Facebook sneaks into China's online market

Facebook has been banned in China since 2009, although that doesn't appear to have stopped the tech giant from seeking out new ways to enter to enter the world's largest online market.

On Friday, The New York Times newspaper reported that Facebook had taken the unusual step of secretly developing a photo-sharing application and releasing it through a local Chinese company called Youge Internet.

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The app, called "Colorful Balloons," shows no signs of any affiliation with Facebook, bar the fact that it has similar features to the social network's Moments application.

The app was released in China earlier this year, without any prominent company or name associated with it.

"We have long said that we are interested in China, and are spending time understanding and learning more about the country in different ways," a representative for Facebook said in a statement.

"Our focus right now is on helping Chinese businesses and developers expand to new markets outside China by using our ad platform."

The statement could indicate that, rather than expecting the app to see a flurry of people sign up, Facebook instead intended to use it to learn how Chinese users interact and share content with one another.

China's grip on the internet

Facebook is just one of many major Silicon Valley stars forbidden from operating in China's tightly controlled online space. Google, YouTube and Instagram have all been locked out by China's so-called "Great Firewall."

Nevertheless, "Colorful Balloons" represents the lengths Facebook is willing to go for a chance of cracking China's booming online space. The country boasts some 700 million internet users, who collectively spend around $750 billion online, albeit almost exclusively using local apps.

Read more: Hello, Big Brother: How China controls its citizens through social media

Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has even made some very personal efforts to court high-ranking support in the country, making a number high profile trips and meeting senior with lawmakers, including President Xi Jinping.

However,  the release of "Colorful Balloons" could have a damaging impact on Facebooks' stock in China. Beijing enjoys its grip on and oversight over foreign technology companies operating in the country. The Chinese government could view Facebook's decision to go behind its back as having undermined its trust.

Meanwhile, Facebook's sneaky app will likely be pulled from China's app store altogether, while Zuckerberg may need to relaunch his charm offensive from the ground up once again.

dm/sms (AFP, New York Times)