Foursquare blocked in China on Tiananmen Square anniversary

Location-based mobile social network phenom Foursquare is the latest U.S. tech firm to run afoul of Chinese authorities: The service is currently blocked in China, reportedly due to Foursquare users checking in at Beijing's Tiananmen Square, the site of a deadly protest 21 years ago. According to multiple Twitter posts, Foursquare was disabled on the Chinese mainland after a number of users checked in at Tiananmen Square to show their solidarity with Chinese dissidents commemorating the anniversary of the tragedy, which culminated on June 4, 1989; it is not known whether the block is only temporary.

The Tiananmen Square protest began on April 14, 1989--students and intellectuals led the demonstration, said to be inspired by the death of pro-democracy official Hu Yaobang. People's Republic of China officials declared martial law on May 20, with soldiers and tanks entering Beijing on June 1; by the time Tiananmen Square was cleared on June 4, hundreds and possibly thousands were dead.

The Foursquare geolocation service launched in 2009--users check in at local venues on their mobile device, earning points and even badges for visiting establishments on a regular basis. In recent months, Chinese officials have additionally blocked social networking services Facebook and Twitter; multiple Google web and mobile initiatives were also halted earlier this year, with some like YouTube, Blogger and Picasa remaining blacklisted.

For more on the Foursquare block:
- read this Telegraph article

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