TAIPEI – December 5, 2025 – Taiwan has ordered a one‑year block on the popular Chinese social media app RedNote, known in Chinese as Xiaohongshu, citing rampant online fraud and serious cybersecurity risks. The move instantly sparked a fierce domestic debate over internet freedom, Beijing’s influence operations and how far democracies should go in policing foreign tech platforms.
What Taiwan Has Decided – and When the Ban Starts
On Thursday, Taiwan’s Interior Ministry announced it would suspend access to Xiaohongshu for one year, describing the platform as both a fraud hotbed and a major data‑security risk. [1]
Key points from the government’s decision:
- Duration: Provisional one‑year block on access to the app inside Taiwan. [2]
- Who’s affected: About 3 million users in Taiwan – a significant share of the island’s 23 million population. [3]
- When: Blocks began taking effect on Thursday, Dec. 4, with users expected to see the app hang on a loading screen as network filters kick in. [4]
Internet service providers (ISPs) have been instructed to use DNS response policy zones (RPZ) and other technical tools to prevent users from reaching Xiaohongshu’s more than 1,000 IP addresses. Officials say the result will be a gradual slowing and eventual loss of access unless the company complies with Taiwanese regulations. [5]
Authorities stress that the order is not necessarily permanent: it can be revisited if Xiaohongshu’s Shanghai‑based parent, Xingyin Information Technology, cooperates with regulators, appoints local legal representatives and meets Taiwan’s information‑security standards. [6]
Why Taiwan Is Targeting RedNote
A massive online fraud problem
Taiwanese police and regulators say RedNote has become a major vector for online scams aimed at local users.
Officials cite around 1,700 fraud cases since 2024 linked to the platform, with losses of roughly NT$247–248 million (US$7.9 million). [7]
A more detailed breakdown from Taiwan’s Criminal Investigation Bureau shows: [8]
- 2024: 950 cases, losses of NT$132.9 million
- Jan–Nov 2025: 756 cases, losses above NT$114.7 million
The top scam types operating on RedNote include:
- Fake online shopping shops and “too good to be true” deals
- Fraudulent “installment cancellation” schemes
- Fake investment opportunities
- Romance scams
- Sexual solicitation scams
Authorities say victims struggle to recover money because the company has no local office or legal representatives in Taiwan, making it much harder to investigate, freeze funds or seek compensation. [9]
Failing all 15 cybersecurity indicators
The crackdown doesn’t just target fraud. It comes after a multi‑agency cybersecurity audit of Chinese apps. In July, Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB) and other agencies examined five major Chinese platforms – RedNote, Douyin (Chinese TikTok), Weibo, WeChat and Baidu Cloud – against 15 security indicators covering: [10]
- Personal data collection
- Excessive permissions and system access
- Data transmission and sharing
- System information extraction
- Biometric data access
The NSB says all five apps showed serious violations, but RedNote was the only one that failed every single one of the 15 checks. Investigators found:
- Extensive collection of contact lists, clipboard content, app lists and device parameters
- In many cases, collection of facial recognition data
- Data packets routinely sent back to servers in mainland China
Because of China’s Cybersecurity Law and National Intelligence Law, Chinese companies can be compelled to hand over user data to state agencies, which Taiwanese officials argue creates a structural privacy and espionage risk for their citizens. [11]
Taiwan has already banned TikTok, Douyin and RedNote from government devices and official premises since 2019, but until now had stopped short of restricting private use. [12]
Opposition: “This Is Censorship, Not Security”
The day after the ban was announced, Taiwan’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), blasted the move as an attack on civil liberties.
KMT chairwoman Cheng Li‑wun wrote that “many people online are already asking how to climb over the firewall” to keep using RedNote – a phrase borrowed from Chinese netizens who use VPNs to bypass Beijing’s censorship. She argued that blocking the app represents a “major restriction of internet freedom” and accused the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of strangling free speech in the name of national security. [13]
Cheng’s criticism feeds into a broader opposition narrative that:
- The DPP is using “national security” as a catch‑all justification to limit content it dislikes.
