Instant messaging applications are gaining popularity because the WhatsApp, Signal, case was blocked in China. All users in mainland China are reported to no longer be able to access the application.
This news comes a month after the censorship of the Signal app in Iran. This is done so that their citizens no longer use Signal as their main instant messaging application.
China has Blocked Other Applications
Signal is not alone, other social media applications have also been blocked by China, such as Facebook, Google and Twitter which have been blocked for years.
Even though they have tricked the IP address using a VPN, users still cannot access Signal. Users are reportedly unable to send messages or make calls, even though they use a VPN.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian explained that he was not aware of the blockade. And also the internet there was said to be still open.
“I can tell you that in principle the internet in China is open. And the Chinese government manages internet-related affairs using laws and regulations,” Zhao said as quoted by Techradar.
Recently Signal has become popular with Chinese users who are concerned about their online privacy. Even so, Signal users are still far less than WeChat which has more than one billion users.
Chinese authorities have also frequently imposed restrictions on messaging applications, for example in relation to blocking politically sensitive messages or content on WeChat.
As of March 16 Signal app has been blocked
Signal app has become unavailable in China starting March 16, Signal’s website has also been blocked since March 15, according to Greatfire.org. However, Signal can still be downloaded on the Chinese App Store on March 16, this indicates that Apple has not received an application deletion order.
China’s Android app store platform is operated by many Chinese tech companies. According to Techcrunch’s report, many of these third parties adhere to local censorship strictly not to include Signal in their stores.
The iOS version of Signal has been installed nearly 510,000 times in China. Signal recently surpassed 100 million downloads on the App Store and Google Play globally.
Signal and rival Telegram saw a surge in downloads after WhatsApp’s privacy policy triggered a user switch, since January.
While the impact is insignificant in China as the population uses WeChat a lot, Signal and Telegram have seen an increase in users, albeit in small numbers.
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