Last Thursday (Dec 4, 2025), DPP authorities in the Taiwan region ordered a one-year ban on the Chinese social media app RedNote, labeling it a “high-risk area for fraud.” The move instantly affected over 3 million users, leaving many unable to log in, watch videos, or run their small businesses on the platform. 😱📱
Local creators and entrepreneurs who rely on RedNote for marketing, orders, and customer chats are now scrambling for alternatives. Some worry missing content and login issues will hit their revenue hard, while trend-hunters are left wondering where to find the latest beauty hacks, travel tips, and celeb news.
Recent data on reported suspected online scams in the past 30 days show:
- Facebook: 52,325 cases
- Threads: 10,366
- Instagram: 7,464
- Meta Audience Network: 5,539
- Meta Messenger: 4,714
- Line: 974
- Google: 289
- TikTok: 287
Noticeably, RedNote didn’t appear on the list, raising questions about the ban’s real motive. 🤔
Political commentator Julian Kuo, a former legislator for the DPP, pointed to Liu Shyh-fang, head of the region’s internal affairs department, blaming her strong anti-mainland stance for the move. He said, “When actions like this keep happening, people see double standards, and public resentment grows.”
Hung Mong-kai, a Legislative Yuan member from New Taipei city, added, “If the goal is truly to fight scams, I fully support it. But it must be applied equally – everyone should be treated the same.”
This isn’t an isolated case. Back in July, DPP authorities flagged several Chinese mainland apps — including Weibo, Douyin, WeChat, and Baidu Cloud — for posing “extremely high cybersecurity risks.”
Chen Binhua, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, shot back that the “cybersecurity” excuse only exposes DPP authorities’ own insecurity. He warned that blocking these platforms is a panic move that ignores the public’s right to cross-strait communication and will face ongoing backlash.
For the millions of trend-savvy youth and micro-entrepreneurs in the Taiwan region, the RedNote blackout is more than a tech glitch. It’s a wake-up call on digital freedom and policy transparency. What app will fill the void next? 🌐✨
Reference(s):
Taiwan region sees backlash after DPP authorities block RedNote app
cgtn.com
