Chinese language messaging and social media app WeChat is on the heart of a battle between the US and China for geopolitical and technological dominance.  A possible ban of the app, proposed by the US authorities in August, would minimize off an necessary window into China.

With over 1 billion lively customers globally, WeChat is without doubt one of the few communication channels connecting thousands and thousands of Chinese language immigrants or Chinese language People with their households and mates in China. The app additionally affords valuable perception into each day life there, by accounts run by media organizations, key opinion leaders, and people. Posts on the platform showcase uncommon shows of discontent in the direction of the Chinese language authorities, with customers sharing restricted articles on matters just like the coronavirus pandemic, briefly dodging censorship by the platform and the Chinese language authorities with artistic use of emojis and coded language.

The bans on WeChat and fellow app TikTok by the Trump administration (citing nationwide safety issues), make them the most recent casualty within the political struggle over the way forward for the web. Whereas US courts study the validity of the bans, TikTok is exploring a deal to spin off its US operations right into a US-headquartered firm. WeChat’s proprietor Tencent is but to element its plans.