In a recent Washington Post opinion article, Tenzin Dorjee, a PhD student in Columbia's political science department, writes about the US government's recent ban of the Chinese chat app WeChat.
"The Trump administration’s executive order to curb the use of the mobile app WeChat, which will be banned from app stores beginning Sunday, has become a flashpoint in the deepening standoff between China and the United States. But unlike most actions this administration has taken over the past four years, the proposed ban on WeChat can be a net positive for human rights.
App bans in general belong to the censorship arsenal of illiberal regimes, but WeChat is one of a kind, and banning it might eventually strengthen the liberal world order.
Critics of the ban say WeChat is 'China’s bridge to the world' and a 'lifeline' for the Chinese diaspora. But these metaphors obscure the app’s true nature. They ignore concerns about political liberty and human security that are central to the debate that has long surrounded this controversial app," Dorjee writes.
Click here to read the full article.
