Taiwan’s government says that RedNote poses large fraud and cybersecurity risks to Taiwanese users, and unlike other social media platforms and apps, has refused to comply with Taiwanese regulations – necessitating the year-long “emergency” ban imposed last week.

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The National Police Agency’s Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) announced on November 4 an order to suspend access to the social media app XiaohongShu, or RedNote, for one year. The ban, in line with the Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act, is meant to curb fraud and cybersecurity risks posed by the app.

According to the CIB, fraud cases in Taiwan involving RedNote have been on the rise. Statistics show that, since 2024, RedNote has been involved in 1,700 fraud cases, resulting in financial losses of as much as NT$247.7 million (US$7.9 million) for the public.

However, the government says RedNote also presents a cybersecurity risk concerning a lack of legal compliance. Cabinet Anti-Fraud Command Center Head Ma Shih-yuan (馬士元) says that when the app was investigated earlier this year by the National Security Bureau, the app failed all 15 cybersecurity and national security testing indicators, pointing to serious risks. 

The Digital Ministry also flagged RedNote for engaging in “six major risk behaviors” common in other Chinese apps: collecting sensitive information, accessing storage space, exceeding use-permissions, obtaining biometric data, stealing system information, and data transmission and sharing. 

Ma emphasized that all digital platforms and apps providing services in Taiwan must comply with Taiwanese regulations; however, RedNote’s operating company, Shanghai-based Xingyin Information Technology Co., Ltd., has not responded to calls for compliance. Additionally, RedNote has no Taiwan-based legal representative or contact office to take complaints to. These factors make it difficult for law enforcement agencies to investigate or penalize reported fraud cases. In October, the government, via the Straits Exchange Foundation, asked that the company propose concrete improvement measures and accept jurisdiction, but received no response as of yet.

Other companies, such as Meta, Google, LINE, and TikTok, by contrast, have fully complied with Taiwanese regulations, including appointing a legal representative, among other duties. 

The CIB notes that RedNote has over 3 million users in Taiwan, with usage rapidly increasing over the last year, making it a high-risk for potential online shopping fraud. The Mainland Affairs Council says the RedNote ban is specifically to target fraud and misinformation complaints, not to single out software from a specific country. 

For now, the Interior Ministry recommends the public not download the app, and for those who have to cease using it immediately and uninstall it to protect their personal data and usage records. The government will continue to monitor whether businesses respond and comply before taking further action. The government also urges platforms to fulfill their social responsibility and completely stop publishing RedNote advertisements.

Amanda Stephens, for Rti News