Xiaohongshu, also known as Red Book, became a viral app earlier this year after TikTok was temporarily banned in the United States. The migration of “cyber refugees” from the United States to Xiaohongshu became an internet buzz before it died down shortly after President Trump allowed TikTok to resume operations.
This week, Xiaohongshu was punished by the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) for promoting useless topics to users, such as celebrity gossip. According to the CAC, Xiaohongshu failed to fulfill its responsibilities in managing its content, which affected the online ecosystem. The CAC has issued a warning to the platform, ordering it to resolve the issue within a set period of time.
The CAC did not disclose what punishment Xiaohongshu was given. Other platforms that the CAC has punished have received suspensions or fines. Unlike in other countries, Chinese social media platforms are tightly controlled with content recommendation algorithms monitored by authorities.
Anti-government content is strictly prohibited. Even superstitious content such as ghosts is also prohibited because it is seen as not having a positive impact on society.