Taipei: The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) on Saturday justified the government’s decision to block Xiaohongshu for one year, amid criticism that the popular Chinese social media app is being singled out for sanctions.
According to Focus Taiwan, the CIB stated that the action was taken after Xiaohongshu, known in English as RedNote, failed to take corrective action despite repeated demands. The move aligns with laws targeting fraud and scams. The CIB cracked down on the app after concluding it was being used for fraud and cybersecurity violations, posing risks to national security.
On Thursday, the government instructed internet service providers to block access to Xiaohongshu effective immediately. Although still downloadable, the app takes a long time to load its functions, rendering it effectively unusable. Some critics, including Kuomintang (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun, have questioned why only Xiaohongshu was blocked and not other platforms that are sources of scams such as Facebook, Instagram, Line, Google, TikTok, and Threads.
The CIB emphasized that the government treats all non-compliant platforms equally. Citing Meta as an example, the bureau noted that the company has been penalized three times this year for undisclosed ads, poor management, and failure to remove scams, with fines totaling NT$18.5 million (US$591,262). Unlike Xiaohongshu, major platforms with large user bases, including Meta (Facebook, Instagram, Threads), TikTok, Google (YouTube), and LINE, have complied with government regulations, the CIB said.
These platforms have legal representatives in Taiwan to handle related disputes and implement anti-fraud measures, such as mandatory identity verification and review of fraud-prevention plans, making them fully accountable, in contrast to Xiaohongshu, the CIB added. Based on statistics from the 165 Anti-fraud Hotline, from January 2024 to November 2025, local authorities received 1,706 complaints of fraud involving Xiaohongshu, resulting in financial losses of more than NT$240 million. This indicated that the platform has become a hotspot for fraudulent activity.
On July 2, the National Security Bureau conducted cybersecurity checks on five Chinese-made apps, including Xiaohongshu, which failed all 15 testing indicators, such as excessive collection of personal data and misuse of permissions, raising serious concerns. The CIB stated that the use of Xiaohongshu for fraud and cybersecurity violations has harmed public interests, disrupted social order, and posed potential national security risks.
The government’s action complies with Article 42 of the Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act, allowing authorities to order internet service providers to suspend or restrict access to websites in emergencies, reducing citizens’ vulnerability to fraudsters.