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Chinese netizens are offering large sums of money to access Clubhouse, the invitation-only audio chat app, where they can openly talk about sensitive topics without government censorship.
Ecommerce sites nationwide have sold thousands of invitations to the fast-growing US platform, which has featured live chats in recent weeks hosted by popular speakers, including Tesla’s Elon Musk. Membership is normally free, but Chinese internet users are racing to pay up to Rmb 500 ($ 77) per invitation.
Chinese users have flocked to the Clubhouse to swap opinions ranging from support for anti-government protests in Hong Kong to doubts about one-party rule in the country, which on other platforms escapes strict controls by Beijing Internet.
“People want to know what really happened in Xinjiang or Hong Kong,” said Fang Kecheng, professor of communication at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, referring to the imprisonment in Beijing of around 1 million. of Uyghur Muslims in the West China Province described by the United States. as “genocide”. “There was nowhere they could turn and Clubhouse provided an option,” added Fang.
Clubhouse, backed by Silicon Valley, is one of the few western social media apps available in China. On Taobao, owned by Alibaba, the country’s largest e-commerce site, more than 200 online stores sell Clubhouse invitations, with some telling the Financial Times they have hundreds of customers.
“This is the latest social media fad, [it’s] different from any Chinese product in the market, ”said David Li, a Hangzhou-based trader who has sold more than 50 Clubhouse memberships.
Clubhouse is currently not subject to internet regulations in the country that require Chinese apps, such as Tencent’s WeChat, to censor “illegal” content and report outspoken users to Beijing. Western social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have long been blocked in mainland China.
On Sunday, one of the Clubhouse’s most active Chinese language chat rooms gathered more than 700 attendees who identified themselves as being from mainland China and Taiwan. The discussion focused on comparing the political systems between the two states, with many mainland participants expressing sympathy for the autonomous island and concerns about the one-party regime in China.
“It is true that our government, led by Xi Jinping, is good at getting things done,” said a chat room participant who identified himself as being from mainland China. “But I’m worried about the lack of checks and balances if Xi is to do very aggressive things in the future.”
Analysts say it will be a challenge for Clubhouse to gain popularity in the world’s most populous country. The app only works on Apple’s iOS platform and requires a non-Chinese Apple ID, which puts it out of reach of most smartphone users in the country who rely on Google’s Android system and stores. local applications.
A bigger challenge for Clubhouse is how long it can avoid Chinese censors.
“The Chinese government will definitely want Clubhouse to follow local rules if the platform plans to operate in the country,” said Gao Ming, managing director of Shanghai-based public relations firm Ruder Finn and a seasoned Internet watcher in China. .
CUHK’s Gao and Fang said the Clubhouse may have already fallen under Beijing’s radar. “No technology is absolutely secure,” Fang said, “discussions can be recorded on tape.”
But Gao said it would be technically difficult for the government to match attendees with their comments unless Clubhouse agrees to cooperate. “There is no way Clubhouse can work 100% with the Chinese government,” Gao said.
He expects Beijing to block the app once its user base reaches a certain size. “Clubhouse is a very good communication platform,” Gao added. “Too bad he’s unlikely to have a bright future in China.”
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