ban, including concerns over content moderation practices. The official referred to the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, the bill under which Congress banned TikTok. RedNote has begun removing US users' posts that are considered sensitive, including those discussing LGBTQ topics, due to concerns from Chinese regulators. Chinese officials have instructed RedNote to ensure that users in China cannot see US users' posts, raising concerns about censorship. Privacy advocates are warning against using RedNote, citing concerns over data sharing and surveillance capitalism. The Electronic Frontier Foundation's senior staff technologist, Cooper Quintin, advised users to think twice before downloading RedNote, especially those for whom privacy is a matter of personal safety. RedNote shares data with Facebook and Google ad networks, which could compromise user privacy. Ultimately, RedNote's heavily censored platform and data sharing practices may lead to a ban similar to TikTok's, leaving users to seek out another alternative.