Chinese internet users are offering large sums of money to access Clubhouse, the invite-only audio chat app, where they can talk openly about sensitive topics without government censorship.
E-commerce sites across the country have sold thousands of invitations to the fast-growing U.S. platform, which in recent weeks has hosted live discussions hosted by popular speakers, including Tesla’s Elon Musk. Membership is usually free, but Chinese Internet users are rushing to pay up to Rmb500 ($ 77) per invitation.
Chinese users flocked to the Clubhouse to exchange opinions ranging from supporting anti-government protests in Hong Kong to doubts about the government of a party in the country, which on other platforms violate Beijing’s strict Internet controls.
“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 incarceration of about 1 million Muslim Uighurs in the western Chinese province described by the US . as “genocide”. “There was nowhere they could turn and the Clubhouse offered an option,” adds Fang.
The Clubhouse, funded by Silicon Valley, is one of the few Western social media apps available in China. At Taobao, owned by Alibaba, the country’s largest e-commerce site, more than 200 online stores are selling Clubhouse invitations, some of them telling the Financial Times that they have hundreds of customers.
“This is the latest social media fad, [it’s] unlike any Chinese product on the market, ”said David Li, a Hangzhou-based merchant who sold more than 50 Clubhouse memberships.
The Clubhouse is not currently subject to Internet regulation in the country that requires Chinese apps, like Tencent’s WeChat, to censor “illegal” content and report free 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 chat rooms featured more than 700 participants who identified themselves as being from mainland China and Taiwan. The discussion focused on comparing the political systems between the two states, with many participants from the continent 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 doing things,” said a participant in the chat room who identified himself as being from mainland China. “But I am concerned about the lack of checks and balances if Xi wants to do very aggressive things in the future.”
Analysts say it will be a challenge for the Clubhouse to gain popularity in the most populous country in the world. 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 local app stores.
A greater challenge for the Clubhouse is how long it can avoid China’s censors.
The “Chinese government will certainly want the Clubhouse to follow local rules if the platform plans to operate in the country,” said Gao Ming, managing director of public relations firm Ruder Finn in Shanghai and a veteran internet observer in China.
Both Fang de Gao and CUHK said the Clubhouse may have already fallen under Beijing’s radar. “No technology is absolutely safe,” said Fang, “discussions can be recorded.”
But Gao said it would be technically difficult for the government to combine the participants’ comments, unless the Clubhouse agrees to cooperate. “There is no way for the Clubhouse to work 100% with the Chinese government,” said Gao.
He expects Beijing to block the application once its user base reaches a certain size. “The Clubhouse is a very good communication platform,” added Gao. “Too bad it is unlikely that there will be a bright future in China.”