Anonymous app Mimi lures netizens in China

Screenshot of a page on Apple Store China.

(ECNS) -- Posting anonymously may be an old way on online forums, but a new app called Mimi ("Secret" in English) allowing users to share their secrets are gaining popularity in China.

The iPhone app reached the top among free social media apps in Apple Store China on the first day it was released earlier this month.

The anonymous-sharing Secret app allows users to broadcast their missives to the world, but posts on Secret are limited to a network of friends based on the address book of users' phones.

Although the developer said defamatory and offensive content would be removed, mean-spirited posts like complaints about bosses, dissatisfaction with society and juicy gossip abound among users.

A random interview with several users shows that they are all addicted to the app, and some often guess the identity of posters. "The posts rarely seen on other forums make me excited," one said.

Some users questioned whether their anonymous posts would be tracked by the built-in system, but the developers said a special technology makes the encryption irreversible. In other words, no one can decrypt the data, even the founders, they said.

However, a lawyer said certain posts on the app may be in violation of privacy rights and criminal responsibility should be affixed if the case is serious enough to constitute a crime.

Insiders also hold a pessimistic attitude toward the new trend, as the app may not maintain its buzz after initial curiosity fades.