How To Get Around Messaging Giant WeChat

On August 6, 2020, the Trump administration issued an Executive Order addressing the threats posed by WeChat. It caused panic and anxiety within Chinese American community. To be clear, the order itself doesn't ban WeChat outright but anyone who is aware of what's going on lately between the U.S. and China could see the writing on the wall - a blockage of such popular social media tool is not only likely but maybe even imminent.

In recent years, WeChat has become the single most popular social platform, especially within the Chinese overseas diaspora community, because all other competitors have been blocked in China, e.g. Telegram, LINE, WhatsApp, Messenger. The list goes on. Therefore, in order to keep in touch with families and friends in China, most Chinese Americans in the U.S., if not all, rely on WeChat.

This article intends to answer one question: What should those in the U.S. or China, who rely heavily on WeChat to communicate to folks on the other side of the pond, do if indeed WeChat is blocked or in the unlikely event that the app is withdrawn from the U.S. by Tencent that owns WeChat?

There are a number of choices although the answer is not always straightforward. It will depend on one's communication hardware, PC or cellphone, and the software, such as type as well as version of OS (Operating System) running on it.

I listed a few options below. One of the key assumptions is free service as a mandatory requirement because WeChat is by large a free app/service. Furthermore, access from China shouldn't require VPN for it's technically illegal to bypass GFW (Great Firewall) according to Chinese government regulations. The challenges and technical difficulties will be mostly on China's side, not on America's side, as some app stores, specific apps, particular types of user accounts with certain services, etc. are banned in China. Testing by trial and error is the only way to figure out what works and what doesn't.

1. Microsoft Skype: Skype is a telecommunications application that specializes in providing video chat and voice calls between computers, tablets, mobile devices, and smartwatches over the Internet. Skype also provides instant messaging services similar to WeChat in terms of basic functionalities but the interface/look and feel isn't the same. Users may transmit text, video, audio and images. Skype allows video conference calls. You could download Skype and use it for free. It runs on Android phones/tablets, all Apple products, such as iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Linux as well as Windows of course. Additionally, Chinese version is available. In last a couple of years, Skype for iPhone seems no longer available in App Store in China. The PC or Android version should be still accessible. My limited testing shows existing Skype accounts on Apple iOS seem still working. In any case, download and try it out on your phone or PC. If none of aforementioned method works, try the Skype web version which doesn't require any downloading and installation and which should work within a supported browser. VoIP (Voice over IP) is free but calling a phone line may require paid services, similar to Skype for Business.
2. Microsoft Teams: Microsoft Teams is a unified communication and collaboration platform that combines persistent workplace chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration. The service integrates with the Office 365 subscription office productivity suite and features extensions that can integrate with non-Microsoft products. It supports multiple platforms including but not limited to Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android. Microsoft Teams is the evolution and upgrade path from Skype for Business. Although it is geared toward business operations and team collaborations, personal usage of Teams app doesn't require paid services but features are limited without pay. Still, suffice to support calling or messaging family members and friends. My own limited testing indicates users in China can download and install Teams to make free calls/chats to the U.S. without a hitch.
3. Zoom: Zoom provides video telephony and online chat services through a cloud-based peer-to-peer software platform and is used mainly for teleconferencing, telecommuting, distance education, and social relations, especially now during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like Microsoft Teams, Zoom is geared toward business usage but supports limited personal usage on free of charge basis. Note that, at the time of writing, if you have a free account, you have unlimited 1-1 meetings and minutes, but your meetings with more than two participants will automatically end after 45 minutes. Beyond teleconferencing, Zoom's messaging capabilities are limited. Starting in May, 2020, Zoom has suspended individual users in China from hosting meetings on the platform, which means hosting meetings must be done on the U.S. side. I personally tested this approach using a free account and hosted someone virtually from China with success.
4. Letstalk: Letstalk is a free, easy, secure and reliable app that supports instant communication and messaging in text, photos, videos, voices or files, and ensures privacy by multiple levels of settings. The company is based in Taiwan. Letstalk runs on Android, iPhone & iPad, Windows and Mac. Like many social apps such as Telegram and WhatsApp, Letstalk uses end-to-end encryption and does not keep data in app, except for the users or third parties who can not get the information themselves. Security features include SHA 256 encryption for personal data, undecipherable messages using AES 256 to generate random keys, or messages encrypted with unique keys protected with RAS. Letstalk is not blocked in China. Download the app here.
5. Singal: Signal isn't blocked by the Great Firewall for now, both for iPhones via the App Store and Android via a direct download from Signal's website, as Google's Play Store is blocked in China. The app also supports PC including Windows, Mac and Linux. Download the app here. Signal conversations are always end-to-end encrypted and, according to the company, privacy isn’t an optional mode — it’s just the way that Signal works. Every message, every call, every time.

WeChat is a powerful tool and yet rampant censorship and surveillance on the platform sanctioned by the Chinese government based on CCP's decrees and narratives make WeChat a security threat to the overseas Chinese diaspora. Contrary to what some try to claim and want us to believe, a complete ban or blockage of WeChat in the U.S. is not the end of the world to Chinese American community. As shown here, there are viable alternatives to WeChat.

Most nontechnical users don't realize that using telecommunication tools or social media apps could expose one to security risks given that various or sometimes very little security standards are implemented. Or in the case of WeChat, no security standards at all. WeChat users are bare-naked digitally online. Some don't necessarily care while others are totally ignorant of such risk. Although most companies deny that they harvest or provide user data or meeting content in any circumstances to state or local authorities upon request, the bottom line is they all do, more or less, or they have to under certain cyber security laws or court orders due to potential national security considerations of different countries. With social media platform blurring the boundary of potentially antagonistic nations, the complexities and risks become less and less manageable precisely because different, sometimes contrary, and even clashing values, ethics, regulations, rules, and social and political norms are almost impossible to reconcile. So even if a seemingly friendly company claims it protects your security and privacy to the best of its ability, as an user, you just have to assume and be prepared for the likelihood of security breach and personal data loss or data in the wrong hands. As a responsible user, you shall know the full implications and limitations and risks before using any app. Don't share any sensitive or personal information online if you don't have to. And in the event you have to share sensitive information, adopt the most secure channels, the most secure encryption methods and safety best practices.

Most important, always remember to use your best judgment. Enjoy communicating and socializing online, safely and securely, with your families and friends.

Sources: various wikipedia pages and vendor online webpages are referenced and links are provided as such in the article.

Disclaimer: the author has no business relations or associations with any of the companies mentioned in the article, including Microsoft, Zoom, Letstalk, Singal and Apple.