Audio-only social network app, Clubhouse, has experienced a huge surge as Chinese users have started flocking to the app, appreciating the fact that they can have candid, uncensored discussions about politics.
Mobile analytics firm, Sensor Tower, reports that the app was downloaded 2.3 million times by 31 January.
China has a tight leash on public communication between people ensuring it is not against the ruling government. Clubhouse offers a platform where people can speak freely and for Chinese users, the biggest significance of clubhouse is probably the uncensored communication between ordinary people and conversations are not recorded, which theoretically ensures privacy. (However, it has been revealed that some interviews of celebrities and influencers have been secretly recorded and uploaded to YouTube.)
Clubhouse is an invitation-only audio-chat social networking app launched in 2020 by founders, Paul Davison and Rohan Seth. The app has built its reputation, in part, on exclusivity. You cannot just sign in, you have to be invited by someone already in the Clubhouse.
Clubhouse is currently only available on iPhone and can be accessed in mainland China without the use of a virtual private network (VPN). It is not available on China’s app store. To install Clubhouse, Chinese users need to install the app by switching to an App Store located in another country.
However even as it gains popularity in China, this may not last for long as it is expected that China would soon clamp done on the app and possibly censor it.
Just recently, Clubhouse secured more funding from Andressen Horowitz, which led the initial investment in the company last year, valuing it at $100 million.
According to Sensor Tower estimates, the app has seen about 3.6 million worldwide installs so far, with the majority of its lifetime installs originating in the United States, where the app has seen nearly 2 million first-time downloads. This is followed by Japan and Germany both with over 400,000 downloads.
