As American citizens flock to RedNote, privateness advocates warn about surveillance
Greater than 700,000 US-based customers have downloaded RedNote, a well-liked Chinese language social app, because the TikTok ban closing date looms — however they are going to to find themselves in search of but every other TikTok selection quickly. A US reliable told CBS News that Xiaohongshu, the app extra often known as RedNote, has lots of the identical problems that led to Congress to prohibit TikTok and that the app may just sooner or later face a an identical ban except it divests from its China-based mother or father corporate.
A few of the issues lawmakers raised within the lead-up to the TikTok ban was once the Chinese language govt’s sway over TikTok’s content material moderation practices — a subject matter that looks to use to RedNote as neatly. According to The Information, RedNote has begun casting off US customers’ posts which can be regarded as “too delicate” for the app, together with posts discussing LGBTQ subjects. 3 other people with wisdom of communications between RedNote and officers with the Our on-line world Management of China advised The Data that regulators are excited by politically delicate posts — and Chinese language officers advised RedNote’s govt members of the family crew to make certain that customers in China can’t see US customers’ posts.
Privateness advocates also are caution towards the use of RedNote. In an emailed commentary, Cooper Quintin, the senior body of workers technologist on the Digital Frontier Basis, mentioned “any person for whom privateness is an issue of private protection” will have to consider carefully ahead of downloading RedNote, including that the EFF has an identical issues about US-based apps like Fb.
“Other people in search of selection social media apps will have to be wary in regards to the privateness implications of sharing data with an app that has now not but observed considerable public scrutiny outdoor of China,” Quintin mentioned. “That is under no circumstances a platform which values unfastened speech – it’s a closely censored software on which subjects reminiscent of political speech, medicine and dependancy, and sexuality are extra tightly managed even than an identical social networks. This could also be now not a platform that can offer protection to you from US-based surveillance capitalism because it stocks knowledge with Fb and Google advert networks.”