Well-liked prompt messaging service WhatsApp has launched assist for proxy servers within the newest model of its Android and iOS apps, letting customers circumvent government-imposed censorship and web shutdowns.
“Selecting a proxy permits you to connect with WhatsApp by way of servers arrange by volunteers and organizations world wide devoted to serving to individuals talk freely,” the Meta-owned firm stated.
Proxies act as an middleman between finish customers and the service supplier by routing requests originating from a shopper to the server and forwarding the response again to the gadget.
Customers can entry the choice by navigating to Settings > Storage and Knowledge > Proxy > Use Proxy and coming into a trusted proxy server handle.
WhatsApp, which is utilized by greater than two billion customers internationally, has additionally made obtainable a reference implementation that can be utilized to arrange a proxy server to assist others connect with the service.
The corporate emphasised that connecting by way of a proxy server nonetheless ensures end-to-end encryption (E2EE) protections, and that the message contents won’t be accessible to the servers, WhatsApp, or Meta.
“Use of a third-party proxy will share your IP handle with the proxy supplier,” WhatsApp cautions in a Assist Heart web page. “Third-party proxies aren’t supplied by WhatsApp.”
The announcement comes months after Iran curbed entry to Instagram and WhatsApp within the wake of widespread protests after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died in police custody.
In September 2022, encrypted messaging instrument Sign, which can also be blocked in Iran, urged its customers to arrange proxy servers to assist Iranians bypass restrictions and talk through the platform.
