Warns against using WhatsApp in China

China WhatsAppWhatsApp is allowed in China, but is it safe to use?. Photo: Pixabay.com

Warns against using WhatsApp and the like in China

Students at the University of California are warned against using popular apps such as WhatsApp in China, as it can lead to suspicions of spying.

 

«Although the use of WhatsApp, WeChat and other communications applications is legal in China, we have seen that the use of WhatsApp has been mentioned in allegations of espionage in, inter alia, Russia,» an email from the university’s management to the students read, reports CNN.

«Our concern is whether China can accuse Western travellers of something similar or use it as a pretext for disallowing them from leaving China,» it further states.

Dispute with Canada

China has held back several foreign nationals since December, probably in response to Canada’s arrest of Huawei’s CFO Meng Wanzhou on December 1st. Meng is wanted by the United States for violating sanctions they have imposed on Iran.

Meng, who is also a board member and daughter of Chinese telecoms giant, Entrepreneur Ren Zhengfei, was later released on bail, but the case has provoked strong reactions in Beijing.

13 Canadians were arrested in China in the aftermath. Eight of which are released from custody. Among those who are still imprisoned is former Canadian Diplomat, Michael Kovrig, who is affiliated with the think-tank International Crisis Group and businessman Michael Spavor.

China denies that these arrests have any connection with the arrest of Meng.

Surveillance and censorship

Monitoring of the population has reached wuthering heights under China’s current President, Xi Jinping. The censorship of the internet is increased, while freedom of expression is restricted.

Social media such as Twitter is banned in China, and last year, when Google announced plans to launch a censored search engine, it triggered major protests from its employees.

According to plan, keywords like human rights, democracy, religion, and peaceful protest would be blocked by the tailored version.


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