FILE: Shanghai, China - Sept 2021 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Phone screen showing mobile apps including Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu or RedNote

FILE: Shanghai, China - 2019 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
2. Phone screen showing posts on RedNote

Shanghai, China - Dec 6, 2025 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
3. Graphic showing data of online fraud cases in Taiwan region

Taiwan, China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
4. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Hsieh Chih-chuan, political commentator:
"This decision is simply ridiculous, because the reason they cited was that RedNote was involved in fraud. In Taiwan, people lose as much as 400 million New Taiwan dollars (about 12.78 million U.S. dollars) to scams every day. Seventy percent of that comes from Facebook -- that's about 280 million New Taiwan dollars a day. Yet instead of targeting that, they use it as an excuse to ban RedNote."

FILE: Taipei City, Taiwan, China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
5. Various of landmark Taipei 101 Tower

Taiwan, China - Recent (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
6. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Hsieh Chih-chuan, political commentator (partially overlaid with shot 7):
"Through RedNote, people in Taiwan can see the real development and progress in the mainland. And that is exactly what DPP authorities fear most. It also helps young people on both sides to better understand each other. In Taiwan, most of its users are between the ages of about 15 and 35 -- precisely the group the DPP is trying to win over. But once it is banned, I believe the DPP will end up losing even more of the youth vote."

++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
FILE: Shanghai, China - 2019 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
7. Phone screen showing posts on RedNote
++SHOT OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++

FILE: Taipei City, Taiwan, China - April 2025 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland)
8. Various of people at street market

FILE: Taipei City, Taiwan, China - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
9. Various of pedestrians

RedNote, a popular mainland social media platform used by millions in the Taiwan region, has now been made off-limits on the island, erupting widespread criticism and sparking questions about where the line now stands between digital security and information control.

According to local media reports, RedNote has more than 3 million active users in Taiwan.

On Thursday, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities imposed a one-year ban on the platform, citing a so-called "failure to pass information security monitoring" and alleged links to fraud cases.

DPP Authorities claim the restriction is aimed at preventing online fraud, citing more than 1,700 scam-related cases allegedly linked to the platform over the past two years.

However, critics argue that the explanation does not align with the facts, and many residents view the move as an attempt to limit cross-Strait communication. According to statistics released by the relevant departments, RedNote does not appear on the list of major platforms associated with fraud in the Taiwan region.

By contrast, Facebook alone has reportedly been linked to over 50,000 fraud cases in the past 30 days.

"This decision is simply ridiculous, because the reason they cited was that RedNote was involved in fraud. In Taiwan, people lose as much as 400 million New Taiwan dollars (about 12.78 million U.S. dollars) to scams every day. Seventy percent of that comes from Facebook -- that's about 280 million New Taiwan dollars a day. Yet instead of targeting that, they use it as an excuse to ban RedNote," said Hsieh Chih-chuan, a political commentator.

The restriction follows an earlier warning issued in July, when authorities discouraged the public from downloading five applications from the mainland, including RedNote.

Many commentators now believe the decision to block RedNote was planned long in advance. Although the app will be made unavailable to island residents, observers point out that it is far more difficult to cut off the growing curiosity among young people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.

"Through RedNote, people in Taiwan can see the details about everyday life in the mainland. It also helps young people on both sides to better understand each other. That breaks the information bubble created by the DPP authorities. And that is exactly what they fear most. RedNote has a very strong influence on young people. In Taiwan, most of its users are between the ages of about 15 and 35 — precisely the group the DPP is trying to win over. But once it is banned, I believe the DPP will end up losing even more of the youth vote," said Hsieh.

A spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council also voiced criticism, saying the popularity of these apps comes from their efficiency, convenience and ability to bring people closer through shared experiences and adding that the true motivation behind the ban is not security, but insecurity.