8 ms·

They already have an alternative it's called WeChat. Maybe other people should install that instead?

FabHK 9y ago
It's way more powerful than WhatsApp, too (location based chats, payments, etc.). And, of course, it's not E2E encrypted; just the opposite, you can assume that it's being wiretapped/monitored. Thus, please don't install it.
- 086421357909764 9y ago
  WeChat acknowledged the monitoring :( http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/companies/wechat-confirms-that-it-makes-all-private-user-data-available-to-the-chinese-government-2391847.html/news/business/companies/wechat-confirms-that-it-makes-all-private-user-data-available-to-the-chinese-government-2391847.html http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/companies/wechat-c...
  - pishpash 9y ago
    Every service should make such an acknowledgement.
- micaksica 9y ago
  > you can assume that it's being wiretapped/monitored. This can be assumed with any technology stack that is popular, domestically-grown, and well-established in China. I have WeChat installed. Would I use it to converse with people outside of China? No. But casually, it's what's accepted there, what people ask you for, and what everyone's using.
  - FabHK 9y ago
    Sure, I might use it myself if I'd return to China, but I'd hate for it to become the default chat app outside China - that's what I meant with "please don't install it"... > This can be assumed with any technology stack that is popular, domestically-grown, and well-established in China. Agreed.
- taobility 9y ago
  I just wondering, for normal people, what kind of information you concerned to not be monitored, seriously? I knew most western take the privacy higher than anything. But for most normal people living outside of US, they really don't care. You would say they are dumb, but they care more about food, entertainment than the privacy, and liberal. To be honesty, nobody in China cared WhatsApp be blocked or not. As maybe 99.9999% Chinese even don't know there is an App called WhatsApp.
  - pishpash 9y ago
    Then why block it?
    - taobility 9y ago
      Because it's not under control, which against Chinese government's philosophy.
      - musage 9y ago
        Philosophy comes from "love of wisdom". Totalitarianism, a much better word to use here, comes from abuse and the dysfunctions that grow on it like mushrooms. I'd say the main difference between Asia and the West is that the West is sweeping the insights about totalitarianism deep thinkers had under the rug because actually, we'd love ourselves some smiling fascism; while in Asia they weren't even had. But philosophy can only even start where there is freedom of thought, and fearless people to use it. You can call anything a philosophy or a culture, it's become kind of a filler word, like "situation". Why not just say "it's against control, which is not appropriate in that situation". It's all just saying nothing and handing off the decision to others.
  - int_19h 9y ago
    > I just wondering, for normal people, what kind of information you concerned to not be monitored, seriously? Political dissent, for example?
  - musage 9y ago
- AmIFirstToThink 9y ago
  >And, of course, it's not E2E encrypted; just the opposite, you can assume that it's being wiretapped/monitored. Whatsapp is not? Are you sure? I would assume NSA doing all it wants as well. Whatsapp is out not because it can't let authorities audit it, but because of other economic reasons.
  - FabHK 9y ago
    > Whatsapp is not? Are you sure? Well, it's E2E encrypted, that's for sure. The NSA, like the Mossad, can do pretty much anything if you're a high-value target, I'd assume, but personally, I don't think there is blanket mass surveillance of WhatsApp chats, no. > Whatsapp is out not because it can't let authorities audit it, but because of other economic reasons. Do you have any evidence or even arguments for that assertion?
    - AmIFirstToThink 9y ago
      WeChat employs people in China.
      - FabHK 9y ago
        But WeChat is dominant in China already. Nobody gives a rat's ass about WhatsApp in China (except a few people communicating across borders), as far as I can tell. The market share/penetration of WeChat won't appreciably rise due to this act. It's not driven by economics.
  - pertymcpert 9y ago
    Yes it is.
varjag 9y ago
So far they had little success convincing the rest of the world using the tech that only a Communist mother would love.
- whooshee 9y ago
  Because other services already rooted in other areas. Japan got Line, South Korea got Kabaotalk.

It's way more powerful than WhatsApp, too (location based chats, payments, etc.). And, of course, it's not E2E encrypted; just the opposite, you can assume that it's being wiretapped/monitored. Thus, please don't install it.

086421357909764 9y ago
WeChat acknowledged the monitoring :( http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/companies/wechat-confirms-that-it-makes-all-private-user-data-available-to-the-chinese-government-2391847.html/news/business/companies/wechat-confirms-that-it-makes-all-private-user-data-available-to-the-chinese-government-2391847.html http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/companies/wechat-c...
- pishpash 9y ago
  Every service should make such an acknowledgement.
micaksica 9y ago
> you can assume that it's being wiretapped/monitored. This can be assumed with any technology stack that is popular, domestically-grown, and well-established in China. I have WeChat installed. Would I use it to converse with people outside of China? No. But casually, it's what's accepted there, what people ask you for, and what everyone's using.
- FabHK 9y ago
  Sure, I might use it myself if I'd return to China, but I'd hate for it to become the default chat app outside China - that's what I meant with "please don't install it"... > This can be assumed with any technology stack that is popular, domestically-grown, and well-established in China. Agreed.
taobility 9y ago
I just wondering, for normal people, what kind of information you concerned to not be monitored, seriously? I knew most western take the privacy higher than anything. But for most normal people living outside of US, they really don't care. You would say they are dumb, but they care more about food, entertainment than the privacy, and liberal. To be honesty, nobody in China cared WhatsApp be blocked or not. As maybe 99.9999% Chinese even don't know there is an App called WhatsApp.
- pishpash 9y ago
  Then why block it?
  - taobility 9y ago
    Because it's not under control, which against Chinese government's philosophy.
    - musage 9y ago
      Philosophy comes from "love of wisdom". Totalitarianism, a much better word to use here, comes from abuse and the dysfunctions that grow on it like mushrooms. I'd say the main difference between Asia and the West is that the West is sweeping the insights about totalitarianism deep thinkers had under the rug because actually, we'd love ourselves some smiling fascism; while in Asia they weren't even had. But philosophy can only even start where there is freedom of thought, and fearless people to use it. You can call anything a philosophy or a culture, it's become kind of a filler word, like "situation". Why not just say "it's against control, which is not appropriate in that situation". It's all just saying nothing and handing off the decision to others.
- int_19h 9y ago
  > I just wondering, for normal people, what kind of information you concerned to not be monitored, seriously? Political dissent, for example?
- musage 9y ago
AmIFirstToThink 9y ago
>And, of course, it's not E2E encrypted; just the opposite, you can assume that it's being wiretapped/monitored. Whatsapp is not? Are you sure? I would assume NSA doing all it wants as well. Whatsapp is out not because it can't let authorities audit it, but because of other economic reasons.
- FabHK 9y ago
  > Whatsapp is not? Are you sure? Well, it's E2E encrypted, that's for sure. The NSA, like the Mossad, can do pretty much anything if you're a high-value target, I'd assume, but personally, I don't think there is blanket mass surveillance of WhatsApp chats, no. > Whatsapp is out not because it can't let authorities audit it, but because of other economic reasons. Do you have any evidence or even arguments for that assertion?
  - AmIFirstToThink 9y ago
    WeChat employs people in China.
    - FabHK 9y ago
      But WeChat is dominant in China already. Nobody gives a rat's ass about WhatsApp in China (except a few people communicating across borders), as far as I can tell. The market share/penetration of WeChat won't appreciably rise due to this act. It's not driven by economics.
- pertymcpert 9y ago
  Yes it is.

varjag 9y ago

So far they had little success convincing the rest of the world using the tech that only a Communist mother would love.

whooshee 9y ago
Because other services already rooted in other areas. Japan got Line, South Korea got Kabaotalk.