The move comes amid growing international concern about cybersecurity risks and disinformation associated with Chinese apps such as Xiaohongshu and TikTok, which have amassed vast global user bases
Taiwan’s government has imposed a one-year ban on a popular Chinese-owned social media app after the company failed to cooperate with authorities investigating fraud cases.
Xiaohongshu, or RedNote, has grown rapidly among young people in Taiwan, attracting 3 million users on the island of 23 million. But the Instagram-like platform has also raised alarms among officials who fear it could be exploited for pro-Beijing propaganda or disinformation, a threat Taiwan says it has contended with for years.
Why was the app banned?
On Thursday, Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior said the ban was triggered by Xiaohongshu’s refusal to work with authorities, noting the platform has been tied to more than 1,700 fraud cases, causing losses of 247.7 million Taiwanese dollars ($7.9 million).
“Due to the inability to obtain necessary data in accordance with the law, law enforcement authorities have encountered significant obstacles in investigations, creating a de facto legal vacuum,” the ministry said.
The move comes amid growing international concern about cybersecurity risks and disinformation associated with Chinese apps such as Xiaohongshu and TikTok, which have amassed vast global user bases.
Chinese law requires companies to store data domestically and grant government access, and Beijing heavily censors content it considers politically sensitive, practices experts warn can be used to shape public opinion.
Ban triggers backlash
The ban has already triggered backlash from some users and opposition politicians, who argue it infringes on free speech.
“We once mocked people in China for needing VPNs to access information,” said Lai Shyh-bao, a Kuomintang lawmaker, on Facebook. “Internet freedom in Taiwan is heading toward a day when people will need VPNs.”
Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior noted that major international companies, including Facebook, Google, LINE, and TikTok, have complied with Taiwan’s regulations by appointing legal representatives and fulfilling their obligations.
Authorities have asked Shanghai-based Xiaohongshu to provide concrete remedies, but the company has not responded, the ministry said.
“This is not a problem unique to Taiwan. It exists around the world, and even within China itself this platform has repeatedly violated regulations…From our perspective, it is a malicious platform — one that is beyond legal oversight and operates with unclear intentions,” Deputy Interior Minister Ma Shih-yuan said at a Thursday press conference.
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