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On Sunday, January 19, TikTok will shut down thanks to a federal ban it supported Supreme Court this week, and Gen Z is registering their anger by flocking to a new Communist Chinese app.
A bipartisan congressional and state administration told us that banning TikTok is essential to national security and protecting Americans’ privacy. For almost two years now, I maintained that the prohibition does not concern either security or privacy; the purpose of prohibition is social control, and Gen Z agrees.
In a digital rebellion against the ban, hordes of young American “TikTok refugees” are currently flocking to the Chinese social media platform it’s called Xiaohongshu, or RedNote, in English. Nearly a million new users reportedly joined the Chinese app in just two days.
RedNote’s migration is an act of rebellion, with users comparing themselves to defiant colonists in the Boston Tea Party and learning Mandarin out of spite. One user made a fake final scene “The breakfast club” convey why the RedNote Rebellion is a “stick to the man” moment.
The Chinese name RedNote literally translates to “Little Red Book”—an unsettling historical callback. In the 1960s, the “Little Red Book” was a central tool of Communist propaganda in China. It symbolized unwavering loyalty to Mao Zedong and served as a key instrument during China’s brutal Cultural Revolution.
The “Little Red Book” was not just a collection of Mao’s quotes; was a weapon of ideological control. People were forced to remember its content, carry it constantly, and even use it to justify violence. He embodied absolute submission to Mao’s regime.
RedNote’s migration is an act of rebellion, with users comparing themselves to defiant colonists in the Boston Tea Party.
Now Americans are migrating to a platform named after one of the most notorious symbols of communist indoctrination. This reality has not escaped young people, myself included.
Yes, I downloaded RedNote, and here’s why: The TikTok ban is a troubling indication that America is mirroring China’s social control tactics. Downloading RedNote is not an endorsement of China or communism; it is a bold act of defiance against America’s betraying leaders The First Amendment.
SUPREME COURT CONFIRMS THREATENED TIKTOK BAN
American social networks are full of former US intelligence officials. Mark Zuckerberg himself admitted that Meta created a special portal for the Biden administration and leftist NGOs to censor speech unfavorable to the federal government.
Data from platforms like Facebook has already been sold to China and other entities. If the US government really cared about protecting the privacy of Americans, it would pass strict data privacy laws – it wouldn’t ban a single app.
This is not about privacy or national security; it’s about controlling information. Jen Easterly, director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (a subsidiary of DHS), openly states that her agency’s primary goal is to protect the “cognitive infrastructure,” meaning our minds.
Even Arizona Democratic Senator Mark Kelly has openly admitted that banning TikTok is about controlling public discourse.
This is consistent with the government’s broader agenda: narrative management under the guise of national security. According to to deep state whistleblower Mike Benz, the Western intelligence apparatus spreads fear of so-called “disinformation” and justifies censorship because they fear growing populism, which they perceive as a threat to their power.
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Ironically, China itself bans the international version of TikTok, allowing only the CCP-approved version to run in the country. Why? Because they are communists. But at least they acknowledge that they control the narrative. Our government makes us think it’s about privacy.
Critics are quick to label Gen Z “TikTok refugees” as naive or communist sympathizers for downloading RedNote. This couldn’t be further from the truth. During the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s, my family robbed, killed and almost destroyed by the communists. One member of the extended family, a Catholic priest, was forced to dig his own grave and was buried alive only because of his faith. Communism is not just theft; it is demonic.
I oppose the TikTok ban precisely because I understand the dangers of communism. This isn’t about loving TikTok or China; it is about recognizing the attack on free discourse. The RedNote migration symbolizes an entire generation that is rightfully losing faith in the government’s commitment to respecting the Constitution.
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The feds threw the First Amendment out the window. Conservatives know this better than most. The Biden administration it has jailed pro-lifers, infiltrated traditional Catholic communities, censored dissident voices, and even instigated a massive social media ban on President-elect Trump.
The rebellion against the TikTok ban isn’t just about the app; it is a referendum on whether Americans will tolerate a federal government that seeks to control public discourse under the guise of national security. Gen Z’s rebellion – both serious and satirical – is a powerful rejection of this excess.
