NewsNational

Actions

WhatsApp offers proxy support to help bypass app shutdowns around the world

Whatsapp
Posted at 2:43 PM, Jan 05, 2023
and last updated 2023-01-05 16:43:17-05

The messaging platform WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook's parent company Meta Platforms Inc, announced on Thursday that its users will be able to use a new proxy server feature.

The feature will allow WhatsApp users to use its proxy servers in order to access the service in countries where the app has been blocked.

The messaging service has already been used for its ease of access and security. WhatsApp says the app offers end-to-end encryption which allows conversations to stay private between users, the company says.

WhatsApp claims in its privacy policy that no one else outside of the conversation can read messages on its app, even the company itself.

Users could take advantage of VPN technology to bypass internet bans on apps and websites around the world.

In recent years there have been somewhere around 10 countries that banned or blocked use of WhatsApp, or some of its features including China, Qatar, North Korea, Syria, Iran, Cuba and the United Arab Emirates.