Taiwan blocks Xiaohongshu for one year over fraud and data security failures

A fast growing app faces a one year shutdown

Taiwan will block Xiaohongshu for one year after linking it to more than 1,700 fraud cases since 2024, the Interior Ministry said. Losses tied to those cases total about 247.68 million Taiwan dollars. The platform, branded in English as RedNote, mixes social posts and shopping listings. It has about 3 million users in Taiwan. Access will be restricted by internet providers under an order that cites security risks and the company failed to comply with local law.

Officials said the app failed all 15 indicators in a government cybersecurity assessment. Investigators also struggled to obtain basic data about suspect accounts and transactions because the operator has no legal representative in Taiwan. Agencies contacted the Shanghai based parent in October seeking concrete steps to protect users. They said they received no reply.

The suspension lands at a time of intense scrutiny of Chinese apps in Taiwan. Authorities have warned for years that platforms tied to mainland companies can carry disinformation campaigns and expose users to data collection. Xiaohongshu has faced compliance pressure inside China at times after posts critical of local conditions spread on the service.

What triggered the decision

Police data show the trend accelerated over two years. The Criminal Investigation Bureau recorded 950 cases tied to Xiaohongshu in 2024 with losses above 132.9 million Taiwan dollars. From January through November 2025, officers logged another 756 cases with losses above 114.77 million Taiwan dollars. The combined total since last year passes 1,700 victims.

The most common schemes mirrored the platform shopping focus. Victims reported fake storefronts, investment pitches hooked to influencer posts, alleged installment payment cancellations, romance scams, and sexual solicitation ruses. Many cases involved off platform payments requested by sellers who never delivered goods.

Social commerce blurs the line between advertising and personal recommendation. That format makes it easier to trust a seller who appears in a friendly feed. Once a buyer moves a conversation to private messages or external links, regulators say it becomes far harder to trace what happened and to recover money.

Authorities say they tried to work with the company before taking the step. Taiwan requires major platforms that operate locally to appoint a legal representative and to respond to lawful data requests. Officials say the operator did not comply, failed the security review, and left investigators stuck.

In a written statement, the Interior Ministry described a basic roadblock for police inquiries. The ministry said officers faced the following problem:

“Due to the inability to obtain necessary data in accordance with the law, law enforcement authorities have encountered significant obstacles in investigations, creating a de facto legal vacuum,” the ministry said.

The order suspends access for a provisional one year while agencies monitor whether the operator addresses the deficiencies and begins complying with Taiwan law.

How the block will be enforced

Officials invoked Article 42 of the Fraud Crime Hazard Prevention Act, which allows emergency action against online services tied to large scale fraud. The Ministry of the Interior directed internet service providers to suspend domain name resolution and restrict access to Xiaohongshu for one year.

The Taiwan Network Information Center said it has activated Response Policy Zone controls in the domain name system under an administrative order from investigators. DNS RPZ is a blocking method used by network operators. It lets providers redirect queries for specific domains so that users cannot reach the target site.

Engineers will also target hundreds of IP addresses associated with the app. The rollout will take several hours as providers update systems. Many users opening the app will see only a loading spinner or an error saying the page cannot be reached.

The ministry advised citizens not to download Xiaohongshu and urged those who already use it to stop and move to platforms that meet local security standards.

What security tests found

A national security review concluded the app failed all 15 indicators in a government checklist. The test covers permissions and behaviors such as the collection of sensitive data, access to storage, invasive background operations, sharing information with remote servers, and the potential interception of communications.

Officials also pointed to risks tied to legal obligations in China. Chinese security agencies can compel companies to provide user data. Taiwan worries that data about local users, their devices, and their networks could be accessible without meaningful oversight.

Earlier this week, the Ministry of Digital Affairs warned that five popular Chinese platforms pose significant cybersecurity risks. The notice named Xiaohongshu, short video app Douyin, microblog service Weibo, messaging app WeChat, and Baidu Wangpan cloud storage. Taiwan has already banned Xiaohongshu, TikTok, and Douyin from government devices since 2019.

Deputy Interior Minister Ma Shih yuan said the conduct of the platform is part of a wider challenge that governments are confronting. He warned that the authorities need cooperation from operators and that vague promises are not enough to protect users.

“This is not a problem unique to Taiwan,” Ma said. “From our perspective, it is a platform that sits beyond legal oversight and operates with unclear intentions.”

Public and political reaction on the island

The decision sparked debate about internet freedom and consumer protection. Kuomintang leaders labeled the suspension an act of censorship and warned that users would turn to virtual private networks to bypass controls.