- Taiwan’s long‑held reputation for open internet access is being eroded.
- If fraud is the real issue, other platforms with even more scam activity – such as Facebook or Line – should face similar measures.
That last argument is echoed by comments highlighted in Chinese state‑run media, where some Taiwanese social media users ask why U.S. platforms with higher scam volumes are not also being blocked. [14]
Government: A Targeted Anti‑Fraud and Security Measure
President Lai Ching‑te’s administration rejects accusations of political censorship.
The Interior Ministry and the Presidential Office insist that: [15]
- The decision is part of a broader anti‑fraud campaign, not a China‑only move.
- Hundreds of other platforms have already been blocked or de‑listed for scam activity – around 45,000 platform operators, 95% of them overseas. [16]
- Other major global platforms, including Meta (Facebook, Instagram), Alphabet (Google, YouTube), ByteDance (TikTok) and LY Corp’s Line, have complied with Taiwan’s legal requirements and passed security reviews.
Officials argue that Xingyin, RedNote’s parent, has done the opposite. According to Interior Ministry statements and local reporting: [17]
- Regulators and the Straits Exchange Foundation sent letters in October asking for specific data‑security improvements and a response within 20 days.
- More than 50 days passed with no reply.
- The company still has no legal entity or representative in Taiwan.
“Doing nothing,” Deputy Interior Minister Ma Shih‑yuan said, would mean abandoning regulatory responsibility and unfairly penalising companies that do follow Taiwan’s rules. [18]
What Is RedNote (Xiaohongshu), and Why Does It Matter?
Xiaohongshu – branded internationally in recent years as RedNote or “rednote” – is a Chinese social media and e‑commerce platform often described as “China’s Instagram” or a hybrid of Instagram and Pinterest. [19]
According to public data and research:
- It was founded in Shanghai in 2013 and is backed by tech giants Alibaba and Tencent. [20]
- As of the early 2020s, it had over 300 million monthly active users, heavily skewed toward post‑1990 Gen Z users, and nearly 70% female. [21]
- The app built its brand on lifestyle, fashion, beauty and travel content, then expanded into integrated shopping and product recommendations.
In 2025, RedNote became globally prominent when hundreds of thousands of U.S. “TikTok refugees” flocked to the app amid fears of a TikTok ban in the United States. Reuters reported that over half a million new users joined in a matter of days, and a live chat titled “TikTok Refugees” drew more than 50,000 participants. [22]
Some U.S. states – notably Texas – have since banned RedNote on government devices, alongside other Chinese apps, citing national security and data‑privacy concerns. [23]
Taiwan’s move therefore lands in the middle of a wider global backlash against Chinese‑owned platforms and apps perceived as potential conduits for surveillance or influence operations.
Cognitive Warfare, Disinformation and the China Factor
Beyond fraud, Taiwanese security agencies have repeatedly warned that Chinese‑owned platforms can serve as tools of “cognitive warfare” – subtle campaigns to shape public opinion on issues such as unification, U.S. relations and election politics.
Reuters and regional outlets note that Taiwan has: [24]
- Issued repeated public warnings about Chinese apps, stressing disinformation risks.
- Tracked attempts by Beijing to use both Chinese apps (like RedNote and Douyin) and Western platforms (like Facebook and YouTube, which are banned inside China) to target Taiwanese audiences.
Local media and analysts say these concerns have intensified ahead of and following Taiwan’s elections, with authorities fearing that lifestyle and entertainment content on RedNote can also carry embedded political narratives favourable to Beijing. [25]
Beijing, unsurprisingly, sees things differently. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, quoted in earlier coverage, has dismissed Taiwan’s cybersecurity rationale as a pretext masking political insecurity – accusing the DPP of trying to maintain “information cocoons” that shield Taiwanese from positive views of the mainland. [26]
How the Ban Will Work in Practice
For everyday users, the ban won’t look like a single on/off switch.
Based on government briefings and local reporting: [27]
- Within hours of the order, many users simply started seeing endless loading screens when opening the app.
