Xiaohongshu and its international service, rednote, now have separate privacy policies, operators and data-storage arrangements. For international creators building a Chinese audience, this makes account setup a decision worth checking before launch.
The separation does not mean mainland and international users have been placed into two completely disconnected content communities. The current rednote policy explicitly preserves interaction with Xiaohongshu users.
Updated October 22, 2026. Based on the official policies available on that date.
What changed
Xiaohongshu’s privacy policy, updated April 27, 2026, distinguishes the mainland product from overseas-operated rednote. It applies to accounts registered in mainland China and directs users registered outside the mainland to rednote’s policy.
The mainland service is operated by Xingyin Information Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. and its affiliates. Its policy says personal information obtained through operating Xiaohongshu is stored in China, with specified circumstances for cross-border provision.
International rednote has a different operator: Rednote Technology PTE. LTD in Singapore. Its privacy policy, effective August 5, 2026, applies to users registered outside mainland China.
Where international user data is stored
The current rednote policy lists servers in Singapore, Malaysia or the United States. It also allows processing by group companies, service providers and partners worldwide, including in mainland China.
That means “international data separation” should not be understood as a promise that international user data never reaches China. The policy describes transfers to support cross-platform interactions and features such as payments, delivery and livestreaming.
Can mainland and international users still interact?
Yes. The international policy describes interoperability: public content and profiles can be accessible to Xiaohongshu users, and users can communicate across the services.
Separate data arrangements therefore do not establish a complete content wall. They also do not prove that every post receives the same distribution across both services. The policies do not establish a blanket block on mainland reach for overseas creators.
How to check your account
The rednote policy provides a direct check: open Me → Settings and look at the agreements displayed at the bottom of the page. Rednote terms indicate a rednote account; Xiaohongshu terms indicate a Xiaohongshu account.
Use that account-level information when planning your workflow. An app’s display language or the country you are visiting is not a sufficient basis for deciding which service your account belongs to.
What this means for a China launch
Our recommendation is to confirm the account’s service, publishing permissions and available creator tools before setting a launch schedule. If the goal is mainland audience growth, measure that audience in the analytics available to the account rather than treating total views as proof of mainland reach.
Keep account classification, data storage and content performance as separate questions. A storage location does not tell you where your viewers live, and a mainland connection does not guarantee distribution.
For SAIKO creators, this is a reason to review the account setup early and build a clear publishing workflow. It is not a reason to abandon Xiaohongshu or assume international accounts cannot reach Chinese viewers.
