Tag Archives: WeChat

Fact Check : New WhatsApp Cyber Crime Rules?!

Did WhatsApp just implement new cyber crime rules to help the government monitor and record your calls and messages?! Find out what the facts really are!

Updated @ 2023-10-08 : Updated after message went viral again.
Originally posted @ 2023-07-03

Claim : WhatsApp Has New Cyber Crime Rules!

People are sharing this warning about WhatsApp implementing new cyber crime rules, to help the government monitor and record all calls and messages!

Tʜᴇ ɴᴇᴡ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴜɴɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ʀᴜʟᴇs ғᴏʀ WʜᴀᴛsAᴘᴘ ᴀɴᴅ WʜᴀᴛsAᴘᴘ Cᴀʟʟs (Vᴏɪᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ Vɪᴅᴇᴏ Cᴀʟʟs) ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ɪᴍᴘʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛᴇᴅ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛᴏᴍᴏʀʀᴏᴡ: –

01. Aʟʟ ᴄᴀʟʟs ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ʀᴇᴄᴏʀᴅᴇᴅ.
02. Aʟʟ ᴄᴀʟʟ ʀᴇᴄᴏʀᴅɪɴɢs ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ sᴀᴠᴇᴅ.
03. WʜᴀᴛsAᴘᴘ, FᴀᴄᴇBᴏᴏᴋ, Tᴡɪᴛᴛᴇʀ, Iɴsᴛᴀɢʀᴀᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀʟʟ sᴏᴄɪᴀʟ ᴍᴇᴅɪᴀ ᴡɪʟʟ ʙᴇ ᴍᴏɴɪᴛᴏʀᴇᴅ.
04. Yᴏᴜʀ ᴅᴇᴠɪᴄᴇs ᴡɪʟʟ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ Mɪɴɪsᴛʀʏ sʏsᴛᴇᴍ.
05. Tᴀᴋᴇ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴏ sᴇɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ᴍᴇssᴀɢᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴀɴʏᴏɴᴇ.
06. Tᴇʟʟ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴄʜɪʟᴅʀᴇɴ, sɪʙʟɪɴɢs, ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴠᴇs, ғʀɪᴇɴᴅs, ᴀᴄϙᴜᴀɪɴᴛᴀɴᴄᴇs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʏᴏᴜ sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴀʀᴇʟʏ ʀᴜɴ sᴏᴄɪᴀʟ sɪᴛᴇs.
07. Dᴏ ɴᴏᴛ sᴇɴᴅ ᴀɴʏ ʙᴀᴅ ᴘᴏsᴛ ᴏʀ ᴠɪᴅᴇᴏ ᴀɢᴀɪɴsᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏᴠᴇʀɴᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ Pʀɪᴍᴇ Mɪɴɪsᴛᴇʀ ʀᴇɢᴀʀᴅɪɴɢ ᴘᴏʟɪᴛɪᴄs ᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛ sɪᴛᴜᴀᴛɪᴏɴ.
08. Iᴛ ɪs ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛʟʏ ᴀ ᴄʀɪᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ᴏʀ sᴇɴᴅ ᴀ ʙᴀᴅ ᴍᴇssᴀɢᴇ ᴏɴ ᴀɴʏ ᴘᴏʟɪᴛɪᴄᴀʟ ᴏʀ ʀᴇʟɪɢɪᴏᴜs ɪssᴜᴇ, ᴅᴏɪɴɢ sᴏ ᴄᴀɴ ʟᴇᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴀʀʀᴇsᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜᴏᴜᴛ ᴀ ᴡᴀʀʀᴀɴᴛ.
09. Tʜᴇ ᴘᴏʟɪᴄᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ɪssᴜᴇ ᴀ ɴᴏᴛɪғɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴛʜᴇɴ ʙᴇ ᴘʀᴏsᴇᴄᴜᴛᴇᴅ ʙʏ Cʏʙᴇʀ Cʀɪᴍᴇ, ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ɪs ᴠᴇʀʏ sᴇʀɪᴏᴜs.
10. Aʟʟ ʏᴏᴜ ɢʀᴏᴜᴘ ᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀs, ᴍᴏᴅᴇʀᴀᴛᴏʀs ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴄᴏɴsɪᴅᴇʀ ᴛʜɪs ɪssᴜᴇ.
11. Bᴇ ᴄᴀʀᴇғᴜʟ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴏ sᴇɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ ᴍᴇssᴀɢᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴇᴛ ᴇᴠᴇʀʏᴏɴᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴄᴀʀᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ sᴜʙᴊᴇᴄᴛ.

Bᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴀᴡᴀʀᴇ ᴏғ ᴀʟʟ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɢʀᴏᴜᴘ …

Iᴍᴘᴏʀᴛᴀɴᴛ ɪɴғᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ WʜᴀᴛsAᴘᴘ’s ɴᴇᴡ ʀᴜʟᴇs ᴛᴏ ɢʀᴏᴜᴘ ᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀs …

1. ✓ = ᴍᴇssᴀɢᴇ sᴇɴᴛ.
2. ✓✓ = ᴍᴇssᴀɢᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴄʜᴇᴅ.
3. Tᴡᴏ ʙʟᴜᴇ ✓✓= ᴍᴇssᴀɢᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅ.
Tʜʀᴇᴇ ʙʟᴜᴇ ✓✓✓ = Tʜᴇ ɢᴏᴠᴇʀɴᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴛᴏᴏᴋ ɴᴏᴛᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇssᴀɢᴇ.
5. Tᴡᴏ ʙʟᴜᴇ ✓✓ ᴀɴᴅ ᴏɴᴇ ʀᴇᴅ ✓= ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏᴠᴇʀɴᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴄᴀɴ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴀᴄᴛɪᴏɴ ᴀɢᴀɪɴsᴛ ʏᴏᴜ.
6. Oɴᴇ ʙʟᴜᴇ✓ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴡᴏ ʀᴇᴅ✓✓ = ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏᴠᴇʀɴᴍᴇɴᴛ ɪs ᴄʜᴇᴄᴋɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɪɴғᴏʀᴍᴀᴛɪᴏɴ.
7. Tʜʀᴇᴇ ʀᴇᴅ ✓✓✓ = Tʜᴇ ɢᴏᴠᴇʀɴᴍᴇɴᴛ ʜᴀs sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇᴅ ᴘʀᴏᴄᴇᴇᴅɪɴɢs ᴀɢᴀɪɴsᴛ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡɪʟʟ ɢᴇᴛ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴜʀᴛ sᴜᴍᴍᴏɴs sᴏᴏɴ.

sʜᴀʀᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʏᴏᴜʀ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅs …!!😀😀😀

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Recommended : How To Block Facebook Ads + Pay Scammers!

Truth : WhatsApp Does Not Have New Cyber Crime Rules!

And here is why this is nothing more than yet another Internet hoax :

Fact #1 : Only China Can Do This

The only country that has accomplished most of what was shared above is China, but it took them decades to erect the Great Firewall of China.

It’s not just the massive infrastructure that needs to be created, it also requires legislation to be enacted, and considerable manpower and resources to maintain such a system.

That’s why China is leaning heavily on AI and cloud computing capabilities to automatically and quickly censor information it deems “sensitive”.

However, no other country has come close to spending the money and resources on a similar scale, although Russia, Cuba, Vietnam, Zimbabwe and Belarus have imported some surveillance technology from China.

Fact #2 : WhatsApp, Instagram + Facebook Messenger Have End-to-End Encryption

All three Facebook-owned apps now run on the same common platform, which provides end-to-end encryption.

End-to-end encryption protects messages as they travel through the Internet, and specifically prevents anyone (bad guys or your friendly government censor) from snooping into your conversations.

That is also why all three apps are banned in China…

Fact #3 : Governments Generally Have No Control Over Those Apps

Outside of authoritarian countries like China and Russia, governments generally have little to no control over social media and instant messaging apps. Even then, their control is generally limited to banning access if they don’t get their way.

The ability to keep conversations and messages safe and private is key to the success of instant messaging apps, in particular. So WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal would never allow governments access to user messages or voice calls, never mind record and monitor them for governments!

