1/4/2024 0 Comments Signal app service unavailable![]() Signal: Messaging app stops working in China amid fears of government ban – Signal has 500k+ iOS installs in CN, 50k more than Jan The app is still up on Apple’s China App Store The app & its website are unavailable without a VPN Multiple contacts in mainand China just confirmed difficulties using #Signal app from Monday evening. On Tuesday Morning, users from the country have confirmed that Signal could no longer work without using a VPN ( 3). On Monday, several reports started surging across the internet as Chinese users faced trouble accessing the app. But until now, people were comfortably using the platform in mainland China. Hence, even Signal, incepted in 2015, a free messaging application with end-to-end encryption should be banned in the country. ![]() People would either need VPN or SSR to access these apps. However, VPNs are quite slow and delay every app and site loading time, censored or not.Īccording to the Chinese National Security Law passed in 2017 ( 2), messaging apps with a certain encryption level are prohibited. VPN offers an encrypted channel to connect to an internet server in another nation and normally browse the internet. People there use VPN, virtual private networks to circumvent censorship. The country invests heavily in internet monitoring and censorship to the extent that it even hurts its economy. Even the world’s most popular apps and websites, including Google, Twitter, and Facebook, are not easily accessible in China. Internet in China is a world unto itself, and the government constantly monitors the content. Unlike India, where doors are always open for domestic and international platforms, its neighbor country follows very strict internet censorship ( 1).Ĭhina’s strict censorship, also known as the Great Firewall of China, has existed for over a decade. However, a ban on international apps and websites is not something new in the People’s Republic of China. India has blocked hundreds of China-linked apps in the past year during the two countries’ border standoff. It boasts over a billion users worldwide. WeChat, Tencent’s all-in-one mobile app, is China’s dominant messaging platform that also offers payment functions and other services.According to Sensor Tower, Signal has observed about 510,000 times download in China on iOS and more than 100 million times download on the App Store and Google Play combined across the globe. ![]() Signal witnessed a surge in downloads globally after WhatsApp updated its privacy policies, reserving the right to share users’ data, such as phone number and location, with its parent firm Facebook Inc and its other units, including Instagram and Messenger.In China, where Google services are blocked, the app was already unavailable on third-party Android stores.There has been no response from Signal regarding the development.The Signal app and website seem to be running normally in Hong Kong. ![]() The app is still accessible on Apple’s China app store as of Tuesday morning.China’s cyber authorities have become more strict in recent years, with a wide scope of apps, social media platforms, and media outlets banned in the country.On Tuesday, users in mainland China confirmed that Signal is no longer working in the country without using a VPN. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |