WhatsApp has started functioning without hindrance for certain users in China, defying the government’s longstanding ban on the messaging platform, a rare occurrence in a country known for stringent internet regulations.
In cities like Beijing and Shanghai, where individuals typically rely on virtual private networks (VPNs) to access WhatsApp, users have reported sending and receiving messages without the need for such tools. However, other platforms like Signal and Instagram remain inaccessible, as part of China’s broader censorship known as the Great Firewall.
The extent of WhatsApp’s accessibility across China remains unclear and hasn’t garnered attention on domestic social media platforms like Weibo. While only a fraction of China’s population uses WhatsApp compared to WeChat, Meta’s messaging app, representatives for WhatsApp have declined to comment on the matter, and queries to the Cyberspace Administration of China have gone unanswered.
China has long prohibited the use of foreign messaging and social media apps to maintain control over content and suppress potential dissent. This has allowed homegrown platforms like WeChat and Weibo to dominate, although some Chinese users utilize VPNs to access Western media. Despite encryption on both ends making WhatsApp messages challenging to monitor, users have sporadically reported access to blocked services, albeit briefly. However, some users in major cities have experienced uninterrupted access to WhatsApp over a two-week period, coinciding with Apple’s removal of WhatsApp and other social media apps from its Chinese app store following directives from Beijing to tighten internet restrictions.