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Taiwan Government Blocks Chinese Social Network 'Xiaohongshu' for One Year

ZD Net Korea | Local Language | News | Dec. 9, 2025 | Geopolitical Conflict and Disputes

The Taiwanese government has imposed a one-year ban on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu due to its failure to cooperate in numerous fraud investigations. The platform has been linked to over 1,770 fraud cases causing damages of approximately 247.7 million New Taiwan dollars (about 11.65 billion Korean won). Authorities stated that the lack of data cooperation from Xiaohongshu is creating significant obstacles for judicial investigations and resulting in a legal vacuum.

Xiaohongshu, popular among young users in Taiwan with 3 million local users, has raised concerns not only due to fraud but also for potential use in pro-China propaganda and disinformation campaigns. The exact timing of the ban’s enforcement remains unclear, with users reportedly still able to access the app as of the week before the ban announcement. The ban reflects broader worries about cybersecurity and disinformation from Chinese apps, especially given Chinese laws requiring local data storage and government access, which facilitates content censorship and monitoring.

The ban in Taiwan follows similar actions by other countries; India blocked multiple Chinese apps including TikTok in 2020, and since 2023, the U.S., U.K., and EU have restricted TikTok on government devices over national security concerns. Texas has also banned Xiaohongshu from government devices. Taiwan previously prohibited Xiaohongshu, TikTok, and Douyin on public institution devices in 2019. Recently, Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Development designated Xiaohongshu, TikTok, Weibo, and WeChat as high cybersecurity risks due to data collection and potential unauthorized sharing. Taiwan’s National Security Bureau rated Xiaohongshu as failing security assessments in all categories. Some opposition voices and users criticized the ban, claiming it infringes on freedom of expression.

Taiwanese officials emphasized that major global platforms like Facebook, Google, and Line comply with local laws and have legal representation in Taiwan, whereas Xiaohongshu has not responded to government requests for improvement plans. Deputy Minister Mas Yuan described Xiaohongshu as a malicious platform that operates outside legal oversight with unclear intentions, noting that similar regulatory violations by the platform have occurred internationally, including within China itself.

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