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Daniel C.
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Last updated:
July 25, 2024
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If you’re a privacy advocate, then you’ve heard about Signal – a free end-to-end encrypted message app which gained popularity after receiving praise from the well-known whistleblower Edward Snowden. Although the app’s download numbers aren’t as impressive as other messaging apps like WhatsApp or Telegram, we’re sure this is going to change soon. Not only is Signal open sourced but it also provides self-destructing messages, stores almost no information, and doesn’t run ads. In short, if you’re looking for a way to safely message people without worrying about government surveillance or hackers, Signal is the app to use.
Signal is available worldwide and, since it’s not as mainstream as some of its competitors, it’s still accessible in some countries with strict censorship policies like China. Despite this, there are a few countries where Signal has been blocked, such as Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, and Iran. Fortunately, Signal developers designed a workaround for you to use the app in these locations. They added domain fronting to their service, allowing users to circumvent censorship by making it look like they’re connecting to a different service.
Unfortunately, this is not something that you can expect to work forever. Initially, Signal used Google App Engine to apply this workaround. After Google decided to stop domain fronting for all countries, Signal turned to Amazon CloudFront. Sadly, Amazon also announced that it will make changes to prevent domain fronting, and Signal is still trying to figure out another way to enable people from censored countries to access the app. However, you can always use a VPN.
VPNs are known for overcoming geographic restrictions and protecting their users’ privacy from hackers and the government. That’s why in heavily censored countries, such as Russia and China, it’s of utmost importance to use one. That’s also true for other secure apps, especially when it comes to communication. You want to make sure nothing you say gets stored in a company’s server that can easily be handed to the government or get hacked by cyber criminals. But how do you use these applications if they’re blocked? That’s where VPNs come into play.
With VPNs, you can select a specific location from a wide array of countries located all over the world. The software creates an end-to-end encrypted connection between your device and the VPN’s server, allowing you to trick websites, apps, or ISPs into thinking you’re accessing them from another region. This is a standard procedure for anyone that wants to access streaming services unavailable in their countries. Crucially, VPNs can also change your app store location enabling you to download (and use) apps that aren’t ordinarily accessible in your country, including Signal.
Considering that you’re getting a VPN to use Signal in countries where it’s banned, you want to make sure you get the top guns. Although it’s a bit more expensive, it’s essential to use software that won’t leak your actual location for even a fraction of a second.
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