StartupTalky

Tag: chinese ban

  • Us Government Asks Google and Apple to Remove Chinese App TikTok – Will TikTok Survive Now?

    A popular social media app, Tiktok allows its users to create, watch and share short videos that are created on mobile devices or webcams. The app has taken the digital world by storm as users create videos of different genres like pranks, games, entertainment, etc. It owes its popularity to its ease of use, high levels of engagement and addictive quality.

    What is TikTok?
    The Downfall of TikTok
    Will Tiktok Survive in the US?

    What is TikTok?

    Douyin is a short-form video hosting service created and owned by a Chinese Company called ByteDance. It was originally released in September 2016.  The international version of Douyin is called Tiktok, which was launched in 2017 in most markets outside of mainland China for iOS and Android platforms. However, it was only after it merged with another Chinese social media service, Musical.ly in August 2018 that it became available for use worldwide.

    Since its launch, Tiktok has rapidly grown and gained popularity in almost every part of the world. By October 2020 Tiktok was downloaded in excess of 2 billion times, making it the third fastest-growing brand of 2020.  Growing further, it became the most popular website of 2021, surpassing Google.

    Top Downloaded Apps in 2021
    Top Downloaded Apps in 2021

    The Downfall of TikTok

    Although successful and globally popular, Tiktok has had its share of controversies. Through the years, it has been subjected to bans in countries like Indonesia, Bangladesh and Pakistan which have cited reasons like inappropriate content.

    These bans, however, were lifted within a short time as the company took proactive steps to take down offensive material as well as set up local offices to monitor and sanitize the content posted on its app.

    India Banned TikTok

    March 23, 2020, will always be remembered in history as the day the world literally came to a standstill.

    • China came into sharp focus as the epicentre of the dreaded COVID-19 virus.
    • India banned 59 Chinese apps including Tiktok in June 2020 citing reasons of security of the state and public and prejudicial to the sovereignty of India.
    • In January 2021 this ban was made permanent.
    • India was Tiktok’s largest market with over 200 million users just before the ban.
    • The Tiktok app was downloaded more in India than anywhere else in the world between July 2019 and June 2020.
    • In February 2021 Tiktok announced a layoff of 2000 Indian employees.

    US Government planning to ban TikTok

    The app’s struggle first began in August 2020 with then President Donald Trump.

    • Trump signed an order to ban all Tiktok transactions in 45 days if it was not sold by ByteDance
    • Within days, Trump issued a second order giving ByteDance 90 days to sell the US portion of its business to US companies. This was done citing reasons for national security. The Trump administration was concerned over the privacy issues of the app users.
    • There were talks of Oracle and Walmart buying a stake in Tiktok. This was done to alleviate fears of the misuse of the private data of US citizens.
    • These tentative deals have been blocked by numerous court challenges and it remains uncertain.

    The fight continued with the Joe Biden Administration.

    • The new administration has yet not set any new policy on the app.
    • It claims to be evaluating the risks to USA data and will deal with it decisively and effectively if required.

    On June 30, 2022, Brendan Carr, one of the commissioners of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) renewed the call to remove the app from Apple and Google’s App Store.  

    He has written to these companies strongly advocating the removal saying,

    “It is clear that TikTok poses an unacceptable national security risk due to its extensive data harvesting being combined with Beijing’s apparently unchecked access to that sensitive data”.  

    The letter also refers to the numerous controversies that the app has found itself in, over the years. The ByteDance-owned Tiktok however firmly denies sharing user data with the Chinese Government.

    The Drastic Downfall In The Google Play Store Rating Of TikTok.
    The popular Chinese application ‘TikTok’ is now getting a strong negative reviews and negative publicity. Let us see the complete report on the drastic downfall in the Google Play Store rating of TikTok.
    StartupTalkyYash Gupta

    Will Tiktok Survive in the US?

    This begs the question – Will Tiktok survive if the US succeeds in convincing Apple and Google to remove the app from its stores?

