Taiwan Fully Bans Xiaohongshu for 1 Year! Government Reveals 3 Main Reasons: Zero Cybersecurity Compliance, Explosive Growth in Fraud, Refusal to Comply with Laws and Regulations

On December 4, Taiwan’s National Police Agency, Criminal Investigation Bureau, officially announced an “Internet Suspension and Access Restriction” order for the Chinese social media platform “Xiaohongshu” (Little Red Book) app and related websites, effective immediately, with the ban set for one year.

(Previous context: 9 Taiwanese companies and 3 women implicated in “Prince Group” scam empire! Laundering money with cryptocurrency, setting up shell companies in luxury residences) (Background: A degree from a 985 university is not as valuable as 10,000 followers—Xiaohongshu is becoming a new hunting ground for cryptocurrency exchanges)

On December 4, Taiwan’s National Police Agency, Criminal Investigation Bureau, officially announced an “Internet Suspension and Access Restriction” order for the Chinese social media platform “Xiaohongshu” app and related websites, effective immediately, with the ban set for one year.

Officials stated that this measure is based on Article 42 of the “Fraud Crime Prevention Act” regarding “emergency incidents of fraud crime prevention,” and is taken to protect the personal data security of Taiwanese users and effectively curb scam activities conducted through the platform.

Three main reasons for the ban

Authorities noted that Xiaohongshu’s user base in Taiwan has surpassed 3 million and has grown rapidly in recent years, but this brings serious cybersecurity and crime risks, specifically:

First, in 15 cybersecurity tests conducted by Taiwan’s National Security Bureau on Chinese-made apps, Xiaohongshu failed all standards, excessively collecting sensitive data such as contact lists, payment information, location, and even facial recognition. Data transmissions are not sufficiently encrypted, posing a high risk of data leakage.

Second, Xiaohongshu has already become a major criminal channel for scam groups. Data shows that from 2024 to November 2025, a total of 1,706 scam cases involving Xiaohongshu were reported across Taiwan, with financial losses reaching NT$240 million. Common methods include fake investments, fake online shopping, and fake dating. More seriously, Xiaohongshu has no legal representative in Taiwan, so police cannot access relevant information, creating a “law enforcement black hole.”

Third, on October 14 of this year, the Ministry of the Interior officially requested Xiaohongshu’s parent company through the Straits Exchange Foundation to submit an improvement plan, but after more than 50 days, there has been no response, and they have refused to comply with Taiwanese regulations, forcing the government to take the strictest measure of cutting off access.

Additionally, it is worth noting that Xiaohongshu has previously been fined by Chinese authorities for violations, and Texas in the United States has directly listed it as a banned app; in China, some have even pointed out that the platform has potential for united front work. For example, Professor Zhang Weiwei of Fudan University in Shanghai publicly stated that Xiaohongshu could help make “governing Taiwan easier than Hong Kong” for the mainland.

However, the Mainland Affairs Council emphasized that this ban is purely for “fraud prevention and personal data protection” and is not targeted at any specific country, but rather is an act of legal administration.

Further reading: Xiaohongshu “disrupts internet ecosystem,” punished by China’s Cyberspace Administration, Chinese netizens cheer: “Should have been punished long ago!”

Immediate impact on Taiwanese users

Starting from the afternoon of December 4, users with Taiwanese IP addresses will be unable to access the Xiaohongshu app or website normally, with screens usually stuck on “loading” or directly showing connection failure. Unless using a VPN to bypass the restriction, browsing, posting, or logging in will not be possible. Although accounts and historical content remain in the cloud, creators, brand merchants, and cross-border e-commerce in Taiwan are almost entirely suspended.

The Criminal Investigation Bureau emphasized that simply not deleting the app will not result in penalties, but strongly recommends the public uninstall it immediately to prevent continued leakage of personal data.

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〈Taiwan fully bans Xiaohongshu for 1 year! Government reveals 3 major reasons: zero cybersecurity compliance, explosive fraud growth, refusal to comply with regulations〉This article was first published on BlockTempo, the most influential blockchain news media.