Popular social media platform Pinterest has been banned in China. The image sharing site where users share and pin interesting items on a virtual board was included in the list of banned sites after the Chinese government started viewing it as a possible threat which might cause instability.
Pinterest has always been freely accessible in China due to the ‘harmless’ contents that are usually shared among users. Most contents are about images and tips on home decoration, cooking, wedding planning, fashion and other lifestyle tips.
The Greatfire.org blocked the site earlier this month at a time when the National People’s Congress came out with its political and economic plan for the years ahead. Wary of the fact that users might share their thoughts on the social media, the government saw it fit to put Pinterest on the banned list.
However, on the other side, China’s move to ban popular sites like Pinterest gives its rivals in China a huge advantage. It pushes the users in the country to switch to home-grown social networking sites instead of western products.
Pinterest representatives are yet to comment on the development.
Reportedly, China has 731 million internet users, an astounding increase in just five years.
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