“We defend the rights of people to access private messaging.” On Thursday, January 5, messaging platform WhatsApp, owned by Meta, announced the launch of a new feature to allow its users to evade censorship. “It is now possible to connect to WhatsApp through proxy servers set up by volunteers and organizations around the world dedicated to allowing everyone to communicate freely,” the company said in a statement. Press release.
The application is subject to blockages in certain territories, in particular in Iran, a country specifically mentioned by WhatsApp, where access difficulties have been reported since September 2022 on the sidelines of the demonstrations which are shaking the Islamic republic. “In Iran, these cuts, which have been happening for several months violate human rights by preventing the population from receiving urgent aid”, details the platform. September 2022, the company already explained that it was working on these blockages. “We strive to keep our Iranian friends connected and will do everything in our technical capacity to keep our service operational,” she said.
Encryption, always guaranteed by WhatsApp
The use of a proxy server is widespread in the IT world, but often prohibited by platforms, which prefer to go through their own servers. “A proxy server is a computer that intercepts and manages traffic between two devices, networks, or protocols. A proxy is a gateway that acts as an intermediary between your computer and the websites and Internet services you use. It can act as a firewall, filter, cache or facilitate shared network connections”, can we read on the site ofAVG, an anti-virus software.
In other words, the platform allows users to go through servers other than its own, which are easily identified and blocked by governments and access providers. Going through proxies configured by third parties (whose connection can be done from the latest version of the application, from the settings menu) would make it more difficult for them, since these networks can be more scattered. Until now, WhatsApp opposed such an appeal. “Connecting through a proxy server maintains the high level of privacy and security offered by WhatsApp, reassures the company. Personal messages will always be protected by end-to-end encryption, which means that they will remain between the people who communicate and that no one else will be able to see them, not even the proxy servers, WhatsApp or Meta.”
More frequent blockages
Like Iran, it is not uncommon for some governments to resort to blocking certain platforms. “Over the past decade, these lockdowns have tended to be imposed during heightened political tensions, with at least 225 closures recorded during public protests related to social, political or economic grievances,” it said. the UN in a report published in June 2022.
“Too often, important communication channels or entire communication networks are slowed down or blocked,” the report says, adding that this deprives “thousands, if not millions, of their only means of reaching loved ones, pursuing their work or to participate in debates or political decisions”.