In fact, by implementing end-to-end encryption, these companies themselves do not have access to your messages and calls.

Fact #4 : WhatsApp Does Not Have Three Check Marks!

WhatsApp messages only have two ticks / check marks to notify users about the status of their messages:

: The message was successfully sent.
: The message was successfully delivered to the recipient’s phone or any of their linked devices.
: The recipient has read your message.

There is no third check mark, as claimed by the viral message.

Fact #5 : Governments Won’t Tip You About Investigations

It is illogical for WhatsApp to inform you when the government is checking your information, or when it has started proceedings against you.

In fact, it doesn’t make sense for any government to inform you by instant messaging check marks! If the government is charging you with a crime, it will send police officers, not check marks on WhatsApp!

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Are Elderly Tourists Banned From Group Tours In China?!

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Are elderly tourists now banned from joining group tours to China?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : Elderly Tourists Banned From Group Tours In China!

This warning has gone viral on WhatsApp, and social media platforms, claiming that elderly tourists are now banned from group tours in China!

New Regulations of the National Tourism Administration

Dear group members, while you are still allowed to travel, take advantage of the opportunity and travel around China! Group tours are no longer allowed after the age of 80.😀😀😀😀😀

The Mainland Tourism Administration has newly regulated the provisional rules for seniors traveling in group tours. According to the “Travel Law of the People’s Republic of China” and “Travel Agency Senior Tour Service Standards”, these rules are formulated:

Article 1: The elderly refer to tourists who are over 60 years old (inclusive) on the date of travel.
Article 2: Aged over 60 years old on the date of travel (including this
Number) – Tourists aged 69 years old should sign a “Safety Responsibility Letter” with the travel agency. The “Safety Responsibility Letter” should state personal health conditions, communication methods, and emergency contact information, and should be signed by the tourist.
Article 3: Aged over 70 years old on the date of travel (including this
Number) -Tourists who are 75 years old, unless signing in accordance with Article 2 of the Rules
The “Safety Responsibility Letter” must also provide a valid health certificate or physical examination report issued by a Class III A hospital within 3 months.
Article 4: For those who are over 75 years old on the date of travel, in addition to signing a “Safety Responsibility Letter” in accordance with Article 2 of the rules and providing a valid health certificate or physical examination report issued by a grade 3A hospital within three months, they must also be elderly Tourist visa for adult immediate family members
If you are traveling in Yu, and are accompanied by adult family members, and if you are over 80 years old on the date of travel (including your age), you are not allowed to register.
Article 5: The person in charge of the company’s business department, sales department, and branch is the person responsible for the rules. If the above rules are violated.

*#Travel agencies are not allowed to accommodate people over 80 years old! *
75-79 years old, accompanied by family members + physical examination certificate!
70-75 years old, physical examination certificate + letter of responsibility!
60-69 years old Sign the safety responsibility letter!

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Truth : Elderly Tourists Are Not Banned From Group Tours In China!

This is yet another example of FAKE NEWS circulating on WhatsApp, and social media platforms, and here are there reasons why…

Fact #1 : Viral Message Circulated Since 2019

First, let me just point out that the viral message isn’t new. It has been circulating since March 2019, if not earlier.

Initially, it started in Chinese social media platforms like Weibo and WeChat groups, but eventually made its way to WhatsApp and other social media platforms.

Fact #2 : National Tourism Administration Ceased In 2018

According to a Chinese fact check, the viral message could not have been issued by the National Tourism Administration of China, as it no longer existed in 2019.

As part of institutional reforms announced by the Chinese State Council in March 2018, it was replaced by the Culture and Tourism Administration of the People’s Republic of China Ministry of Tourism.

Fact #3 : Ministry of Culture and Tourism Has No Such Restrictions

A reporter for Jiefang Daily and Shangguan News checked the official website of the Chinese Ministry of Culture and Tourism, but could find no announcement of any restrictions on elderly tourists travelling in group tours.

The reporter also noted that there were no specific restrictions on the “travel age for the elderly” even in previous policy documents.

Fact #4 : Shanghai Tourism Hotline Confirms No Such Restriction

The reporter also called the Shanghai tourism hotline to ask about whether there were new restrictions on elderly tourists planning to join tour groups in China.

