Uncensored Clubhouse Finally Blocked in China

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Hyun-ui] The voice chat social media app "Clubhouse" has finally been blocked in China. As it quickly gained popularity by serving as a free forum for discussion in a country where censorship is routine, the government took action.

According to U.S. IT media TechCrunch and others on the 8th (local time), Clubhouse has been inaccessible in China since around 7 p.m. that day. CNN reported that when attempting to log in to the app, a message saying "Cannot establish a secure connection to the server" appears. However, the app can still be accessed by bypassing with a virtual private network (VPN), similar to Twitter.

Clubhouse was regarded in China as a liberated space for free discussion on politically sensitive topics such as the Xinjiang Uyghur human rights issue, the Hong Kong National Security Law, and Taiwan independence. This app, which is only available on iPhone, is not even listed on the Chinese Apple App Store, yet there were multiple rooms with thousands of participants. Users must receive an invitation from existing members to join, and invitation codes were traded for up to 400 yuan (about 69,000 won) on Chinese e-commerce sites like Taobao.

China had already anticipated the blocking of Clubhouse. TechCrunch reported that chat rooms with the topic "When will Clubhouse be blocked (in China)?" attracted many users, showing high interest. On Weibo, a Clubhouse user posted a message urging people to "cherish this brief opportunity for open conversation."

Clubhouse, launched in the U.S. in March last year, is a social media platform that allows conversations using only voice, not text or video. It recently became a hot topic when Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, shared his opinions on the GameStop stock surge. Initially used by IT professionals in China, word of mouth spread, and highly educated experts from various fields have since joined.