SO IS IT ALL TECH INDUSTRY PEOPLE?
While the early users of Clubhouse were largely
venture capitalists and startup folks, as the app’s
user base has expanded so has the diversity of
its members. Users can now explore subjects
such as “Ask A Coach: Life, Love & The Pursuit
of Joy, Money/Health,” “Bitcoin Basics for Baby
Boomers,” “Drag Race Clubhaus,” “Investing While
Black” and “Plant-Based Basics for Beginners with
Dietitian Jasmine.”
WHAT HAPPENED IN CHINA?
Thousands of Chinese users have flocked to
the app in recent months, lured by the
unfettered discussions it allowed with people
abroad — particularly about democracy,
Taiwan and other sensitive topics. That was
especially striking given that President Xi
Jinping’s government is increasingly hostile to
independent voices. Clubhouse allowed many
mainland users their first direct communication
with people in Hong Kong and Taiwan and
with exiles from the Uighur minority in the
northwestern region of Xinjiang.
The app was removed from Apple Inc.’s China
store by at least Dec. 16, according to Benjamin
Ismail, an activist with the group Apple
Censorship which tracks censorship in the Apple
Store. Users still could download it if they had
access to an Apple app store abroad.
But on Monday, Chinese users lost access to
Clubhouse, much the way thousands of other
websites and social media apps have been
blocked by the Chinese Communist Party
using the world’s most extensive system of
internet filters.