WhatsApp Adds Proxy Support to Keep Users Online During Internet Blocks

WhatsApp Adds Proxy¹ Support to Keep Users Online During Internet Blocks

Messaging service WhatsApp has added support for a tool to help users stay online when governments block the internet.

The company – owned by Facebook's parent Meta – recently announced it would let users connect to WhatsApp through proxy servers.

A proxy acts as a bridge to connect users to the internet through servers in other places. Proxy servers can be set up by individuals or organizations around the world. The proxy system can permit people to be online even when governments have restricted or cut off internet services in their area.

In its announcement, WhatsApp said the proxy tool represents an effort to "put the power into people's hands" to connect to its service if the internet is blocked or restricted.

The company said proxy support was launched for WhatsApp users all over the world. In its statement, however, WhatsApp identified Iran as a nation where the government has been blocking the internet for months. Such actions "deny people's human rights and cut people off from receiving urgent help," WhatsApp said.

Iran's government has a history of cutting internet and messaging services.

In 2018, Iranian officials ordered internet service providers to block messaging service Telegram. At the time, Iran had an estimated 40 million Telegram users, nearly half the country's population.

The banning of Telegram came as widespread demonstrations² took place in many Iranian cities to protest government economic policies.

In recent months, Iran has seen widespread demonstrations in the country's Kurdistan province and in major cities. The protests began following the death of a 22-year-old woman who died while in police detention³. The woman, Mahsa Amini, was arrested by officers of Iran's "morality police."

The morality police oversee⁴ the enforcement of Iran's restrictions⁵ on behavior and clothing in public. Amini was arrested for violating the country's Islamic dress rules.

Iran blocked WhatsApp, as well as Meta-owned service Instagram, as unrest broke out over the protests related to Amini's death.

The company said using a proxy server would not change "the high level of privacy and security that WhatsApp provides." For example, it said all personal messages sent over the service will still be protected by end-to-end encryption. Encryption is a process that turns information or data into a form of code in order to hide the information.

WhatsApp provides step-by-step instructions for users wishing to use a proxy server. The company also created a guide for volunteers and organizations who want to set up proxy servers for users.

Some users in countries facing government interference use virtual private networks (VPNs) to connect to the internet. A VPN uses software to link to private computer networks in other areas to make it appear that a device or computer is operating in another country.

There are some similarities between VPNs and proxy servers. But one difference is that, in addition to hiding where users are operating from, VPNs also encrypt a user's internet data.

In September, WhatsApp competitor Signal announced it was offering proxy server support so users in Iran could use that service.

In a report issued in June, the United Nations Human Rights Office said it had documented 931 internet shutdowns in 74 countries between 2016 and 2021. "Shutdowns are powerful markers of sharply deteriorating⁶ human rights situations," the report said.

The U.N. also noted⁷ that internet blockages⁸ carry major economic costs across many industries. Economic harms caused by shutdowns, the report said, "are felt over long periods of time, greatly exacerbating⁹ pre-existing social and economic inequalities."

Words in This Story

proxy – n. something used to replace something else

province – n. a large area some countries are divided into because of the kind of government they have

code – n. a set of letters, numbers or signs that are used instead of ordinary words to keep a message secret

deteriorate¹⁰ – v. to become worse

exacerbate¹¹ – v. to make something worse

1 proxy   

n.代理权，代表权；（对代理人的）委托书；代理人

参考例句：

• You may appoint a proxy to vote for you.你可以委托他人代你投票。
• We enclose a form of proxy for use at the Annual General Meeting.我们附上委任年度大会代表的表格。

2 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

3 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

4 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

5 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

6 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

7 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

8 blockages   

n.堵塞物( blockage的名词复数 )；堵塞，阻塞

参考例句：

• The storms could increase the risks posed by river blockages. 暴风雨会增加因河道堵塞所造成的危险。 来自互联网
• An angiogram shows the location and severity of blockages in blood vessels. 冠状动脉造影能够显示血管内的阻塞位置以及阻塞的严重程度。 来自互联网

9 exacerbating   

v.使恶化，使加重( exacerbate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• This pedagogical understretch is exacerbating social inequalities. 这种教学张力不足加重了社会不平等。 来自互联网
• High fertilizer prices are exacerbating the problem. 高涨的肥料价格更加加剧了问题的恶化。 来自互联网

10 deteriorate   

v.变坏；恶化；退化

参考例句：

• Do you think relations between China and Japan will continue to deteriorate?你认为中日关系会继续恶化吗？
• He held that this would only cause the situation to deteriorate further.他认为，这只会使局势更加恶化。

11 exacerbate   

v.恶化，增剧，激怒，使加剧

参考例句：

• WMO says a warming climate can exacerbate air pollution.世界气象组织说，气候变暖可能会加剧空气污染。
• In fact efforts will merely exacerbate the current problem.实际上努力只会加剧当前的问题。