Signal Messenger No Longer Works in China Without a VPN
The encrypted messaging app Signal has stopped working in China without the use of a VPN, according to Reuters, which cites local users. CNBC tested the messenger on three different devices, and messages failed to go through. However, the app remained available for download in the Chinese App Store.
The blocking of Signal in China highlights the country’s increasing internet censorship. Signal’s market share in China is relatively small—510,000 downloads from the App Store, according to Sensor Tower. Still, the app provided local users with a rare opportunity to send encrypted messages through a foreign platform without needing a VPN.
Signal downloads surged earlier this year when WhatsApp changed its terms of service, allowing some data sharing with Facebook. Despite this, WeChat remains the dominant messenger in China, with over a billion users.
At the end of January, Iran also blocked Signal. The service became the most downloaded messenger after privacy issues were discovered in WhatsApp, prompting many Iranians to switch platforms.
According to TechRadar and antivirus developer AVG, Signal is considered the most secure messenger in the world. However, in September 2020, it was revealed that Signal was leaking users’ phone numbers. Similar vulnerabilities were also found in WhatsApp and Telegram.
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