    The statistics of Tiktok users

    • Tiktok has over 138 million users in the US alone.
    • The age demographic ranges from 13 to 60.
    • In terms of revenue, the app earned in excess of 500 million dollars in 2020.
    • The number of users of the app is consistently growing.  Even among the adult users.

    So yes, if the USA succeeds in convincing Apple and Google to remove the app from its stores, it will certainly be detrimental to the business.

    However, the app is still active and growing exponentially around the world.  The marketing of the app, although in its nascent stages, is growing in demand due to its vast audience access.  There are agencies which are eager to help brands create quirky content that garners eyeballs on Tiktok.

    Brands have also joined the app by opening user accounts which are used to create and post mini-videos for promotions.  Tiktok offers them the option of promoting their videos to other users for a fee.

    Tiktok also makes money from in-app purchases.

    Its easy accessibility, high engagement and deep penetration in different markets globally make it the world’s most popular app ever.  It is available in more than 150 markets in 75 different languages.

    Conclusion

    Even if the US market shuts down for this app, the likelihood of the business shutting down is slim. The app is like a multi-headed giant that just grows a new head when an existing head is axed. Having said this, it is imperative for the app to put measures into place that ensure the user of their privacy as well as have a strict policy about the content being posted on it.

    FAQs

    Is the FCC banning TikTok?

    Yes, the FCC has asked Google and Apple to remove the Chinese app, TikTok from their stores.

    Is TikTok banned in the US?

    No, TikTok is not banned in the US but might be soon banned over privacy concerns.

  • Reasons why Battlegrounds Mobile India might get ban soon

    PUBG was one of the major games that were played by both Millennials and GenZ in India and had the major market share of the mobile gaming market in India. Later the Government of India banned the mobile applications due to the tensions created between China and India citing data privacy as one of the reasons.

    However, the company managed to release a new version of its game in India but it is said that even the new version of the game would get a ban in India, and let’s look at the reasons behind it.

    Battlegrounds Mobile India – Latest News
    Reasons Why Battlegrounds Mobile India might get ban
    FAQ

    Battlegrounds Mobile India – Latest News

    Krafton which is the developer company of the mobile game had decided to roll out a new version of the game in India after the ban of its previous version of the game PUBG. The company had released a new game concentrating only on the Indian market named Battlegrounds Mobile India.

    However, the efforts of the company in order to make a comeback in India are expected to be crushed as the parliaments in India have reported having called for a ban on the new version of the game.

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    Reasons Why Battlegrounds Mobile India might get ban

    The parliaments in India have provided major reasons for banning the new version of PUBG which was released by Krafton concentrating only on the Indian market. On 22 May 2021, the current MLA of Arunachal Pradesh and the former Union Minister Ninong Ering had written a letter to the Prime Minister of the country, Narendra Modi regarding the ban of the mobile game.

    In the letter written to the Prime Minister, the MLA had clearly mentioned that the new game is just a relaunch of its old version PUBG. He also alleged that the developer company has employed developers from Tencent which is a Chinese-based tech company that was one of the leading investors of PUBG Mobile India and was in charge of the PUBG Mobile game in India.

    He also conveyed in his letter that when you look at the terms and conditions of the mobile game application on the Google play store on the listing of Battleground Mobile India, it shows the term PUBG Mobile.

    He also added that this matter is a concern of the security of the country and pointed out an investment of USD 22.4 billion in the homegrown gaming firm of the country Nodwin by the mobile game developer firm Krafton.

    Even Abhishek Singhvi who is the current member of the parliament added that the release of Battlegrounds Mobile India will be a way through which Tencent would re-enter the mobile gaming market of India.

    Number of mobile gamers across India
    Number of mobile gamers across India

    Even the CAIT (Confederation of all India Traders) had written a letter to the Union IT and communication Minister Ravishankar Prasad in order to ban the Battlegrounds Mobile India stating that it is not only a threat to national security and the sovereignty of India but also harms the younger generation of the country.

