Rednote Separates Chinese and International User Bases
Original: Rednote Draws a Line Between China and the World
Why This Matters
Shows how Chinese tech companies must restructure to operate globally under increasing regulatory pressure
Chinese social media platform Rednote is dividing its domestic and international operations, launching separate web domains and terms of service. The company registered a Singapore entity in 2025 and uses Singapore servers for international data as it pursues global expansion beyond its 300 million Chinese users.
Rednote, which gained international attention during the TikTok ban in January 2025, is implementing a comprehensive separation strategy between Chinese and foreign users. The company launched Rednote.com for international users while maintaining Xiaohongshu.com for domestic Chinese users. It registered Rednote Technology PTE LTD in Singapore in mid-2025 and claims to host international user data on Singapore-based servers. The platform created distinct terms of service in December 2025, with different age requirements (13 for international vs 18 for Chinese users) and content moderation guidelines. The Chinese version includes political content restrictions mandated by the government, while international guidelines focus on discrimination policies. This follows similar strategies by ByteDance with TikTok/Douyin and Tencent with WeChat/Weixin, addressing regulatory scrutiny from both Beijing and Western governments over data security and content moderation.