There’s no blocking WhatsApp as it launches tool to bypass censorship
- WhatsApp has revealed it has now launched a proxy tool which allows the continued use of the service despite blocks or disruptions
- Company mentions Iran where internet disruptions go on for months and ‘deny people’s human rights and cut people off from receiving urgent help’
Restricting social media apps and websites is a common strategy employed by authoritarian regimes to curb protests, as can currently be witnessed in Iran where the government has blocked WhatsApp and Instagram amid widespread internet restrictions.
To help users to circumvent censorship, WhatsApp has now launched a proxy tool which allows the continued use of the service despite blocks or disruptions.
“We’re mindful that just as we’ve celebrated the start to 2023 through private texts or calls, there are many people who continue to be denied the ability to reach their loved ones because of internet shutdowns,” the Meta-owned messaging service wrote in a blog post in early January announcing the new tool.
“Choosing a proxy enables you to connect to WhatsApp through servers set up by volunteers and organisations around the world dedicated to helping people communicate freely,” the post explains.
Using WhatsApp via a proxy server still guarantees a “high level of privacy and security,” with messages still protected by end-to-end encryption, according to the company.
The proxy support is now available with the latest WhatsApp version.