    He has also requested Google to not list the game on the Google play store and conveyed not to let the developers of the game use the play store as a platform.

    As per certain reports from the IGN India, the data of the players were sent outside the country and have been received in several other places which include China as well.

    The CAIT also added that the mobile game would pose a threat to the millions of data of the users and would create privacy and data concerns among the Indian citizens.

    PUBG, TikTok, 175 Banned Chinese Apps 2020 | List of Chinese Apps Banned in India
    The government on 2nd September banned 118 applications- a majority of beingChinese, including popular ones such as PUBG, WeChat Work, CamCard, Rise ofKingdoms: Lost Crusade and Alipay; stating that these were “prejudicial tosovereignty and integrity of India, security of State and public order.”…
    StartupTalkyAvantika Bhardwaj

    Conclusion

    However, Krafton had released a beta version of the game which has received a lot of positive reviews and major downloads. The company has conveyed that they would be releasing more slots in the beta version of the game. We will have to look forward to whether Battleground Mobile India would see a ban in the coming days or not.

    FAQ

    Is Battleground Mobile India banned in India?

    No, it is not banned in India but might get banned soon as CAIT (Confederation of all India Traders) had written a letter to the Union IT and communication Minister, Ravishankar Prasad to ban the Battlegrounds Mobile India stating that it is not only a threat to national security and the sovereignty of India.

    Why was PUBG banned in India?

    PUBG was banned in India under section 69A of the Information Technology Act by the Centre citing these apps were engaged in activities that were prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity, defence and security of the country.

    When was PUBG banned in India?

    PUBG was banned in India on September 2, the Indian government banned the game in India under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act.

  • Why did China ban Cryptocurrencies Transactions and How it affected the market?

    One of the major countries in the world China has banned any transactions and financial products related to cryptocurrency in the country. The Chinese government had earlier bought certain regulations towards these financial assets. Let’s look at the reason for the ban and how it has affected the cryptocurrency market.

    About the Ban on Cryptocurrency by China
    Earlier Restrictions by China on Cryptocurrency
    The Recent Regulations of China on Cryptocurrency
    Impact of the Regulation by China on the Businesses of Cryptocurrency
    FAQ

    About the Ban on Cryptocurrency by China

    The regulators of China have increased the restrictions on the financial institutions and the payment companies from providing various services that are related to cryptocurrency which is a fresh crackdown on the cryptocurrency market.

    Most of the new rules laid down by the regulators are considered to be an extension of the previous ban and are expected to fill the loop holes that were present after the previous restrictions in the country which allowed certain payment firms and financial institutions to continue in the cryptocurrency field.

    Earlier Restrictions by China on Cryptocurrency

    The earlier restrictions made clear that China had considered cryptocurrencies to be an illegal tender and did not accept the digital coins or provide any services related to it.

    In the year 2013, the Chinese government had defined bitcoin to be a virtual commodity and allowed their citizens to trade the digital coins. But later in the same year, the financial regulators of China including the PBOC had banks and other financial companies from providing any services related to bitcoins.

    Later in the year 2017, the country had banned Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) in order to eliminate the financial risk and to save the investors of their country. The ICO rules also banned the cryptocurrency exchanges to convert the legal tenders into cryptocurrencies or converting cryptocurrencies into legal tenders.

    The restrictions that were laid down in 2017 had let a lot of cryptocurrency exchanges and the trading platforms to shut down and shift their services from China to other countries. According to a report from PBOC around 88 virtual currency trading platforms and around 85 ICO platforms had withdrawn from the market by 2018.

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    The Recent Regulations of China on Cryptocurrency

    Three financial industry Associations have directed all the financial institutions and payment companies to not offer any services related to cryptocurrencies to their clients such as currency exchanges, trading, registration, clearing and settlement.

    Additionally, the institutions were banned from providing cryptocurrency trust, saving or pledging services or even issuing any financial products related to cryptocurrencies. Even the services related to cryptocurrencies such as insurance and derivatives trading is also banned in the country.

