FILE - In this Feb. 9, 2021 file photo, the icon for the social media app Clubhouse is seen on a smartphone screen in Beijing. The Omani government has “forbidden the app because it was operating without the proper license,” Omar al-Abri, an official in the country’s telecommunications regulator told The Associated Press. Over the past few days, scores of users in Oman reported receiving error messages when they tried to use the platform. AdClubhouse, the invitation-only social media app, has exploded in popularity in recent months, particularly gaining traction in the Middle East where social media remains a highly contested and sometimes perilous space. Although the United Arab Emirates reassured users earlier this month that the government had not banned the app, users nationwide have reported audio glitches that frequently make listening into discussions impossible.

The icon for the social media app Clubhouse is seen on a smartphone screen in Beijing, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)BANGKOK – Thailand’s government warned users of the recently introduced Clubhouse voice chat app on Wednesday that they must be careful not to misuse it or face possible legal consequences. Digital Economy Minister Buddhipongse Punnakanta said the ministry has monitored the Clubhouse app since it was launched and found that some political activists use it to spread what he described as fake news and distorted information. AdChina’s government last week blocked its citizens’ access to Clubhouse, as it has done with thousands of other websites and social media apps. Pavin, speaking Wednesday on Clubhouse, charged that the government is afraid of Clubhouse because it allows its opponents to talk directly with each other.

The icon for the social media app Clubhouse is seen on a smartphone screen in Beijing, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. You can also download the app and get on a waiting list to be let into Clubhouse. Although Clubhouse hasn't divulged how many people are using its service, its app has been downloaded 5.3 million times, according to analytics firm App Annie. Thousands of Chinese users have flocked to the app in recent months, lured by the unfettered discussions it allowed with people abroad — particularly about democracy, Taiwan and other sensitive topics. Users still could download it if they had access to an Apple app store abroad.

The icon for the social media app Clubhouse is seen on a smartphone screen in Beijing, Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021. Chinese authorities are blocking access to Clubhouse, a social media app that allowed users in China to discuss sensitive topics with people abroad including Taiwan and treatment of the countrys Muslim minority. That prompted warnings Chinese users might face official retaliation for their comments. Operators of social media are required to monitor, delete and report comments that violate official rules. The party also blocks access to Facebook, Twitter and other social media services and websites abroad run by news organizations and human rights, Tibet, pro-democracy and other activists.