The Shanghai tourism staff told the reporter that there is currently no national guidelines that prohibit group tours for those over 80 years old.

They suggested that the requirement that elderly people need to be accompanied by family members and/or have medical certificates may be the “voluntary requirements” of some travel agencies.

In such cases, the staff recommended that elderly tourists should consider some travel agencies in Shanghai that specialise in serving the elderly as they may be more suitable, and may not have such requirements.

Fact #5 : Travel Service Standards For Elderly Do Not Have Age Restrictions

In 2016, China issued its Travel Agency Elderly Tourism Service Standards, which stipulates that if elderly tourists participate in group tours, the travel agency should:

communicate and negotiate with the insurance company on the upper age limit for travel accident insurance,
collect detailed information of the elderly tourists,
ask elderly tourists who are over 75 years old to be accompanies by adult family members, or ask their immediate family members to sign off on their travel,
discuss the potential risks of senior tourism products and the health requirements of senior tourists before traveling, and
provide oral safety reminders and produce a “Safety Notice” to ensure that elderly tourists choose appropriate senior tourism products.

However, the 2016 Travel Agency Elderly Tourism Service Standards do not restrict elderly tourists of any age from travelling in group tours.

Fact #6 : Travel Agencies Refute Claims On Age Limits

The same reporter also reached out to Chinese travel agencies like Ctrip and CYTS on these claims of group tour restrictions on elderly tourists.

The Chinese travel agencies said that there is “no hard and fast age requirement” for seniors travelling in group tours.

They pointed out that different tours have different physical requirements, some of which may require elderly tourists to be accompanied by family members, or produce medical certificates and other documents to assure the travel agencies of their fitness.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

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Did American Racist Gang Attack Chinese Business?!

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Did an organised gang of American racists just attack a Chinese business in the United States?!

Take a look at the viral claim, and find out what the facts really are!

Claim : American Racist Gang Attacked Chinese Business!

People are sharing this video of a gang of hooded individuals ransacking a Chinese business establishment in the United States, as an example of hate crime by American racists against Asians and the Chinese in particular.

Organised gangs in US destroy Asian owned businesses

Did American racists attack Fish Village, because it's an Asian / Chinese restaurant?! 🤔

Here are the facts : https://t.co/92tXggFCWn #TechARP #UnitedStates #Racism #HateCrime #Asian #Crime #Criminal #NewYorkCity #Queens #Wumao #Chinese #Facts #FactCheck #Business #Viral pic.twitter.com/yHddWmg0XU

— Dr. Adrian Wong (@AdrianTechARP) March 9, 2023

No Evidence American Racist Gang Attacked Chinese Business!

This video has gone viral on WeChat and WhatsApp, which are commonly used by Chinese netizens and the Chinese diaspora. It has also been posted on social media platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Twitter.

This incident happened very recently, and is a developing story, but here is what we know so far…

Fact #1 : Viral Incident Happened On March 4, 2023

Let’s start with some basic facts on what happened.

At around 8:20 PM on March 4, 2023, a group of about 20 masked individuals took an elevator to the third floor of a corner mall in College Point, Queens, New York City.

Wearing masks and hoodie sweatshirts, they stormed into the Fish Village restaurant, flipping tables and chairs smashing dishes and utensils, while customers were eating. They also broke a window during the minute-long mayhem.

They then quickly left the Fish Village restaurant, as quickly as they entered. The attackers did not use weapons, or take any property with them.

Fortunately, no one was hurt in the incident, but restaurant manager Tony Hu said that they suffered about $20,000 worth of damages. The restaurant also have to comp the 30 or so customers who had their dinners so rudely interrupted.

From the time they entered to the time they left, it only took a minute. They didn’t say a word. We have no idea what was happening. I was behind the register and was in shock. Then I ran to call 911, but by the time I got through, they were already gone.

Fact #2 : Attackers Were Asian / Hispanic Teenagers

While some people are claiming that this was evidence of a hate crime by White racists or black hooligans attacking Asian / Chinese businesses, that’s not true according to the restaurant manager, Tony Hu.

