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China appears to have banned Clubhouse, the invite-only social media app. Clubhouse is now blocked in most cities in China, journalist Michael Anti tweeted Monday.
Chinese users had flocked to the uncensored app to chat openly about political topics.
Buzzy social media app Clubhouse appears to have been blocked in China.
The invite-only app remained uncensored in China until Monday, and people flocked to it to discuss political topics. Some Chinese users were paying more than $60 for an invite, and chat rooms were discussing Xinjiang s Uighur detention camps and Taiwan independence, Reuters reported.
Michael Anti, a journalist and political analyst in China, tweeted on Monday morning that Clubhouse is now blocked in most cities in China.
February 8, 2021
The audio-based social network Clubhouse offered Chinese users a rare chance to have uncensored, free discussions on topics ranging from Xinjiang to Hong Kong protests in the past few days something that would otherwise be unimaginable on the heavily monitored Chinese internet. Now, the brief moment of free speech is over.
Beijing blocked the invitation-only app on Monday (Feb. 8), according to Clubhouse users in mainland China. On WeChat, many shared their regret at seeing the app finally barred, and said they now need to use virtual private networks tools for circumventing China’s great firewall to access Clubhouse, according to posts seen by Quartz. Michael Anti, an editor at China’s renowned financial publication Caixin, also tweeted that the app is blocked in most cities in China.
Trump’s expulsion from American social media for spurring the violent crowd at the Capitol last week has consumed the Chinese internet, one of the most harshly censored forums on Earth. Overwhelmingly, people who face prison for what they write are condemning what they regard as censorship elsewhere.
Much of the condemnation is being driven by China’s propaganda arms. By highlighting the decisions by Twitter and Facebook, they believe they are reinforcing their message to the Chinese people that nobody in the world truly enjoys freedom of speech. That gives the party greater moral authority to crack down on Chinese speech.
Posted by Xiao Qiang | Dec 31, 2005 The website of Michael Anti, one of China’s most provocative bloggers, have apparently been shut by MSN Spaces, following posts on a series of posts on the walkout by reporters at Beijing News and after Chinese blog service provider Bokee ran a column suggesting that authorities pay attention to Anti. Via ESWN.: The Anti Blog Is Gone Upon information and belief, the Anti blog has been removed by MSN Spaces. For much of today, the message is that: “Space not available. This space is temporarily unavailable. Please try again later.” I have tried other MSN Spaces, but this is the only one not available. Similarly, Anti’s English blog is not available either.