    The decision was taken collectively by three major regulators of China which include the China Bank Association, the National Internet Finance Association of China and the Payment and Clearing Association of China. The decision was posted by the People’s Bank of China (PBOC).

    The firms are also asked to step up in monitoring the flow of money which are involved in cryptocurrency trading.

    China Ban on Cryptocurrency
    China Ban on Cryptocurrency

    Will Cryptocurrency be taxable in India?
    Cryptocurrencies have become very much popular in India and there are many talksthat these digital coins will soon be banned by the Government of India. ACrypto Bill is expected to be announced anytime from the government and thereare talks that there will be a twin tax introduced by the governme…
    StartupTalkyAlan Joseph

    Impact of the Regulation by China on the Businesses of Cryptocurrency

    The new regulations bought in by China have made it difficult for the individuals to buy cryptocurrencies using various payment channels and this could also impact the businesses of the cryptocurrency miners in the country by making it harder for them to exchange the mined cryptocurrencies for Yuan.

    Even the banks and the financial institutions will face challenges in analyzing the flow of money that is related to cryptocurrency. In response to the regulations laid down by China, the bitcoin association of Hong Kong had replied to their tweet saying for the people who are new to bitcoin, it is compulsory for the People’s Bank of China to ban bitcoin at least once in a bull run.

    After a day on the ban of cryptocurrencies in China there has been a fall in value of cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance coin, Dogecoin, Litecoin, Polkadot and many others.

    The bitcoin has been the lowest price since January 2018. The market capitalization value of the cryptocurrencies had declined from USD 2.5 trillion to USD 1.5 trillion which is a 38 % contraction.

    FAQ

    What did China say about Cryptocurrency?

    The People’s Bank of China reportedly said virtual currencies can’t be used as a form of payment because they aren’t real currencies.

    Why is Cryptocurrency banned in China?

    China banned Cryptocurrency to curb money laundering.

    No, It is not legal to buy Bitcoin in China.

    Conclusion

    Chinese regulators consider cryptocurrencies to be a potential threat to their national currency Yuan. This had led the People’s Bank of China to launch its own digital currency. The regulations is expected to create a negative impact on a lot of people that are related to the cryptocurrency market.

  • Why did Amazon banned Chinese Sellers from its platform in USA?

    Amazon one of the largest based e-commerce giant has removed certain made in china, sold on amazon gadgets from its e-commerce platform. Gadgets of companies such as Aukey and Mpow has been disappeared from the digital platform. Let’s look at the reason for Amazon to ban Chinese gadgets from its platform.

    About the ban
    Chinese Sellers on Amazon
    The allegations
    The Finding
    Steps Taken by Amazon
    FAQ

    About the ban

    Amazon.com had recently blocked the vendors of several top Chinese merchants from its platform stating the reason of suspicious behaviour. The industry insiders have conveyed that this move from Amazon is part of a targeted crackdown based on certain business practices that are questionable to the sellers on the platform, including the sellers based in China.

    The most products of Mpow which is the main electronics store of Amazon has not been available for purchase from April 2021. The electronics store is run by ByteDance and Patozon which is backed by Xiaomi.

    There was no response from Aukey and Mpow on the queries put forward by the South China Morning Post. However, a spokesperson from Amazon has said that the company will not be able to give comments on individual cases. He added that Amazon has systems to detect suspicious behaviour and to take prompt actions. There were no allegations of conducting fraud by Aukey and Mpow.

    Chinese Sellers on Amazon

    The two banned companies are Chinese vendors who have turned to Amazon in order to enter the international market. According to a recent report by Marketplace pulse which is a consultancy firm, 75 % of all new sellers on Amazon was Chinese based company as of January 2021.

    The share of Chinese based sellers on the US site of Amazon had increased from 28 % in 2019 to 63 % in 2021. The most successful sellers on Amazon would generate a huge amount of profit.

