Taiwan’s ban on mainland Chinese social media app RedNote has sparked fierce pushback on the island, making the platform a top download as users rush to access it through workarounds.
The island’s interior ministry announced on Thursday it had ordered local telecoms and internet providers to block access to the app, also known as Xiaohongshu, for one year over “rising online fraud cases”. Authorities also cited a “lack of cooperation from its operator in Shanghai”.
But the move has unleashed a wave of public criticism, with many accusing Taiwan’s ruling independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of overreach and damaging the island’s reputation for open internet access.
According to the ministry, RedNote has more than 3 million active users in Taiwan. Many are young women who rely on the platform for beauty, fashion, travel and lifestyle content.
On Monday, users reported that the app’s pages began failing to load owing to the block, forcing them to use VPNs and other workarounds.
Opposition politicians, analysts and influencers in Taiwan argued that the ban had backfired.
