A report on the News24 site notes that Chinese microblogs similar to Twitter have become key drivers of public opinion in recent years, with bloggers drawing attention to official corruption, pollution and other issues that challenge China's ruling Communist party. However, says the report, influential government critics have been targeted and paraded on state television, pledging to avoid posts that could undermine the state while hundreds have been detained for spreading 'rumours' online. 'It's creating pressure, and an atmosphere of fear,' Xie Wen, a veteran of China's Internet industry who worked as a senior manager for Yahoo! China, said, according to the report. It notes the rising influence of microblogs has been accompanied by the emergence of celebrity users with verified accounts, known as 'Big Vs'. Full report on the News24 site