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    StartupTalkyPurbalee Dutta

    The allegations

    It is seen that as these Chinese firms are moving towards Amazon, they are bringing in some shady practices which is much more common in Chinese marketplaces. According to certain Industry insiders, some of the practices include creating fake reviews for the products, increasing the sales numbers, etc.

    The recent actions of Amazon can be considered as a warning from the e-commerce platform which sends the message that the US based giant will not tolerate such activities on their platform.

    The Finding

    The recent removal of products from Amazon’s website has created a coincidence with the reports which were sent by the antivirus product review site called SafetyDetectives. The company had conducted a survey where they received links of around 75,000 which is directed towards Amazon’s accounts.

    The cybersecurity team of the company have found that the links led to the vendors of Amazon which asked for positive reviews for their products for exchange of free products which would be provided by the website.

    The owner of this website has not yet been detected but the researches could find some information written in Chinese which has led them to believe that the server is located in China.

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    Steps Taken by Amazon

    From past few years Amazon has been working towards fighting such problems on their digital marketplace. From the year 2016 the company has banned incentivized reviews.

    In the 2020 brand protection report which was released by Amazon has mentioned that the company has spent around USD 700 million and has provided new employment for more than 10,000 people to crackdown fraudulent cases and abuse.

    According to a report, In the year 2020 the company has blocked more than 10 million suspected bad listings and 6 million attempts to create a new account.

    Platonov has conveyed that the manipulation of review has become essential in competition between the vendors within a certain marketplace. They added saying that they are almost present everywhere with number of social media groups, websites and even a lot of companies that are specialized in techniques such as brushing and leveraging ample networks.

    FAQ

    What percentage of Amazon reviews are fake?

    61% of electronics reviews were reported to be fake on Amazon as of March 2019.

    Does Amazon allow fake products?

    The sale of counterfeit products is strictly prohibited on Amazon.

    How do I avoid Chinese sellers on Amazon?

    Avoid brand names that are weird combinations of consonants and vowels, Avoid products that are identical to one with different brand names, and Carefully inspect products that have generic product titles and do not list a brand name, these steps might help you to avoid Chinese sellers on Amazon.

    Conclusion

    The problems related to fake reviews still exist on the Amazon and other online retail platform even though there have been a lot of lawsuits filed against such companies and the individuals who have written the reviews. Platonov has said that the problem would increase as Chinese vendors expand overseas.

  • How did PUBG mobile India got Approved to Relaunch

    PUBG mobile India was banned by the Government of India last year. However, there have been talks over the social media that the game would have a comeback in the country and there were recently some videos circulated through the social media about the relaunch of PUBG in the country. Let’s look at how PUBG mobile got permission to launch in India again.

    PUBG Relaunch in India
    About the Past Ban
    Approval by the Govt.
    FAQ

    PUBG Relaunch in India

    The popular battle royale game PUBG mobile India is said to relaunch in India but with a new game and a new title name. According to the teasers which were released on the social media by the developers of the game the new version of the game could be called as Battlegrounds Mobile India.

    Battlegrounds Mobile India
    Battlegrounds Mobile India

    This will be an exclusive version of the game which will be launched for Indians. It is seen that the names of PUBG mobile India on YouTube and Facebook have already been changed to Battlegrounds Mobile India. This makes it more likely for the name to be changed. The official launch date of PUBG is still not yet out, but according to a theory there are speculations that it will be released on 10 June.

    About the Past Ban

    In September 2020 the popular battle royale game PUBG mobile was banned in the country, it was because the license for running the game was held by a Chinese company named Tencent. The reason for the ban was because of the high tension between India and China.

    Along with hundreds of Chinese Apps, the Government of India has banned PUBG mobile regarding certain concerns such as prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the state and public order and defense of India.

    Since the ban, the developers of PUBG Krafton Inc. have cancelled the license of Tencent and had decided to launch the game under the own name of PUBG Corporation instead of Tencent.

    PUBG Guidelines
    New Guidelines

    Approval by the Govt.

