Americans think this random Canadian guy is the CEO of RedNote

At least 700,000 TikTok users in the US have moved to a Chinese-owned app called Xiaohongshu, or rednote In English, according to The Guardian, the US government is preparing to ban TikTok starting Sunday. But if you’re watching videos of RedNote’s CEO telling you how to use the platform, don’t be fooled. Someone went viral this week for his welcome video on RedNote, but people seem to think he’s the company’s president. The video was even featured on local TV news in New York. But he’s just a random RedNote user from Canada.

The video has been posted Earlier this weekshows a man sitting at a table and saying he wants to make a quick video about Xiaohongshu “and he’s introducing you guys to this platform.”

“So, first tip, we mainly use this platform to search for suggestions like restaurants, shopping malls, and even similar makeup tips,” says the man.

To be clear, he never claimed to be the CEO of RedNote in the video and it’s hard to see why people would assume that. The video explains that most people at RedNote speak Chinese, but feel free to speak in English if you’d like.

“I want to say, never stop sharing your voice because platforms like Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Xiaohongshu should never be banned,” says the man. “Like people sharing their actual voices out there, like the L.A. wildfires, Gaza, and so many other things, right?”

The man continued by emphasizing that it is important to continue creating content on social media platforms.

“These are the voice of real people. What matters most is that we never stop making content. So, yes, welcome to Xiaohongshu. Let me know what your thoughts are, let me know what matters to you. I speak both Chinese and English, So feel free to ask me any questions.

The video is interesting and was probably so obvious that it gave off an air of authority, like something a CTO might post, but he’s not the CEO. RedNote was actually founded in Shanghai in 2013 by Miranda Zhou, the platform’s current president, and Charlwyn Mao, the current CEO, according to the RedNote website. Reuters.

Local TV news station Fox5 In New York, a clip was shown that ended with the claim that the RedNote CEO had sent a welcome video. But it was clear from the way she described it that the news outlet had been deceived.

“Now, Americans at RedNote jokingly refer to themselves as refugees from TikTok,” reporter Jennifer William said in a broadcast on Monday. “RedNote’s CEO made a video welcoming new English-speaking users to the app. He also encouraged them to never stop sharing their voice.

“The voice and all that data,” the broadcaster replied with a laugh.

Who is this guy that everyone mistakes for the CEO? His name is Jerry and he shares a RedNote account with his partner Danny, according to Business insider. Jerry actually lives in Vancouver, Canada, and by all indications he has no real idea why everyone thinks he’s the CEO of RedNote. He even posted a video on a new account created for TikTok, FakeCEORealGF In an attempt to make it clear to others that he does not control RedNote.

“I’m just another regular guy in Vancouver,” Jerry said. “I wasn’t expecting this post to go viral like this. Thank you for all the comments, but I want to make it clear that I’m not the CEO of RedNote. But everything I said in this welcome video remains true. I really hope you guys enjoy this platform.

In the video, Jerry says he grew up in Shanghai and came to Canada about a decade ago, while Dani says she is Chinese and grew up in California before moving to Canada.

A US ban is set to be imposed on TikTok January 19one day before Donald Trump’s inauguration, but the US Supreme Court is expected to consider the matter before that actually happens. Most court observers believe it depends on the oral arguments presented Last weekSCOTUS will rule against TikTok and allow the ban to take effect. But no one knows for sure until we get a verdict. We don’t know exactly when that might come. It could be tomorrow or it could be over the weekend at the last minute, for all we know.

Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Americans are giving RedNote a big shot to the US government. TikTok users don’t really like the idea of ​​being told they can’t use the app they love and moving to apps owned by people like Mark Zuckerberg is very unpalatable for those who see the Meta CEO as a Trump ally.

But American politicians are clearly uneasy about the shift toward RedNote. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, a Democrat, expressed frustration with the spike in RedNote subscriptions in a post on Bluesky.

“I am concerned that Americans are flocking to a number of adversary-owned social media platforms. We still need a comprehensive, risk-based approach to assessing and mitigating the risks of foreign-owned apps,” Warner wrote. Tuesday.

But the American ruling class will need to get used to Americans, and not just roll over when their favorite toys are taken away. Because they can claim that China threatens the “way of life” that America cherishes all day long. But this lifestyle seems increasingly desperate and fraught, between the cost of living and the fact that a convicted criminal is about to become the most powerful person in the country. once again. The most powerful person in the country once again.