Lai Shyh bao, a Kuomintang legislator, said the shutdown risks eroding an open internet in Taiwan. He wrote on Facebook:

“Internet freedom in Taiwan is heading toward a day when people will need VPNs.”

Government officials counter that the issue is compliance with local law and the need to curb a surge in fraud that has drained household savings. They said global platforms such as Facebook, Google, LINE, and TikTok operate legally in Taiwan by appointing representatives and answering lawful requests from regulators and police.

Across the strait, a spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of China criticized the move and said Taipei hides behind cybersecurity claims to limit exchanges. The exchange reflected a deeper political rift that often plays out in battles over information space.

The app at the center of the storm

Xiaohongshu started in 2013 as a shopping guide that let users swap tips on where to buy products overseas. Founders Miranda Qu and Charlwin Mao built it into a social network that blends glossy lifestyle posts, product reviews, and direct links to buy items. The service is often compared with Instagram because of its focus on photos and short videos.

Its early user base skewed young and female, and brands poured ad budgets into the platform. The app positions itself as a lifestyle search engine where users look up trends, travel notes, and recommendations from peers. A culture of recommendation known as the grass planting economy encourages users to try new items and then share experiences.

Xiaohongshu saw downloads surge in several markets when TikTok faced possible restrictions. The company has also faced complaints from regulators and users about fake reviews, paid posts that were not labeled, and the handling of content that clashes with censors in China.

What this means for users and businesses

The one year suspension affects an estimated 3 million people in Taiwan. Influencers, small retailers, and cross border sellers who built communities on Xiaohongshu need other channels to reach customers. The Interior Ministry urged those users to switch to legal services that meet Taiwan information security standards.

Officials said many victims had no path to compensation because the app runs outside the jurisdiction of Taiwan. Without a local representative, courts and police cannot easily compel the operator to turn over records, freeze suspicious assets, or resolve disputes.

Consumers can lower risk by taking a few practical steps when shopping through social media or messaging apps:

• Verify seller identity and look for company registration and working contact details.
• Use payment methods with buyer protection. Avoid bank transfers to personal accounts.
• Keep conversations inside the platform and be cautious of links that jump to new sites or payment pages.
• Watch for pressure tactics, deals that look too good, and installment cancellation scripts.
• Check reviews across multiple sites and look for warning patterns such as repeated complaints.
• Do not share ID numbers, bank login data, or one time passwords.
• Enable two factor authentication and keep phone software up to date.

Global context for Chinese apps and data concerns

Governments worldwide have tightened rules for Chinese tech platforms. The United States passed a law that requires TikTok parent ByteDance to sell the app to an American owner or face a nationwide ban. Multiple countries and the European Union have barred TikTok from government devices. The state of Texas has also banned Xiaohongshu on government hardware.

India blocked TikTok and dozens of other Chinese apps in 2020 after a border clash with China. Several countries require data from foreign services to be stored locally and kept away from foreign government access. Taiwan review of Xiaohongshu combined both concerns, online fraud and the possibility that user data could be accessed by security agencies in China.

Disinformation threats add another layer. Taiwan regularly faces coordinated messaging campaigns aimed at shaping public opinion. Social platforms have become central arenas for that contest, which is why Taiwanese regulators are pressing operators for transparency and a clear line of accountability inside their jurisdiction.

What authorities will review during the ban

Officials say the company can return to the Taiwan market if it meets concrete conditions. The operator would need to appoint a legal representative in Taiwan, comply with lawful requests for user data in fraud investigations, and pass a fresh round of security tests that address the 15 indicators it previously failed.

Regulators will monitor compliance during the one year ban. If the company submits a credible plan and starts to meet local requirements, the Interior Ministry could revise or lift restrictions. If there is no progress, authorities could extend measures or pursue further action under digital security and fraud prevention laws.

Key Points

• Taiwan will block access to Xiaohongshu for one year under an Interior Ministry order.
• Investigators tied the app to more than 1,700 fraud cases since 2024 with losses of about 247.68 million Taiwan dollars.
• The app failed all 15 checks in a government cybersecurity test and has no legal representative in Taiwan.
• Internet providers will enforce domain and IP blocks using DNS RPZ under an administrative order.
• The Ministry of Digital Affairs flagged Xiaohongshu and other Chinese apps as high risk.
• Opposition politicians criticized the move as censorship, while the government cited noncompliance and user safety.
• The operator has yet to answer Taiwan requests for a concrete data safety plan.
• Users are urged to stop using the app and switch to platforms that meet local security standards.