Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

China appears to block Signal, one of last popular encrypted messaging apps

China appears to block Signal, one of last popular encrypted messaging apps

Government's apparent move to block Signal intensifies its hold on public and private discourse in China

Messaging app Signal became unusable for many people in mainland China this week, stifling one of the last widely used messaging apps that could send and receive encrypted messages in the country without a virtual private network.

The government’s apparent move to block Signal intensifies its hold on public and private discourse in China, where many social-media and messaging apps, including Facebook, Twitter and, most recently, the popular social-audio platform Clubhouse, have been banned.

Signal users in mainland China started reporting around Monday evening problems with sending and receiving messages in the app. Using a virtual private network, or VPN, a tool that enables internet users to circumvent China’s elaborate system of web filters, resolved those issues, which led users to conclude that the app had been blocked in China.

Some also reported problems with registration, another common censorship practice that affected Clubhouse last month, where users aren’t able to sign up with their phone numbers because the verification text code is never received.

The problems began on Sunday and included halted registration and network blocks, a person familiar with the matter said. The Cyberspace Administration of China, the country’s internet regulator, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Tuesday, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred a question about the apparent ban to the relevant department, but said that China’s internet is open and the government manages the internet in accordance with the law.

Signal uses end-to-end encryption, which prevents third-party access to communications between the sender and receiver. It includes features such as disappearing messages and media, and has been promoted as a tool for secure and private communication. Similar encrypted messaging apps, such as Telegram and Facebook Inc.’s WhatsApp, are also inaccessible in China without a VPN.

Signal surged in popularity last year among Chinese users after the U.S. administration said it would ban WeChat, China’s most popular messaging app, operated by Tencent Holdings Ltd. Downloads also jumped in Hong Kong after lawmakers passed national-security legislation, suppressing pro-democracy protests.

WeChat uses client-to-server encryption, which grants Tencent full access to data between senders and recipients. The app is ubiquitous in China and largely a necessity for everyday life through its messaging and payment services. It is also known for its censorship of sensitive matters, such as of political criticism or during the coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan.

In February, Chinese censors blocked Clubhouse after the app started gaining traction in the country and led to discussions of sensitive topics generally restricted in China, such as the treatment of China’s Uyghur Muslims or the Tiananmen Square protests.

As with Clubhouse, some saw the loss of Signal as inevitable because of China’s expansive censorship apparatus and tightening controls over its internet users.

“It’s always been a surprise that Signal lasted as long as it did, given that the purpose of the app is to facilitate encrypted communications,” said James Griffiths, author of “The Great Firewall of China: How to Build and Control an Alternative Version of the internet.”

Yaqiu Wang, China researcher with Human Rights Watch in New York, said Signal was the last encrypted messaging app that she could easily use to connect securely with friends and activists in mainland China.

Though Signal can still function with a VPN, those have become more difficult to access in China in recent years after China tightened rules over the tool. At least hundreds of VPNs have been removed from app stores, while VPN users and providers have faced fines.

“All of these are indications that it will be harder and harder for people to speak to people securely on sensitive issues," Ms. Wang said. “I really worry about communication for people inside China.”

While there was no clear catalyst for the apparent ban, some experts speculated that Signal’s recent popularity with mainland users may have contributed.

According to research firm Sensor Tower, downloads of Signal on iOS, Apple’s operating system, had been gaining momentum in China over the past year before dropping off in February and March. Signal installs reached a monthly high in August of 52,000 after the U.S. WeChat ban was announced and surged again in January, with about 49,000 installs.

Still, Signal users in China are a fraction of those on WhatsApp or Telegram, according to Sensor Tower data. Signal downloads on iOS have reached a total of about 510,000 in China, compared with 9.6 million WhatsApp installs and three million Telegram installs.

Signal was also blocked in Iran in January. The company has said it launched a workaround for that network block and was exploring more ways to circumvent the ban.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
×