American and Chinese social media users are bonding on social media app RedNote in an ironic twist that could backfire on the U.S. government's plan to ban TikTok. So-called “TikTok refugees” are flocking to Chinese app RedNote for its similar format and being welcomed with open arms.

By Katie Paul NEW YORK - Chinese social media app RedNote, known in China as Xiaohongshu, gained nearly 3 million U.S. users in one day earlier this week as a flood of self-proclaimed "TikTok Refugees" joined,

Americans who have joined RedNote — which is all in Mandarin — have gathered under the hashtag #TikTokrefugee in an apparent rebuke of the U.S. government's stated national security concerns about TikTok’s Chinese ownership.