Hu, who does not speak English, told CBS News that the attackers were Asian or Hispanic teenagers. Some people even labelled them as “kids in hoodies”, while others pointed out that it does not appear to be a hate crime:

I frequent this building, it has a bunch of high end Chinese restaurants, hotel, has a gated parking lot and this restaurant is on the 3rd floor

Makes me think it is a targeted attack, not a random flash mob

Other people suggest that the attack may have been a warning by Asian organised crime.

Big Trouble in Little Chinatown. The Triad Gangs are Back in business. This is typical Triad extortion scheme. Pay $20,000 per month to the Triad or else.

These were Asian people behind those masks. This was extortion or gang activity, which is prevalent in Asians communities. But the NYC Media paints ADOS/Black faces as the culprits of all crime in our city

The New York Police Department is investigating this incident as Criminal Mischief, and not a hate crime.

Fact #3 : Police Are Still Not Able To Identify The Attackers

Despite knowing that they were being recorded on video, the attackers did not assault the person recording them. This is likely because they were fully covered up with face masks, and hoodies.

And their tactic appears to be working, making it impossible for law enforcement to identify them. The New York Police Department is still investigating the incident, and has not yet made any arrests.

Two days later, mayor Eric Adams called on New Yorkers to remove their face masks when entering businesses, to cut down on crime.

Let’s be clear. Some of these characters going into stores that are wearing a mask, they’re not doing it because they are afraid of the pandemic.

They’re doing it because they’re afraid of the police, and we need to stop allowing them to exploit the safety of the pandemic by wearing masks, committing crimes.

Please help us FIGHT FAKE NEWS by sharing this fact check article out, and please SUPPORT our work!

Please Support My Work!

Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!

Name : Adrian Wong
Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp

Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.

Support Tech ARP!

Please support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or donating to our fund. Thank you!

TikTok + ByteDance Ban By Donald Trump Explained!

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US President Donald Trump just signed an executive order, highlighting the dangers of TikTok and ordering a ban of ByteDance, calling it a national emergency!

Find out what this new Trump ban means for TikTok users, and ByteDance!

TikTok Triggers ByteDance Ban

On 6 August 2020, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order, blocking everyone under US jurisdiction from transacting with TikTok owner, ByteDance Ltd.

This effectively bans the usage of TikTok in the United States and by US citizens worldwide. It also prohibits business dealings with ByteDance.

Trump called it a national emergency, citing the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the National Emergencies Act and Section 301 of Title 3, United States Code.

His executive order claims that TikTok collects and potentially shares personal and proprietary data of American citizens with the Chinese Communist Party, while censoring content deemed sensitive to the CCP, pointing out that :

These risks are real. The Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration, and the United States Armed Forces have already banned the use of TikTok on Federal Government phones. The Government of India recently banned the use of TikTok and other Chinese mobile applications throughout the country; in a statement, India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology asserted that they were “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting users’ data in an unauthorized manner to servers which have locations outside India.” American companies and organizations have begun banning TikTok on their devices. The United States must take aggressive action against the owners of TikTok to protect our national security.

ByteDance Ban : How Does It Affect TikTok?

Interestingly, while Trump’s executive order explicitly mentions TikTok, it doesn’t actually ban TikTok. It only bans transactions with TikTok’s owner – ByteDance and its subsidiaries.

In other words, if Microsoft buys TikTok from ByteDance, TikTok can continue to operate, as long as the deal gets done soon.

This is different from the concurrent WeChat and Tencent Holdings ban, which specifically bans both WeChat (the app) and its owner (Tencent Holdings).

Of course, targeting ByteDance and its subsidiaries will include the US-based TikTok, and forbid any financial transfers to and from those subsidiaries.

Section 1. (a) The following actions shall be prohibited beginning 45 days after the date of this order, to the extent permitted under applicable law: any transaction by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, with ByteDance Ltd. (a.k.a. Zìjié Tiàodòng), Beijing, China, or its subsidiaries, in which any such company has any interest, as identified by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) under section 1(c) of this order.

(c) 45 days after the date of this order, the Secretary shall identify the transactions subject to subsection (a) of this section.

