r/technology • u/longiner • Jan 18 '25

Social Media As US TikTok users move to RedNote, some are encountering Chinese-style censorship for the first time

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/16/tech/tiktok-refugees-rednote-china-censorship-intl-hnk/index.html
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75

u/NorthernCobraChicken Jan 18 '25

Yeah, no sympathy for you if you're not smart enough to realize that a Chinese app is going to shit all over you for getting political or being part of the non heterosexual community. Seems like something you might want to consider when moving your audience of 8,000 followers there.

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u/FentynalLover Jan 18 '25

I've seen multiple lgbt related post on rednote and the comments are mostly positive, far more positive then those on an American app like instagram. And America is not some sort of lgbt paradise, the Us is the biggest promotor of anti trans ideas and movements in the day at this point.

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u/ifiwasrealsmall Jan 19 '25

There’s a ton of lgbtq content on there. Redditors aren’t going to listen because they think they’re smarter than everyone. They’ll believe the article over us or their own eyes even lol

1

u/3uphoric-Departure Jan 19 '25

China has a very different culture around LGBT than the West. No rainbow flags or pride parades, but there’s no shortage of same sex couples on the app.

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u/Abject_Dentist_8139 Jan 18 '25

Please don’t be this naive. This is just as a surprise to the CCP as it is to the US government. Very soon they will crack down and ban those subjects.

If you honestly think USA is the worst for lgbt/trans support if you are severely mistaken.

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u/SugarRushLux Jan 18 '25

I got suspended on reddit for "abusing the report system" for reporting clear hate speech and rampant transphobia, i have been personally censored on twitter post elon for saying cis. Im not saying china is a utopia, but we are not so different

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u/Abject_Dentist_8139 Jan 18 '25

For one, those are corporations, not government policy. I cannot comment further as I do not know the details that went into that.

Second, RedNote is reportedly owned and operated by the CCP. Whatever your gripe with USA, it’s nothing compared to them. Atleast you have the ability to complain. Most people in China are afraid to speak about the government as they are monitored everywhere and are punished either socially or in other ways.

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u/lesbian__overlord Jan 19 '25

and the heads of those corporations, one which just changed their rules to specifically allow for just gay and trans people to be called mentally ill on their platform, are all meeting with trump daily. musk is rumoured to be getting his own office in the white house. at some point corporate policy becomes government policy.

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u/BigMeatSpecial Jan 18 '25

Amazing how TikTok has managed to convince an entire generation that "America bad" is unironically the right world view.

America has severe issues, but saying that China is better for human rights/freedom of speech is insanity.

1

u/whynonamesopen Jan 19 '25

I don't get the feeling that they believe China is superior to America but more so that America isn't as perfect as they've been told to believe.

0

u/Strong_Document_6970 Jan 18 '25

Maybe you are the one got convinced by US propaganda. Gun control, drugs, homeless ppl, inflation are really happening and even Chinese doubt if it’s true in US. People can’t even feel safe walk at night. And with all these, you think America is fine???

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u/BigMeatSpecial Jan 18 '25

And with all these, you think America is fine???

Please develop your critical reading skills. I literally just said in my comment America has severe issues.

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u/hikerchick29 Jan 19 '25

Two things can be true at once. America is a genocidal state with a really shaky grasp on the concept of human rights, and so the hell is china

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u/thick_granny Jan 18 '25 edited Jan 19 '25

TikTok hasn’t convinced people that “America bad” as much as it’s provided a place for people to actually talk about how fucked up it is here. There are things people talk about that is never discussed in schools.

When it comes to RedNote, people mostly went as a form of protest to say “look, we’ll give our data directly to the source if you want to take this away”. It just so happened that the Chinese users were very welcoming and there has been a lot of discussion between the two groups. Once again, Americans are realizing how hard we’re being fucked over by seeing a country that we’ve been told is a hellhole actually have affordable groceries, healthcare, community.

I don’t think anyone is coming to RedNote and acting like China is a beacon of free speech. Everyone is, or should be, aware of what that app is. It’s a “fuck you” for some people, other people just need an app to scroll on.

lol @ people downvoting. Y’all have become the old men shaking their fists at clouds. If you can’t see the issue with this entire situation, good luck to ya.

2

u/FentynalLover Jan 18 '25

It's not the worst country ever for it, obviously. But it's definitely a lot worse then American's and reddit like to admit it is

1

u/Shoddy-Teaching7945 Jan 19 '25

Not all, but an uncomfortable number of cis ppl push violent, and very dehumanizing rhetoric against queer ppl in the us. There are states that trans ppl are advices to not travel. Violence and ridicule are universal experiences for queer folk in the us. Idk for the western pillar of democracy and freedom, it sounds oppressive, why do I need to compare the violence abroad when the violence against queers in the states is bad?

9

u/scrummybingus69 Jan 18 '25

At least improve your English if you're going to concern troll like this.

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u/SladeX7 Jan 18 '25

They’re not trolling. I seen it too, even some videos from 2 months ago before the tik tok immigration.

1

u/Sheensta Jan 18 '25 edited Jan 18 '25

Go on the app LOL. There are so many posts talking about LGBT and almost all of the responses from rednote users are positive (no less than reddit). Don't just believe what you read on the news, actually use the app.

https://www.reddit.com/r/CuratedTumblr/s/DqpaIesbCx

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u/ptuey Jan 19 '25

talking openly or covertly about it? that's an important distinction.

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u/Sheensta Jan 19 '25 edited Jan 19 '25

Yes, there are tons of openly gay, trans folks on XHS. For example this post a trans person shares their experiences.

http://xhslink.com/a/NUfo0x1nNe63

This post talking about Billie Eilish being queer with lots of positive discussion (before the large influx of foreign visitors).

http://xhslink.com/a/z1rlyf8L7f63

The problem that some seem to have is that political discussion re: LGBTQ issues is frowned upon and censored. Being an LGBTQ person in China is definitely disadvantageous, do not get me wrong. The government does not endorse promotion of queer sexuality, despite it being legal. However, like most things about China, its also not as bad as lots of Americans claim.

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u/ernest7ofborg9 Jan 18 '25

A month old account and your last post was, and I quote:

Reddit is a cia psyop

You can just sit back down.