    PUBG Mobile India has not got any approval to relaunch in India but it is seen that they wouldn’t require any permission to relaunch in the country. It is to be noted that the Government of India has not yet approved the launch of the game in India yet.

    The Indian Government had said that it has not provided any permission in order to start a website or mobile apps or any service in the country. They conveyed this information in a reply towards a Right to Information (RTI) query which was enquired by information technology policy portal Medianama.

    The above sentence means that the battle royale game PUBG has not received any permission from the Indian Government but it also conveys that the game does not require any prior permission from the Government of India according to the response by the Indian Government.

    They wouldn’t require the permission from the government if the game is launched under the new entity and in this case PUBG mobile is planning to launch the game under PUBG Corporation instead of Tencent Games.

    None of this has discouraged the company. The company has conveyed that it has plans to set up and start a new subsidiary company in India. The company is expected to have a local office, around 100 employees and is expected to have an investment of USD 100 million.

    The registration of the company is a step taken by the company to ensure the government that the information collected by the users of the mobile application will remain inside the borders of the country. The company is said to have signed a deal with Microsoft for Azure cloud since they have two functional data servers in the country.

    FAQ

    Why was PUBG banned in India?

    The reason that PUBG Mobile India was banned was India-China standoff at Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the presence of the Chinese entity – Tencent.

    When was PUBG banned in India?

    PUBG was banned in India on September 2, 2020, along with another 117 Chinese apps.

    Is PUBG relaunching in India?

    Yes South Korean gaming company Krafton will relaunch the India version of its popular game – PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), for mobile users in a new avatar called Battlegrounds Mobile India.

    Conclusion

    The reason why the Government of India has not given permission may be because the version is banned by the Government and giving permission for one company would give hopes for other companies since they would also provide hopes for others.

  • Why Clubhouse is Going Viral

    The social media platform has another gem added to its treasure, called the Clubhouse. So to say in the pop culture lingo, the app is said to be “lit AF” since it’s in a hot spot of news and media. The app has also been making headlines for the security concerns of its users, its billion-dollar investments, and also for being kicked out by the Chinese government.

    Let us analyze what is Clubhouse and what the hype is all about.

    Clubhouse – Latest news
    Clubhouse – The App
    Is Clubhouse Jeopardizing the Security of its Users?
    Why is Clubhouse getting all the Attention? – Celebrity encounters
    “The Good Times Show”
    The Chinese Ban
    FAQs

    Clubhouse – Latest news

    February 22, 2021– Clubhouse has surpassed the 10 million mark for its downloads globally. India has witnessed 42000 installations of the app so far.

    February 14, 2021– “Join me for a Conversation”? Elon Musk invites Putin on Clubhouse.

    February 10, 2021– Clubhouse tops Japan’s download chart as CEOs and other top executives embrace app. Clubhouse has been downloaded on 440000 devices in Japan alone.

    February 11, 2021– Facebook is working on a similar app called the Fireside to compete with Clubhouse.

    Clubhouse – The App

    Clubhouse, founded a year ago, by silicon valley entrepreneur Paul Davison and ex-Google employee Rohan Seth, is an audio chat app that lets you talk, listen or join conversations happening in the “rooms” of the app. It has a 5000 members cap on every room that is created. If you want to speak, you can “raise your hand” and be brought up on the “stage” along with the moderator in charge of the room.

    The Clubhouse app is currently only available for iPhone users. According to the official website of Clubhouse, the developers are working on an android version of the app which will soon be made available.

    Clubhouse Logo
    Clubhouse Logo

    So once you are invited, you can listen as well as join conversations, discussions and interviews on various topics by entrepreneurs and artists alike. The conversations are live unlike podcasts and can be listened to or joined only while they are on air. You can listen to them while you are multitasking or join a group of listeners on a topic that fuels your curiosity.

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    Is Clubhouse Jeopardizing the Security of its Users?

    Well, the answer cannot be a legit yes but many of the users are bothered by how it demands access to all your contacts. This might not be a surprise as many of the social media apps have the same protocol, But Clubhouse has contact uploading requirements which might be uncomfortable to the users.

