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WeChat Privacy
What you need to know about Tencent and WeChat privacy
The Chinese app WeChat is considered one of the most powerful apps in the world. This is due, among other things, to the 1 billion users, who collect an immense amount of data. But what about WeChat privacy? We clarify – in this video.
What is WeChat?
WeChat is a Chinese app that started out as a messenger and is now used for many different things in China. People book cabs or flights via the app, pay at the supermarket or use it as a social media platform. With all this data coming together, the question arises to what extent the app can be trusted.
Tencent - the company behind WeChat
Let’s first take a closer look at the company behind WeChat. This is the Tencent company. The latter works very closely with the Chinese government. They share data with the Chinese state and block users who post or write anything against the government. WeChat even informs about this quite openly in its privacy policy. There, they write that much of the user data is transferred to the government to comply with applicable regulations and laws. You write: We share your data with selected recipients who have the legal basis and jurisdiction to request such data. These categories of recipients include: Government agencies, public authorities, regulatory agencies, courts and law enforcement agencies {…}”
What about WeChat privacy?
Various journalists have additionally proven this with different tests. One of those journalists is Stephen McDonell. The latter posted a photo without caption on WeChat of a vigil from Hong Kong. The memorial service was to commemorate the protests by students. The Chinese government had put them down with bloodshed. Just a few hours after he posted the picture, his account was suspended. The accusation against him: The account was suspected of spreading malicious rumors and was temporarily suspended. After the suspension, the journalist could only reactivate his account by scanning his face and creating an audio recording of his voice. So it quickly becomes clear here that the Chinese government itself has a major influence on the app.
WeChat privacy - What Amnesty International says about the app
Since WeChat is the most powerful app in China, a Corona Crisis mini-app has been added to further extend the guard. This is where questions about body temperature, noticeable symptoms, and whereabouts over the past few weeks are processed. There is also access to the location function as well as the smartphone’s camera. It is not known to what extent the authorities will stop collecting data after the pandemic.But what about here in Europe? Amnesty International gave WeChat 0 out of 100 points in a privacy test. This put the app in last place. By comparison, Facebook got 73 out of 100 points and made first place. Facebook is very often criticized here in Europe. Tencent does not provide any information on message encryption and other data protection.
To use WeChat or not?
So, unless you are in China or planning a trip there, we recommend that you do not use WeChat, as there is no privacy or encryption guaranteed and it can be difficult for you to make statements about politics or sensitive topics. The alternative, especially for businesses would be WhatsApp Business. If you don’t know this app yet, feel free to check out our blog article.
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