Chinese Authorities Shut Down Live Stream App Huahua, Arrest Founders (YNOT)

Read the full article by Mallory Hall at YNOT.com

Chinese authorities recently arrested suspects who were running a live stream app specializing in adult content.

Eighteen suspects were arrested in the city of Macheng, which is located in China’s Hubei province, and two others were arrested in the Philippines — all for creating the platform, Huahua. According to TheDrum, Huahua had more than 900,000 registered users and had helped the group earn RMB 16 million — roughly US $2.3 million.

The Macheng police had been investigating the group for over a year after receiving a tip that users were being asked to download Huahua in chat groups on the messaging app QQ via QR codes.

After joining the app, users were able to watch performances and make requests by paying up to almost RMB 2,000 (US $290). Some of the more popular streams got upwards of 2,000 viewers at a time. 

Mallory Hall is from Central Texas. She has worked in journalism since her university years and enjoys exploring unexpected occurrences in ordinary places.