In addition, it applies not just to American citizens worldwide but to any person or organisation within the United States.

The TikTok ban follows the WeChat ban, and similarly, does not start until 45 days later, on 20 September 2020. That suggests it’s being used as a leverage, rather than an urgent matter of national security.

Possibly to pressure ByteDance into accepting the Microsoft offer to buy them out. It could also just a way for Trump to boost his flagging chances at winning re-election.

And “coincidentally”, he signed his executive order on the same day Facebook unveiled Instagram Reels…

TikTok Responds : We Are Shocked

TikTok responded with a statement, saying that they are shocked by the Executive Order :

We are shocked by the recent Executive Order, which was issued without any due process. For nearly a year, we have sought to engage with the US government in good faith to provide a constructive solution to the concerns that have been expressed. What we encountered instead was that the Administration paid no attention to facts, dictated terms of an agreement without going through standard legal processes, and tried to insert itself into negotiations between private businesses.

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WeChat + Tencent Holdings Ban By Donald Trump Explained!

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US President Donald Trump just signed an executive order, ordering a ban of both WeChat and Tencent Holdings, calling it a national emergency!

Find out what this new US ban means for WeChat users, and Tencent Holdings!

WeChat + Tencent Holdings Ban Signed By Donald Trump

On 6 August 2020, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order, blocking everyone under US jurisdiction from using WeChat or transacting with its owner, Tencent Holdings.

This effectively bans the usage of WeChat in the United States and by US citizens worldwide. It also prohibits business dealings with Tencent Holdings.

Trump called it a national emergency, citing the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, the National Emergencies Act and Section 301 of Title 3, United States Code.

His executive order claims that WeChat collects and potentially shares personal and proprietary data of both American and Chinese citizens with the Chinese Communist Party, citing an example :

In March 2019, a researcher reportedly discovered a Chinese database containing billions of WeChat messages sent from users in not only China but also the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and Australia. WeChat, like TikTok, also reportedly censors content that the Chinese Communist Party deems politically sensitive and may also be used for disinformation campaigns that benefit the Chinese Communist Party. These risks have led other countries, including Australia and India, to begin restricting or banning the use of WeChat. The United States must take aggressive action against the owner of WeChat to protect our national security.

WeChat + Tencent Holdings Ban : What Does It Mean?

The executive order is actually quite wide-ranging. It does not only ban WeChat, but also Tencent Holdings and its subsidiaries.

This could mean other apps owned by Tencent Holdings – like Valorant, League of Legends, Clash of Clans, JOOX, etc. could be affected.

We will only know more when Wilbur Ross, the US Secretary of Commerce, clarifies the ban (as stated in section 1(c) below.

Targeting Tencent Holdings and its subsidiaries will also forbid any financial transfers to and from those subsidiaries, at least within the United States.

The following actions shall be prohibited beginning 45 days after the date of this order, to the extent permitted under applicable law: any transaction that is related to WeChat by any person, or with respect to any property, subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, with Tencent Holdings Ltd. (a.k.a. Téngxùn Kònggǔ Yǒuxiàn Gōngsī), Shenzhen, China, or any subsidiary of that entity, as identified by the Secretary of Commerce (Secretary) under section 1(c) of this order.

(c) 45 days after the date of this order, the Secretary shall identify the transactions subject to subsection (a) of this section.

In addition, it applies not just to American citizens worldwide but to any person or organisation within the United States.

The WeChat ban follows the TikTok ban, and similarly, does not start until 45 days later, on 20 September 2020. That suggests it’s being used as a leverage, rather than an urgent matter of national security.

This could be an effort to pressure the Chinese into agreeing to a trade deal, or a way for Trump to boost his flagging chances at winning re-election.

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U Mobile WeChat Go SIM – Unlimited Data For Chinese Tourists!

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KUALA LUMPUR, 5^th December 2017 – U Mobile today announced a partnership with WeChat to launch the U Mobile WeChat Go SIM. This new prepaid SIM will offer Chinese tourists unlimited data to enjoy social messaging on the WeChat app and free Lingcod TV subscription whilst having unlimited data to stream over 100,000 hours of high-definition movies, documentaries, and educational content out of China.

