WeChat, launched by Tencent in 2011, started out as a messaging app but has evolved into a comprehensive platform spanning social media, e-payments, utilities, e-commerce, web browsing, and more. Key to this transformation lies in its Mini-programs – small, integrated apps that allow users to perform tasks within WeChat without having to download external apps. These Mini-programs function as private websites, accessible only through WeChat, creating an effective intranet within the app itself.
Mini-programs offer a wide range of services including everything from shopping and taxi bookings to games and medical appointments. This has allowed users to conduct much of their digital life without leaving WeChat, simplifying the user experience and minimising the need for other platforms. According to recent reports, there are over 4 million Mini-programs in operation within WeChat alone , covering an immense amount of needs and services.
A radical change in the digital life of WeChat users
This closed ecosystem has had a significant impact on users’ malaysia telegram data everyday lives. While in the West most users rely on a variety of apps for different tasks, in China, WeChat has centralized many everyday functions. Users can pay bills, send messages, make purchases, manage medical appointments, and even apply for loans, all without leaving the app. This has made WeChat omnipresent in their daily lives.
Furthermore, the widespread use of WeChat Pay , the app’s in-app payment system, has transformed the way people conduct financial transactions. From street markets to large shopping malls, WeChat Pay is accepted everywhere – even major street performers rely on their WeChat Pay QR to receive tips, eliminating the need for cash. Even small, everyday transactions, such as paying for a cup of coffee, are handled through QR codes , facilitated by the platform.
The super app model is not unique to WeChat. Other apps, such as Alipay and Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), have also adopted Mini-programs to provide users with an all-in-one experience. Together, these platforms have created a digital reality where Chinese people can satisfy almost all their needs without having to leave the controlled ecosystem.
The Chinese Deep Web
The comparison between WeChat Mini-Programs and the Deep Web is revealing as to how the internet operates in China. While Mini-Programs are not necessarily secret or inaccessible by nature, like Deep Web sites, they do share the characteristic of not being available through traditional search engines or standard browsers. They can only be accessed by users who are already within the WeChat ecosystem, making them virtually private sites, but hugely popular within its network. This model has created what some analysts call a national “intranet,” a closed space where access is strictly controlled.
Implications for privacy and digital freedom
One of the most critical aspects of this “intranet” is control. Apps and platforms like WeChat allow for monitoring of content and interactions within the platform. And especially the ability to track users’ online and offline activity, significantly limiting privacy.
A very classic example is going to eat at any restaurant in China. The first thing you will see when you sit down at the table is a QR code. If you try to enter using any web browser, the message that will appear is that it is not compatible, so you will have to capture the QR code with WeChat or Alipay. Once you have captured the QR code, you will have the menu from which you can manage your order, the payment of the total bill, ratings and everything that encompasses the relationship with the restaurant in this case. This example makes me imagine that from WeChat they not only have the information about where I am, but also about how I eat and the financial transactions I make.