Taiwan’s government has ordered a one-year block of a popular, Chinese-owned social media app following its failure to cooperate with authorities over fraud-related concerns.
Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, has surged in popularity among young Taiwanese in recent years, amassing 3 million users in the self-ruled democracy of 23 million. But the Instagram-like platform has also stoked concerns among officials that it could be used in pro-Beijing propaganda or disinformation campaigns, which Taiwan says it has been battling for years.
China’s Communist Party claims Taiwan as part of its territory, despite having never controlled it, and has vowed to annex it by force if necessary.
Taiwan’s Ministry of the Interior on Thursday cited Xiaohongshu’s refusal to cooperate with authorities as the basis for the ban, claiming that the platform has been linked to more than 1,700 fraud-related cases that resulted in financial losses of 247.7 million Taiwanese dollars ($7.9 million).
“Due to the inability to obtain necessary data in accordance with the law, law enforcement authorities have encountered significant obstacles in investigations, creating a de facto legal vacuum,” the ministry said in a statement.
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