China Blocks Clubhouse – An Audio, Social Media App

Chinese authorities ban Clubhouse.
The COVID-19 pandemic was the highlight of the year 2020, and it ushered in a new era of communication, particularly video-conferencing. The pandemic led to the popularity of a host of video-conferencing apps such as Zoom, Google Meet, among others, as people needed to connect with their loved ones and to some extent, work from home. Indeed, there was a need for people to keep living their normal lives amidst the pandemic, and this resulted in a period of high market activity in the communication sector globally.
Apart from the popular video-conferencing apps, then there is this unique app that also stormed the world called Clubhouse. Why is Clubhouse unique? It is unique because it is an invite-only audio-chat social networking platform that can connect up to about 5,000 speakers and listeners in a virtual room. Did you just hear 5,000 speakers and listeners? Yes, you just did.
Clubhouse is a new social media app launched in the year 2020 (April to be precise) and had six hundred thousand (600,000) registered users as of December 2020. The app has also been downloaded for at least two million (2,000,000) times. An edge Clubhouse has over every other app of its kind is that the app is big with celebrities, that is, it has a host of celebrities among its users who host virtual conversations on the app. Even at that, Clubhouse is still focused on courting people who are global influencers and fortunately, China, Hong Kong and Taiwan have proved to be a favourable base.
Just when Clubhouse started gaining popularity and grounds in China, then broke the news of the government of China blocking Clubhouse. What’s all the fuss about? “Why block Clubhouse when it serves as a space for freedom of speech?” remains till today the most asked question among the residents of China, especially the youths and young adults. From this question popularly asked by some of the residents of China, one can deduce that Clubhouse seems to have given them a taste of freedom of speech which they are entitled to but have been missing for a long period of time. In fact, the app gave them the opportunity or platform to openly discuss and critically debate sensitive issues such as politics, and gender and sexuality.
Sadly, these privileges exist no more- at least, not for now. Why? The government of China has blocked Clubhouse! The major reason behind this decision by the Chinese government is that the Clubhouse has proved to be a platform or medium through which thousands of the citizens of china share stories about Xinjiang and Tiananmen Square, especially the Tiananmen Square massacre. Also, issues like Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement and the cross-strait relations between Taiwan and China are usually discussed and debated. Was this decision impending? Yes, it was because, at a point, some people were even worried that the app would be blocked due to some objectionable or offensive contents that pass through the platform. Indeed, there was writing on the wall, and the users of the app were worried the app would be blocked someday. Now, it’s blocked, and a large portion of the Chinese population believes the government has failed them. Whether this is true or not, time would tell.