Facebook will launch a discreet photo application in China

Facebook, the social network is blocked by Beijing, introduced in secret in China discreet photo sharing app: a way to return through the back door on the huge Chinese market without upsetting censorship.

The Californian technology giant acknowledged last week to be the initiator of an application called Chinese "Colorful balloons". It contains no reference to the group or its name or logo.

Since 2009, Facebook is not accessible in China, except for surfers loaded with software that can circumvent censorship that frames the Chinese web.

Photo credit from-www.quebec.huffingtonpost.ca/

However, the US giant multiplies gestures to revisit this crucial market. The CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg has made several visits to China, where he met with political leaders. He even launched in learning Mandarin.

"We've been saying that we are interested in China, and we devote time to understand and learn from the country, in various ways," said a representative from Facebook last week when the existence of the application was revealed by the US daily New York Times.

But analysts doubt an unblocking Facebook in China in the short, and applying photo has been only very modest start since its launch in May.

According to the US firm specializing App Annie, "Colorful balloons" only ranked 46th in China in the category photos and videos - and the 758th rank all applications.

'What use?'"

Facebook tried this unexpected blow to enter the Chinese market. It may be not effective. But it's certainly tried," said Zhang Yi, the media Research Group firm based in Hong Kong.

"It will be difficult for Facebook to enter the Chinese market in good standing because it is unlikely that Chinese policies and laws are changing in the short term."

"Colorful balloons" is not linked to a Facebook account. application so users can not post photos on their Facebook page or see content from Facebook.

"If the application can not outsmart and Internet blocking can only be used in China, what use is it?", Has thus asked a disappointed surfer on Weibo, the "Chinese Twitter".

China operates an extensive system of internet control: the comments or articles deemed sensitive are cleared. And many Western sites are rendered inaccessible: Google, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube or Dailymotion.

A new law on cyber security came into force in June is expected to further boost drastically monitoring the web by the communist regime.

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