China blocks Clubhouse app used for political discussion

The icon for the social media app Clubhouse is seen on a smartphone screen in Beijing (Mark Schiefelbein/AP)

Chinese authorities have blocked access to Clubhouse, a social media app that allowed users in China to discuss sensitive topics with people abroad including Taiwan and treatment of the country’s Muslim minority.

The move adds Clubhouse to thousands of websites and social media apps which the ruling Communist Party blocks access to in an effort to control what China’s public sees and reads.