WhatsApp helps you evade government censorships using a proxy
WhatsApp prides itself onhaving a strong security infrastructurethat blocks third-party prying eyes from peeking into your conversations with end-to-end encryption. This security feature is one of the reasons WhatsApp is one of thebest communication appsavailable today. However, all of these security measures are meaningless if the service becomes inaccessible to users, especially in countries with authoritarian regimes. WhatsApp is now making sure that doesn’t happen by introducing support for proxies globally.
The Meta-owned service announced that users all over the world can now bypass government-mandated internet disruptions by connecting via proxy servers. According toThe Verge, the new feature marks a significant shift in the app’s design, which previously did not support proxy or VPN configurations. Following the latest change, WhatsApp has removed that disclaimer from its support page.
WhatsApp relies on proxy servers hosted by volunteers and organizations worldwide. “What this means is we’re putting the power into people’s hands to maintain access to WhatsApp if their connection is blocked or disrupted,” the company said in ablog post.
In order toconnect via a proxy, you’ll need to scour the web or social media for trusted proxy servers and then enter the proxy address. WhatsApp says you can select a server that supports ports 80, 443, or 5222. It also made detailed documentation and source code available onGithub.
The feature is in response to Iran’s move to block access to WhatsApp last September amid mounting protests following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in police custody. Amini was arrested for allegedly breaking the country’s strict dress code for women. “While many of us celebrated by texting our loved ones on WA, there are millions of people in Iran and elsewhere who continue to be denied the right to communicate freely and privately,” says atweet by WhatsApp head Will Cathcart.
The service guarantees that using a proxy won’t affect the security features in place that safeguard your data and messages. This ostensibly means your data is kept secure from proxy server hosts, WhatsApp, and even Meta. However, WhatsApp warns that your IP address will be visible to the proxy provider if you use third-party proxies.
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