Twitter Downloads Surge in China as Citizens Seek Protest Information
Chinese citizens are flocking to Twitter to share news about widespread COVID-19 protests as local platforms face strict censorship. The app jumps to 9th place in the iOS App Store despite being officially blocked by the Great Firewall.
Twitter experiences a massive surge in downloads in China as citizens search for information about nationwide protests against strict COVID-19 restrictions. The social media app jumps to the 9th position among free iOS apps in the country, a significant increase from its 150th ranking just a week prior. This influx of users stems from heavy censorship on local social media platforms, which forces people to seek out foreign alternatives to share updates and videos of the demonstrations.
Accessing Twitter in China requires bypassing the country's "Great Firewall" through virtual private networks or other circumvention tools, making this sudden spike in downloads particularly notable. The app remains available in the Apple App Store, though tracking Android downloads proves difficult due to the absence of Google Play and strict censorship enforcement on local alternative app stores. Users who successfully download and access the platform face immediate hurdles when attempting to find relevant protest information.
Flooding campaigns by bot accounts severely hinder the ability of users to search for city-specific protest news, as these automated accounts overwhelm search results with pornography, escort ads, and gambling links. This coordinated disruption grows more effective following recent layoffs of Twitter's team responsible for combating misinformation and propaganda. Additionally, the Chinese government continues to tighten its grip on unauthorized VPNs, making it increasingly difficult for citizens to access these blocked Western internet platforms.