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Taiwan ban on mainland app RedNote sparks download frenzy

Many users and opposition politicians accuse Taiwan’s ruling party of overreach and damaging island’s reputation for open internet access.

Published: 7:59pm, 9 Dec 2025

Read more on this: https://sc.mp/a1fc3c

Taiwan’s interior ministry banned the mainland Chinese app RedNote, also known as Xiaohongshu, on December 4, 2025, citing security concerns. Taiwanese authorities blocked access to the popular lifestyle and culture app for one year over concerns about “rising online fraud cases” and a “lack of cooperation from its operator in Shanghai”. Taiwanese fans of RedNote, many of them women interested in the app’s travel, hobby and subcultural content, accused the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of government overreach.

Taiwan ban on mainland app RedNote sparks download frenzy

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Many users and opposition politicians accuse Taiwan’s ruling party of overreach and damaging island’s reputation for open internet access.

Many users and opposition politicians accuse Taiwan’s ruling party of overreach and damaging island’s reputation for open internet access.