Is Signal Messenger Down?

Signal, a popular secure messaging app, is no longer accessible in China as of March 15, according to multiple reports from users in the country who have tried to access it via VPN (virtual private network). The sudden outage has raised questions about whether Beijing has finally blocked the platform, joining other foreign apps like Clubhouse and WhatsApp that have fallen victim to the 'Great Firewall of Censorship' in recent months.

Signal's China woes may be due to a combination of factors. One reason could be that the app simply didn't reach the 'threshold' of popularity required for censorship by Chinese authorities. Another possibility is that Signal's lack of a Chinese language version made it an easier target for blocking. After all, Clubhouse was blocked in mainland China just days after it gained traction with an elite subset of users.

While Beijing has not officially announced any move to block Signal, it's standard practice for Chinese authorities to block foreign platforms without providing a reason or explanation. In this case, as with most censorship decisions, the public may only discover the ban through word of mouth and user reports.

For David Wertime, Protocol China's former executive director and widely cited China expert, the sudden outage is not entirely surprising. As he notes, Signal's China Watcher newsletter, which he also hosts, has been tracking Chinese online censorship for years. It's clear that Signal's secure messaging app is no longer accessible in China, leaving users to wonder whether this marks a new trend in Beijing's efforts to control the flow of information within its borders.

For now, only time will tell if Signal's outage is indeed the result of a block or some other factor. One thing is certain, however: the Great Firewall of Censorship continues to cast a long shadow over China's digital landscape, and foreign apps that hope to operate within its borders must be prepared for the unpredictable whims of Beijing's censors.

Is signal messenger down