Having been banned in China since 2009, Facebook has made several attempts to make inroads into the country, which has one of the largest online markets – having over 700 million internet users. And its latest attempt – differing from the earlier ones – came with the release of an app called Colorful Balloons via indirect channels, reported The New York Times citing a source.
The app was reportedly released in May and bears a resemblance to the company's Moments app. Its release – described as a "stealthy" one - was made with the help of a local company named Youge Technology.
This assumes significance considering how closely monitored the Chinese internet ecosystem is, where only local companies such as WeChat have been able to thrive.
Apart from Facebook, Instagram too has banned and even WhatsApp was partially-blocked just the previous month.
The move is expected to have significant political consequences, and it is being predicted that it won’t be beneficial for the Silicon Valley company.
Regarding the Chinese market, Facebook was quoted by The New York Times as saying:
We have long said that we are interested in China, and are spending time understanding and learning more about the country in different ways.
The release of Colorful Balloons is a departure from the company's earlier approach. Notably. Zuckerberg has visited the country several times, even made attempts to learn Mandarin and has even posted a photo of him running at Beijing's Tiananmen Square. The app launch, in contrast, has been described as a “low-profile” approach.
(With inputs from The New York Times)
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