Facebook secretly launches photo-sharing app Colorful Balloons in China

Facebook Inc. has secretly launched an app under a different name. The photo-sharing app is named Colorful Balloons.Facebook’s interest in China because of its huge internet user population led it to create a photo-sharing application released there without the social network’s brand being attached.

Facebook has said its goal of connecting the world wouldn’t be possible without the world’s most populated country but declined to confirm the details that were first reported by the New York Times.

“We have long said that we are interested in China, and are spending time understanding and learning more about the country in different ways,” the company said. “Our focus right now is on helping Chinese businesses and developers expand to new markets outside of China by using our ad platform.”Chinese authorities have recently ramped up censorship of social media and messaging platforms, partially blocking Facebook-owned WhatsApp last month. 

Facebook has long been interested to enter into  China, where the social network has been banned since 2009.
Google, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook are not allowed to operate on China’s tightly controlled internet.