I suspect these rumors have been spread by feds who dont like Americans seeing China outside their own media spin. Ive seen the rumors around a lot and it seems it isnt the case according to users within China.

This is a blatant attempt at damage control by the west imo. Convince people the chinese are blocking them and try to undo the damage thats been done to their narrative. Hopefully people dont fall for it. I worry it will stop more people from checking out the app tho.