    The app shows recommendations to those people who have been blocked by other users. For example, if you are being harassed, and have blocked out the contact, Clubhouse lets that harasser know that you’re connected to them via app recommendations.

    Also, there are speculations that Clubhouse makes unencrypted recordings of the conversations happening in the virtual “rooms” which it claims to delete if anything happens beyond the status quo.

    Adding to the above, another observation is that Agora, the company that is behind the app’s infrastructure, is based in Shanghai. It concerns the users of privacy breach and the data being passed on to the Chinese government.

    Why is Clubhouse getting all the Attention? – Celebrity encounters

    For an app launched not less than a year ago, it is surprising that Tesla CEO Elon Musk decides to make an appearance. It doesn’t stop there, Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg too joined the club.

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    “The Good Times Show”

    Roughly, a month ago a couple launched a show called “The Good Times Show” which has garnered popularity after it interviewed a few giants from the tech industry. “The Good Times Show” is hosted by a Facebook employee and her husband who is a newly named partner at Andreessen Horowitz.

    Elon Musk made an appearance on the show on January 31st where he spoke about his company SpaceX preparing for a Mars trip, about how artificial intelligence will slowly take over, his views on cryptocurrency, and the ongoing pandemic. It all went bananas when he brought on stage Robinhood CEO Vladimir Tenev for an interview. The interview was about the app’s role in the short squeeze of GameStop’s stocks.

    On February 4, the man in charge of the world’s largest social media network, Mark Zuckerberg appeared on the Clubhouse app. Signed in as “Zuck23”, Zuckerberg talked about futuristic technology from Facebook’s Reality Labs Group, which specializes in augmented reality, virtual reality and other platforms believed to be the future of human interaction.

    Clubhouse User Growth Over Time
    Clubhouse User Growth Over Time 

    The show further plans to schedule an interview with Elon Musk and rapper Kanye West. The maverick show has been doing new rounds of attention since it interviewed two tech leaders of the industry who are otherwise shy when it comes to media appearances. Clubhouse and “The Good Times Show” could be a new platform for world leaders and influencers to share their knowledge and expertise. It could be also a new media outlet for performers and artists.

    The Chinese Ban

    Shortly after a certain “room” on the Clubhouse was found discussing taboo topics such as Beijing’s placement of Uighurs in concentration camps in Xinjiang, Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement and the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests — absorbing perspectives and information far outside the lines drawn by the Communist Party, the app was blocked by China.

    Top Clubhouse Markets by Downloads
    Top Clubhouse Markets by Downloads

    There are more than one billion internet users in China. But very few have access to iPhones. The access limits further as users need foreign-registered iPhones to download Clubhouse. Politics was one of the topics discussed that touched the wrong Chinese nerve. The government, afraid of the freewheeling of opinions of the citizens on an American app is troublesome enough and wasted no time in banning the app in China.

    Although, various tech-savvy groups from China, which included engineers, product managers, and several intellectuals have talked about making a similar app for their fellow citizens. However, many believe that the Chinese government would never give up that control.

    FAQs

    What is the Valuation of Clubhouse?

    Clubhouse reached a valuation of $1 billion as of January 24,2021.

    Is clubhouse only on Apple?

    According to the official website of Clubhouse, the developers are working on an android version of the app which will soon be made available.

    Who owns the clubhouse app?

    Clubhouse is developed by a Silicon Valley entrepreneur Paul Davison and ex-Google employee Rohan Seth.

    Conclusion

    When the app becomes available on android, it is going to create a much bigger flow of listeners voicing their opinions and sharing their stories on the platform that Clubhouse seems to provide. This could lead to many countries, afraid of their opinioned citizens, to prevent its use in their countries too.

    Nevertheless, its popularity is far from diminishing. As said earlier, Clubhouse could become a new media outlet and host various arguments and discussions that could change the course of activities around the world. It is on its way to reform the patterns of social media behavior and how we use it.