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Just a few days after winning the favor of Chinese citizens, Coc Ai Lang has encountered a myriad of conflicting opinions surrounding her statement about VPNs. At just 18 years old, Coc Ai Lang has become the youngest athlete ever to claim a gold medal in freestyle skiing on February 8th. However, her achievements at the 2022 Beijing Olympics are not what's drawing attention. Instead, it's her roots and nationality that have captured the public's interest. Despite skyrocketing to fame in China seemingly overnight, Coc Ai Lang is now weathering a storm of criticism for her recent comments on Instagram.
It all began when an Instagram user left a comment on one of Coc Ai Lang's posts on February 7th, questioning why she can use Instagram when millions of mainland Chinese people cannot. They pondered whether she receives special treatment compared to other citizens in China. This raises questions of fairness and whether she would advocate for the millions of Chinese people who lack internet freedom.Subsequent to this comment, Coc Ai Lang replied succinctly: “Anyone can download a free VPN on the App Store.” Screenshots of this comment finally circulated widely on Weibo - a social network akin to Instagram and Twitter, but both major platforms are blocked in China.
Meanwhile, Coc Ai Lang's assertion that Chinese citizens can use free VPN apps isn't entirely accurate. While VPNs can be utilized, if individuals are caught using VPNs to circumvent the “Great Firewall of China” on the Internet, they face severe penalties.Furthermore, many Weibo users criticize Coc Ai Lang for not being cognizant of the privileges she possesses, yet she continues to make statements regarding the issue of Internet freedom in China. Clearly, Coc Ai Lang is being favored by China, a rare exception in this country as she's allowed to hold dual citizenship. China doesn't permit individuals to hold dual citizenship, yet there's no evidence indicating Coc Ai Lang has renounced her American citizenship. And her lack of awareness of what she's enjoying, along with the issue of inequality in China, has made her the target of wrath from the online community of this country.According to MashableFor those interested in this content, please read more: 