- ISPs are using DNS‑level blocking, which may cause some connections to fail while others still work temporarily, depending on caching and routing.
- Because Xiaohongshu uses more than 1,000 IP addresses, fully cutting off access may take time, and some tech‑savvy users may continue to find workarounds, including VPNs.
Authorities are also formally advising users not to download the app, and telling existing users to stop using it and switch to platforms that comply with Taiwan’s security standards. [28]
Public Reaction Inside Taiwan
Reactions among Taiwanese users are mixed and often sharply polarised:
- Some view the ban as long overdue, arguing that too many people have lost savings to scam ads and fake shops on RedNote.
- Others, especially younger users, see it as paternalistic and politically motivated, questioning why similar action isn’t taken against Western platforms where scam activity is also rampant. [29]
Chinese state media have amplified comments from Taiwan‑based netizens who call the move “pathetic” or “stupid”, or quip that “if the DPP were blocked instead, that would be much better”. [30]
At the same time, many Taiwanese appear resigned to using VPNs or other tools if they want to keep accessing the app – a reversal of the usual pattern in which users inside China circumvent the Great Firewall to reach Western sites.
What Happens Next?
The one‑year ban is officially described as provisional. Over the next 12 months, several things could shape whether access is restored or permanently cut:
- Xiaohongshu’s response
- If the company finally opens a dialogue, appoints a local representative and meets Taiwan’s 15‑point cybersecurity criteria, regulators could consider easing the ban. [31]
- Domestic politics
- If public anger over scams stays high, the government may feel emboldened to keep or even expand restrictions.
- If, instead, concerns about censorship grow – especially among younger voters – the ban could become a flashpoint in Taiwan’s free‑speech debate, as the KMT aims to capitalise on user frustration. [32]
- Cross‑strait relations
- Taiwan’s decision is likely to feed into already tense relations with Beijing, which sees such moves as politically motivated and part of a broader strategy to “de‑Sinicise” Taiwan’s information space. [33]
- Global trend on Chinese apps
- If more countries tighten controls on Chinese platforms – as several U.S. states and agencies have already done with TikTok, RedNote and other apps – Taiwan’s move may look less exceptional and more like part of a global recalibration of digital sovereignty. [34]
Why This Story Matters Beyond Taiwan
Taiwan’s RedNote decision is about more than one app:
- It tests how democracies regulate foreign platforms that blend entertainment, commerce and politics.
- It highlights the blurred line between fraud prevention, data security and speech regulation.
- It underscores how social media has become a frontline in the strategic competition between China and its rivals, with ordinary users caught in the middle.
For now, Taiwan is betting that its citizens will accept temporary inconvenience in exchange for fewer scams and stronger data protection. Whether voters ultimately see this as necessary digital hygiene or creeping censorship will shape not just the fate of RedNote on the island, but the future of how Taiwan – and potentially other democracies – deal with the next generation of Chinese apps.
References
1. www.reuters.com, 2. www.reuters.com, 3. www.reuters.com, 4. focustaiwan.tw, 5. www.taipeitimes.com, 6. www.reuters.com, 7. www.reuters.com, 8. focustaiwan.tw, 9. www.taipeitimes.com, 10. focustaiwan.tw, 11. focustaiwan.tw, 12. focustaiwan.tw, 13. www.reuters.com, 14. www.globaltimes.cn, 15. www.reuters.com, 16. www.taipeitimes.com, 17. www.taipeitimes.com, 18. www.taipeitimes.com, 19. en.wikipedia.org, 20. en.wikipedia.org, 21. en.wikipedia.org, 22. www.reuters.com, 23. gov.texas.gov, 24. www.reuters.com, 25. www.ft.com, 26. www.globaltimes.cn, 27. www.taipeitimes.com, 28. www.reuters.com, 29. www.globaltimes.cn, 30. www.globaltimes.cn, 31. www.reuters.com, 32. www.reuters.com, 33. www.globaltimes.cn, 34. apnews.com
