Popular iPhone messaging app WhatsApp newly crippled by China's 'Great Firewall'

Facebook's last remaining tentpole product in China — WhatsApp — has reportedly been severely crippled by changes to China's internet filters, often known as the "Great Firewall."

New filters are specifically targeting WhatsApp functions, a source and several security experts told the New York Times. Many people are unable to send photos or videos, and some may not even able to send text, the app's main purpose.

The Times noted that based on the Chinese government's track record, a partial block could be the precursor to a full ban, though sometimes such disruptions are just temporary.

The government has tightened its grip on the internet in the past few weeks, most notably bringing new cybersecurity laws into effect. These in fact forced Apple to launch its first Chinese data center, since sensitive personal data must now be stored on local servers, and businesses must pass security reviews before they can transmit it elsewhere.

It's even expected that virtual private networks will be completely blocked in China by Feb. 2018, disrupting the one avenue Chinese residents had for circumventing the Great Firewall.

WhatsApp was already far less popular in China than a local messaging app, WeChat, but Facebook now has the barest of toeholds in the country, since both its namesake service and Instagram are banned.

11 Comments

wood1208 2930 comments · 10 Years

About 7 years ago

This is how China will help grow their home grown messaging apps companies by restricting and putting hurdles like they do for other outside businesses. Than, they use rest of world's openness and sell cheaper.

george li 30 comments · 11 Years

Miles Kwok... the exile Chinese billionaire to US has been exposing the no. 2 figure (qishan wang) in Chinese government of all his dirty laundry on YouTube, twitter in the past few months .. keok's primary secret communication channel with his sources in china? WhatsApp!

anantksundaram 20390 comments · 18 Years

wood1208 said:

This is how China will help grow their home grown messaging apps companies by restricting and putting hurdles like they do for other outside businesses. Than, they use rest of world's openness and sell cheaper.

It is quite unbelievable to me how blatantly China throttles some of America's most successful, valuable, world-beating firms and industries from being able to compete there. Thus providing a competitive moat for their Alibabas and Tencents and Baidus etc. etc. And, inexplicably, gets away with it.

Meantime, Washington DC is focused on coal, chicken, beef, corn, and cigarettes. We are such a pathetic, whimpering, toothless, paper tiger. All hat and no cattle.

sflocal 6133 comments · 16 Years

anantksundaram said:

wood1208 said:

This is how China will help grow their home grown messaging apps companies by restricting and putting hurdles like they do for other outside businesses. Than, they use rest of world's openness and sell cheaper.

It is quite unbelievable to me how blatantly China throttles some of America's most successful, valuable, world-beating firms and industries from being able to compete there. Thus providing a competitive moat for their Alibabas and Tencents and Baidus etc. etc. And, inexplicably, gets away with it.

Meantime, Washington DC is focused on coal, chicken, beef, corn, and cigarettes. We are such a pathetic, whimpering, toothless, paper tiger. All hat and no cattle.

I say this time and time again... Boot China out of the WTO before ANY dialog starts with that wretched country. China's arrogant attitude that the world needs China to survive in business is an attitude that needs to be changed immediately. China has poisoned the world with its cheap $30 microwave ovens and large flat-screen TV's. Enough is enough.

China blatantly violates everything that the WTO stands for, prevents foreign competition, and literally steals everyone's IP. Hurt this country where it hurts the most. Its economy. If it wants access to other countries, it must first allow that same access within its own borders, unfettered by China's ridiculous government bureaucracy.

stevenoz 317 comments · 16 Years

My worry is that as antipathy for Dangerous Donald and his cohorts mounts, he will try to limit communications and the press too.

We must be vigilant and vocal.