The U Mobile WeChat Go SIM

The new U Mobile WeChat Go SIM will be the only WeChat Go cobranded prepaid SIM in the country and it is packed with other value-added services including 1GB of free roaming data for Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia and 60 minutes’ worth of IDD calls to China or calls made in Malaysia.

The launch of U Mobile WeChat Go SIM is very timely as the Malaysian Tourism and Culture Ministry is targeting to attract eight million Chinese tourists by 2020. With more and more tourists from China visiting Malaysia, the U Mobile prepaid WeChat Go SIM is well positioned to meet all their connectivity demands.

“U Mobile is constantly coming up with unlimited ideas for our customers. With the new U Mobile WeChat Go SIM, possibilities are endless as the whole WeChat ecosystem goes beyond just social messaging. Together with WeChat, we will work on packing even more benefits like mobile commerce into the WeChat Go SIM not just for Chinese tourists but for anyone who is a user of WeChat,” said Jasmine Lee, Chief Marketing Officer, U Mobile.

“We are delighted to begin our partnership with U Mobile to offer Chinese travellers an enhanced mobile experience in Malaysia,” said WeChat. “Through our network of partners like U Mobile, we would like to introduce WeChat’s ecosystem to the market and give WeChat users more value-added services.”

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The U Mobile WeChat Go SIM Price & Availability

U Mobile WeChat Go SIM will be available from 6 December 2017, and Chinese tourists may opt to purchase the prepaid SIM pack from Sunway Media retailers in China prior to travelling. The SIM card will also be available at 138 U Mobile outlets in Malaysia as well as the various international airports in the country such as KLIA and KLIA 2.

Price	RM 36.40 (China Pack) RM 38 (Malaysia Pack)
Validity	15 days
Unlimited local data access to WeChat and Lingcod TV	Yes
Local data limit	5 GB
Roaming usage in 4 countries	1 GB
Local SMS	Free
Local Talktime	60 minutes
IDD Calls to China	60 minutes

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WhatsApp Free Again – Subscription Plan Cancelled!

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WhatsApp just announced that they have abandoned their subscription plan, making WhatsApp FREE once again! They are not going to start showing ads either.

WhatsApp Free Again – Subscription Plan Cancelled!

This is likely due to the inroads in their market share made by alternative messaging apps like Telegram and WeChat, that are not only free but offer better features to boot. Even so, WhatsApp remains the dominant instant messaging platform with over 900 million users worldwide (as of September 2015).

Check out their blog announcement :

Making WhatsApp free and more useful

Nearly a billion people around the world today rely on WhatsApp to stay in touch with their friends and family. From a new dad in Indonesia sharing photos with his family, to a student in Spain checking in with her friends back home, to a doctor in Brazil keeping in touch with her patients, people rely on WhatsApp to be fast, simple and reliable.

[adrotate banner=”4″]That’s why we’re happy to announce that WhatsApp will no longer charge subscription fees. For many years, we’ve asked some people to pay a fee for using WhatsApp after their first year. As we’ve grown, we’ve found that this approach hasn’t worked well.

Many WhatsApp users don’t have a debit or credit card number and they worried they’d lose access to their friends and family after their first year. So over the next several weeks, we’ll remove fees from the different versions of our app and WhatsApp will no longer charge you for our service.

Naturally, people might wonder how we plan to keep WhatsApp running without subscription fees and if today’s announcement means we’re introducing third-party ads. The answer is no.

Starting this year, we will test tools that allow you to use WhatsApp to communicate with businesses and organizations that you want to hear from. That could mean communicating with your bank about whether a recent transaction was fraudulent, or with an airline about a delayed flight.

We all get these messages elsewhere today – through text messages and phone calls – so we want to test new tools to make this easier to do on WhatsApp, while still giving you an experience without third-party ads and spam.

We hope you enjoy what’s coming to WhatsApp, and we look forward to your feedback.

So there you have it – the white flag officially making WhatsApp free once again.

Of course, nothing in life is truly free. WhatsApp will have to figure out another way to monetise their platform. You can’t blame them – they have to make a living!

Until then, enjoy! 😀

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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.

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