Millions of Chinese are using the app as part of President Xi’s efforts to strengthen ideological control in the digital age. Critics say it fuels a personality cult.
Tag: Mobile Applications
Tech We’re Using: Limiting Your Digital Footprints in a Surveillance State
To protect himself and his sources from prying eyes in China, Paul Mozur, a technology reporter in Shanghai, leaves just an “innocent trace” of digital exhaust.
Tech We’re Using: How an App Creates ‘Disturbingly Agile Millennial Thumbs’
Isabella Kwai, a reporter in Australia, rarely takes notes on paper anymore and instead uses her iPhone. She can still look sources in the eye while typing.
Little Red App: Xi’s Thoughts Are (Surprise!) a Hit in China
Want to take President Xi Jinping’s wisdom with you wherever you go? A lot of Chinese people do. Or they’ve been told to.
Apple and Google Urged to Dump Saudi App That Lets Men Track Women
Both tech giants’ app stores carry Absher, which lets male “guardians” track women’s movements — or even stop them from getting on a plane.
Tech We’re Using: Germany Is Wary of a Digital World (but Loves Its E-Toothbrushes)
Melissa Eddy, a Berlin reporter, explains how privacy laws have led to blurred Google Street View pictures, and why WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook are popular almost despite themselves.
FaceTime Bug Lets iPhone Users Eavesdrop, in a Stumble for Apple
A glitch in the video and audio calling app, which the company says it will fix, can turn the device into one perhaps better suited for espionage.
How to Disable FaceTime to Avoid Eavesdropping Bug
Apple has disabled Group FaceTime, the feature that enabled the eavesdropping, while it works on a fix. But for extra security, follow these steps.
Zuckerberg Plans to Integrate WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook Messenger
Facebook’s chief executive has asserted control over its sprawling divisions and mandated the social network’s messaging services be knitted together.
Tech We’re Using: To Cover China, There’s No Substitute for WeChat
Li Yuan conducts much of her work on the WeChat mobile app, including spotting trends — and prodding sources to get back to her.