China Cracks Down on WeChat Messaging Accounts

[reaper]

China has suspended or shut down at least a dozen WeChat messaging accounts, some linked to journalists and news outlets.

The popular public messaging platform, owned by China-based Internet platform Tencent, allows users to send voice, video, photo, and text messages, as well as participate in group chats, via iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Symbian, and BlackBerry devices.

Available in the U.S., WeChat has gained most of its acclaim in Asia, where a number of media outlets and columnists boast hundreds of thousands of subscribers, and often discuss political issues. Many of those users, however, have been blocked from the social network, the South China Morning Post said.

Citing "industry insiders," the paper said suspensions were dispensed Thursday for a handful of public accounts, most of which were known for posting commentary on current affairs—a big no-no in censorship-heavy China.

Without warning, the affected accounts received a message saying they have been shuttered "for violating regulations," the Post said.

China has a long history of restricting citizens' access to the Internet. Its tight grip on networks like Sina Weibo has inspired users to migrate to other services, including WeChat. In fact, according to the China Internet Information Centre, 37 percent of those who quit Weibo last year started using WeChat.

But it didn't take long for the government to crack down on the service. China Digital Times published a "partial" list of almost 40 accounts that have been closed, as of Thursday. Among them are "self media" outlets like the Observer, Elephant Magazine, Phoenix We Media, China50Plus, and Cloud Thinking.

WeChat did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment.

Just this week, Google announced extended routine encryption of Web searches made by users in China. The expansion of this program is not specifically aimed at China, which is known to censor the Internet and track online activity of its citizens. Rather, it is "part of a global expansion of privacy technology designed to thwart surveillance by government intelligence agencies, police, and hackers," Google said.