WeChat and civil society in China

Abstract

As the most widely used social media platform in China, WeChat has penetrated into daily life and has broad implications for the development of civil society. This article assesses the impact of WeChat in three aspects. The small closed networks on WeChat provide a comfortable space for discussions and cultivate a series of alternative public spheres. In addition, it promotes online debates and popular protests in spite of strengthened Internet censorship. Finally, WeChat creates new ways for ordinary people to be associated with one another and to build solidarity. Apart from these positive implications, this article also emphasizes the unstable character of WeChat. Since WeChat is a platform where market, state, and civil society merge and compete, WeChat can be used to facilitate civil society as well as to constitute obstacles for it.

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