WeChat: China’s Other Trojan Horse (2024)

FAQs

Are there two versions of WeChat? ›

However, there are two versions of this app. Weixin is not only the Chinese name but also a separate platform that exclusively caters to Mainland users. With WeChat and Weixin accounts operating on different servers, it's inevitable for overseas users to get confused between the two.

Privacy in the WeChat Ecosystem

WeChat collects a significant amount of user data, including personal information, contacts, location, and even voice and video recordings. This data is used for targeted advertising and to improve the user experience.

Weixin, the Chinese version of WeChat, operates from China under Chinese law, which includes strong censorship provisions and interception protocols. Its parent company is obliged to share data with the Chinese government under the China Internet Security Law and National Intelligence Law.

WeChat, among the most used apps in China, was banned by the Indian government citing national security concerns in the year 2020. This disappointed WeChat users in India but it didn't deter them from using the app.

Weixin is the version for mainland users, while WeChat is designed for overseas users, and they don't belong to the same system or servers. Though they have similar interfaces and many common functions, these two apps are different from each other in several aspects.

What is the Difference between WeCom and WeChat? As previously mentioned, WeCom is a professional extension of WeChat, allowing companies to create branded accounts for their employees to chat with prospects, clients, and the internal team.

Privacy concerns with WeChat

In addition, WeChat's encryption is not end-to-end, meaning that messages and other data can potentially be accessed by Tencent or other third parties. This lack of encryption has led to concerns that WeChat is not as secure as other messaging apps like Signal or WhatsApp.

Still, censorship is only one of the problems with WeChat. While the app only edits out content from users with phone numbers from mainland China, its surveillance is far-reaching. That includes Chinese users living in the United States, such as students and visa holders.

WeChat does not offer end-to-end encryption, a privacy feature that users expect from most messaging apps. The app has backdoors that allow third parties to read the messages you send and receive. This impacts data security.

President Biden on Wednesday rescinded former President Donald Trump's actions targeting Chinese-owned apps TikTok and WeChat. Former President Donald Trump's TikTok and WeChat bans were officially dropped on Wednesday, but scrutiny of the China-owned apps will continue under the Biden administration.

What is the problem with WeChat? ›

WeChat is closely monitored by the Chinese authorities, and censorship operates by way of bans on certain topics, keywords, and so forth. Alongside such censorship, the close surveillance of its users has entailed direct repression (1, 2).

In China, there is no TikTok. There is only Douyin. After President Biden signed a bill on Wednesday forcing Chinese company ByteDance to sell its ownership of TikTok, the United States moved one step closer to an internet without the short video app.

In the WeChat executive order (the “Executive Order”), President Trump expressed concern that “WeChat automatically captures vast swaths of information from its users,” which “threatens to allow the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans' personal and proprietary information.”⁶ Section 1(a) prohibits people and ...

The Government's decision to remove and block the applications was made to ensure that Government of Canada networks and data remain secure and protected and are in line with the approach of Canada's international partners.

In order to switch to become a Weixin user, you will need to link your account to a Chinese Mainland mobile number. You can do so by going to "Me" > "Settings" > "Account Security" > "Phone" > "Change Mobile Number" and binding a Chinese Mainland mobile number.

WeChat Pay, officially referred to as Weixin Pay (Chinese: 微信支付; pinyin: Wēixìn Zhīfù) in China, is a mobile payment and digital wallet service by WeChat based in China that allows users to make mobile payments and online transactions.

Can I register/bind multiple accounts with one phone number ? Each phone number is only allowed to sign up for one WeChat or Weixin account/be bound to one WeChat or Weixin account. If your current mobile number has no binding relation with any WeChat or Weixin account, it can be used for a new registration.