WhatsApp users in prohibited countries can now use proxy servers
WhatsApp, a messaging service developed by Meta Platforms Inc., recently announced that users in countries where the software is restricted can gain access to the service via proxy servers. Proxy servers act as filters and intermediaries between Internet users and the services available on the Internet, allowing users to circumvent censorship and other restrictions. Even when the proxy option is enabled, end-to-end encryption will keep your messages private and safe. According to WhatsApp’s “no proxy, not WhatsApp, not meta to” policy, only the sender and the recipient can view the conversation.
WhatsApp says its newer, more advanced users may finally make use of proxy servers. The most recent WhatsApp version, the company claims, gives its users access to specialized proxy support. The messaging provider gives its users the option to set up their programs to use proxy servers in order to gain access to the web. Proxy servers act as an intermediary between a user and an online service, allowing the user to mask their online activity and avoid legal trouble.
Users wish to find their very own proxy server, and many of them may be provided for no cost by people and businesses all around the world. The organization has a special interest in Iran, where extreme security measures have been implemented. This is not the first time a service, such as WhatsApp (which is owned by Facebook), has let people access the dark web. However, this is a major change as it is the most popular messaging service in many countries. According to the group, more than two billion people live in one hundred and seventy countries.
💓 If you want to help friends or family by creating a proxy, you can learn to set one up here: https://t.co/HkgUNtNXcQ
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) January 5, 2023
WhatsApp claims that its customers who access the service through proxies enjoy the same “extreme degree of privacy and security,” including end-to-end encryption by default, as its other customers. However, privacy advocates have criticized the company for its practice of sharing individual customers’ data across other meta-companies. The system claims to examine the requirements of non-U.S. law enforcement agencies for access to account data to see if they are “common with universally established requirements, including human rights, due process, and the rule of law.”
Although WhatsApp’s new features have the potential to help people in less developed nations avoid repressive regimes, its parent company, Facebook, has a history of weak moderation procedures, making it vulnerable to abuse and bogus data.
Highlights
- According to WhatsApp, users of the most recent version can now formally use proxy capabilities within the app.
- Virtual private network (VPN) services have been used by users in nations like Iran and Syria to get past internet censorship.
- Users can get around censorship and restrictions by using a proxy server as a middleman between them and web services.