A Chinese clone of the popular anonymous gossip sharing app Secret is proving popular but sparking controversy.
Mimi (秘密, "secret") lets users share gossip anonymously, usually in the form of words plastered on top of an image. Unlike similar app Whisper, Mimi and Secret only connects you with people in your address book, which lends the experience of sharing information a much more exciting, gossipy air compared to the PostSecret/LiveJournal-esque feel of open-to-the-world Whisper.
It seems remarkable that an app designed to share gossip and other information anonymously and privately would be available in China, considering the efforts the government has gone to to crack down on Weibo and WeChat.
According to the SCMP, the app has garnered some early success, with over 1,000 downloads on Android alone in just two weeks.
But Mimi did not sit well with netizens who think it encourages negativity and irresponsible behaviour. Others believe it can be a platform for online bullying.
Wang Guanxiong, a venture capital investor and influential opinion leader with more than one million followers on Weibo, said he was pessimistic about the app’s future.
“By allowing users to comment anonymously, it encourages people to throw irresponsible accusations at each other and engage in a war of words,” Wang said.
“According to Chinese law, neither the police nor the app developer will be able to protect users from being verbally abused,” he said. “Things might get even uglier considering the general hostile tendency of China’s online quarrels.”
It seems only a matter of time too before a controversial piece of gossip is shared and starts to go viral, as has happened with Secret on numerous occasions, and the authorities decide that such an app isn't exactly conducive to online "harmony".
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