After the ban of U.S. audio-based social media app Clubhouse last month, the Chinese regime issued an official notice on March 18 to tighten internet control over voice software on Chinese social media platforms, pressuring domestic technology firms to implement surveillance measures. Chinese users have been using the audio-chat of Clubhouse to join real-time global discussions about sensitive topics censored by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) such as the persecution of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, and the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre. The audio messaging app can conceal the identity of its users—it can alter voices and the messages don’t leave a public record, preventing the Chinese authorities from monitoring online speech. Consequently, the CCP blocked Clubhouse in China after it was launched in April 2020. Following the popularity of Clubhouse, Chinese tech companies such as Xiaomi have launched similar audio social media platforms, which uses deepfake technology to alter …