Is Clubhouse a free speech haven?

On Wednesday, May 19 at 19:30 GMT:
The creators of Clubhouse are set to release the audio-based social app to Android mobile users, a key part of their plan to expand the platform’s reach after a sharp drop in downloads of the original iOS version.

But while the app has for months provided members an opportunity to have spontaneous and illuminating conversations on topics ranging from aviation to zoology, some governments are keeping a close eye on how delicate domestic political and social issues are being discussed within the platform’s chat rooms.

Clubhouse caused a stir upon its launch in March 2020, with access dependent on an invite from existing users. Its user base has since expanded to more than 10 million people worldwide, with celebrity conversations on the app driving its cachet. Users can listen to live conversations happening around the world, and add their voice to the mix when they are invited to a virtual ‘stage’. While many conversations focus on hobbies and light-hearted topics, the app has also given people a chance to debate and argue on sensitive political and social matters – an opportunity seldom permitted in some countries.

Some countries have blocked the app. Authorities in China banned Clubhouse in early February after users across the country discussed topics such as the experiences of Uighur communities in Xinjiang, tensions between China and Taiwan, and China’s policy on Hong Kong. In many Clubhouse conversations, mainland Chinese spoke freely and intimately with Taiwanese and Hongkongers, before Chinese censors shut down access to Clubhouse altogether. Other countries including Oman and Jordan followed with their own bans.

The recent experience of users is Iran is somewhat different. While social media apps such as Twitter are blocked there, Clubhouse members in Iran have used the app to speak candidly about politics in the run-up to the country’s presidential election on June 18. And as Iranian politicians have joined the app to talk about pressing issues facing the country, former Iranian vice president Mohammad Ali Abtahi says Clubhouse users are “practicing democracy in real time.”

Privacy advocates nonetheless remain concerned about the safety and security of Clubhouse users in countries that place strict limits on free speech. In January, thousands of people across Turkey joined Clubhouse to hear conversations led by students and opposition politicians critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government – before three students who moderated discussions on the app were detained and questioned by police. The students say the arrests could not have happened without dedicated government monitoring of the app and its members.

In this episode of The Stream, we’ll look at how Clubhouse has given people a rare chance to speak freely in countries with repressive laws on speech, and whether Clubhouse can strike a balance between protecting its users while maintaining the open discussion that makes it special.

In this episode of The Stream, we are joined by:
Negar Mortazavi, @NegarMortazavi
Host, The Iran Podcast

Melissa Chan, @melissakchan
Journalist

Marc Owen Jones, @marcowenjones
Assistant Professor, Hamad bin Khalifa University