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| China disrupts WhatsApp ahead of Communist Party meeting | China disrupts WhatsApp ahead of Communist Party meeting |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The messaging service WhatsApp has been disrupted in China as the government steps up security ahead of a Communist Party meeting next month. | The messaging service WhatsApp has been disrupted in China as the government steps up security ahead of a Communist Party meeting next month. |
| Users have faced problems with the app for more than a week with services dropping in and out. | Users have faced problems with the app for more than a week with services dropping in and out. |
| At times, it has been completely blocked and only accessible via virtual private networks (VPNs) which circumvent China's internet firewall. | At times, it has been completely blocked and only accessible via virtual private networks (VPNs) which circumvent China's internet firewall. |
| WhatsApp is Facebook's only product allowed to operate in mainland China. | WhatsApp is Facebook's only product allowed to operate in mainland China. |
| Facebook's main social media service and its Instagram image sharing app are not available on the mainland. | Facebook's main social media service and its Instagram image sharing app are not available on the mainland. |
| Services disrupted | Services disrupted |
| The BBC's China based correspondents said the WhatsApp messaging service started going offline more than a week ago. | The BBC's China based correspondents said the WhatsApp messaging service started going offline more than a week ago. |
| A test of its services on Tuesday showed users in China could not send video messages or photographs to people outside China. | A test of its services on Tuesday showed users in China could not send video messages or photographs to people outside China. |
| The disruption follows restrictions on WhatsApp video chats and photographs in July, which were later lifted. | The disruption follows restrictions on WhatsApp video chats and photographs in July, which were later lifted. |
| The tightening of online censorship comes as China steps up security ahead of the Communist Party's national congress which is held every five years. | The tightening of online censorship comes as China steps up security ahead of the Communist Party's national congress which is held every five years. |
| "The run-up period to a gathering is normally a time of greater restrictions of all kinds to assure that the critical Party Congress is held under ideal social conditions and is not disrupted", Robert Lawrence Kuhn, long-time advisor to China's leaders and multinational corporations told the BBC. | |
| However, he said it is not yet clear whether the restrictions will be relaxed as has happened after previous party congresses, adding that many analysts do not believe they will be. | However, he said it is not yet clear whether the restrictions will be relaxed as has happened after previous party congresses, adding that many analysts do not believe they will be. |
| WhatsApp has declined to comment on the latest clampdown. | WhatsApp has declined to comment on the latest clampdown. |
| Analysis - Stephen McDonell, BBC China correspondent, Beijing | Analysis - Stephen McDonell, BBC China correspondent, Beijing |
| Last week word started spreading around other platforms… "Is WhatsApp blocked?" | Last week word started spreading around other platforms… "Is WhatsApp blocked?" |
| The replies would come in: "You need to use a VPN". Then the VPNs were being blocked. | The replies would come in: "You need to use a VPN". Then the VPNs were being blocked. |
| Welcome to online China in the run-up to the Communist Party Congress. | Welcome to online China in the run-up to the Communist Party Congress. |
| Taking out WhatsApp has no impact on most Chinese people. They don't use it. The unrivalled king of cyberspace in this country is WeChat (or, in Chinese, Weixin 微信) | Taking out WhatsApp has no impact on most Chinese people. They don't use it. The unrivalled king of cyberspace in this country is WeChat (or, in Chinese, Weixin 微信) |
| You would really struggle to find somebody here not using WeChat to send messages, share photos, swap locations, flirt, read news and pay for pretty much everything. This all-encompassing app at the centre of people's lives is available for the Communist Party to spy on the entire population. | You would really struggle to find somebody here not using WeChat to send messages, share photos, swap locations, flirt, read news and pay for pretty much everything. This all-encompassing app at the centre of people's lives is available for the Communist Party to spy on the entire population. |
| WhatsApp is not - at least not to the same extent. | WhatsApp is not - at least not to the same extent. |
| So, during this sensitive time leading up to the once-in-five-years Party Congress, those with responsibility for censoring social media are nervous. | So, during this sensitive time leading up to the once-in-five-years Party Congress, those with responsibility for censoring social media are nervous. |
| They worry that somebody may use an app beyond their complete control to, for example, organise a protest or post a funny photo of President Xi Jinping and for this to somehow go under their radar. | They worry that somebody may use an app beyond their complete control to, for example, organise a protest or post a funny photo of President Xi Jinping and for this to somehow go under their radar. |
| Tech crackdown | Tech crackdown |
| WhatsApp provides end-to-end encryption which ensures only the sender and recipient can view the content of messages. | WhatsApp provides end-to-end encryption which ensures only the sender and recipient can view the content of messages. |
| It also prevents Facebook from knowing what is said in any text, voice and video conversation being communicated on WhatsApp. | It also prevents Facebook from knowing what is said in any text, voice and video conversation being communicated on WhatsApp. |
| "China has shown little tolerance to encryption especially on platforms that can be used to share materials or potential propaganda," Bill Taylor-Mountford, Asia Pacific vice president for LogRhythm told the BBC. | "China has shown little tolerance to encryption especially on platforms that can be used to share materials or potential propaganda," Bill Taylor-Mountford, Asia Pacific vice president for LogRhythm told the BBC. |
| The latest disruption to WhatsApp appears to be part of a broader crackdown on the internet and online content in China. | The latest disruption to WhatsApp appears to be part of a broader crackdown on the internet and online content in China. |
| On Monday, China's cyber watchdog handed down maximum penalties to some of the country's top technology firms including Tencent, Baidu and Weibo for failing to properly censor online content. | On Monday, China's cyber watchdog handed down maximum penalties to some of the country's top technology firms including Tencent, Baidu and Weibo for failing to properly censor online content. |
| The penalties were imposed for failing to remove fake news and pornography, as well as content that authorities said "incites ethic tension" and "threatens social order". | The penalties were imposed for failing to remove fake news and pornography, as well as content that authorities said "incites ethic tension" and "threatens social order". |