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Egypt has Blocked Encrypted Messaging App Signal

posted by cmn32480 on Thursday December 22 2016, @12:14AM   
from the reading-your-mail dept.

Fnord666 writes:

According to an article on engadget today, Egypt is blocking access to the encrypted messaging application Signal, made by Open Whisper Systems.

Egypt has blocked its residents from accessing encrypted messaging app Signal, according to the application's developer. Mada Masr, an Egypt-based media organization, reported yesterday that several users took to Twitter over the weekend to report that they could no longer send or receive messages while on Egyptian IP addresses. Open Whisper Systems, the team behind the app, told a user asking about a situation that everything was working just as intended on their end. Now that the company has confirmed that the country is blocking access to Edward Snowden's preferred messaging app, it has begun working on a way to circumvent the ban. They intend to deploy their solution over the next few weeks.

Signal can be downloaded here for android and here for ios

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Original Submission

• And still the cryptoweenies will refuse to learn And still the cryptoweenies will refuse to learn (Score: 4, Insightful) by jmorris on Thursday December 22 2016, @03:06AM

  by jmorris (4844) on Thursday December 22 2016, @03:06AM (#444597)

  Encryption is all well and good so long as the government allows it. Sure they can't listen in, but they can just stop any communication they can't listen to. VPN? Obvious attempt to circumvent monitoring, stop it. Push em hard enough they will limit https to trusted destinations. Encryption only keeps open societies honest, it is useless against unfree ones.

  Starting Score:	1		point
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  Insightful=2, Total=2
  Extra 'Insightful' Modifier		0
  Karma-Bonus Modifier		+1
  Total Score:		4

• Re:And still the cryptoweenies will refuse to lear Re:And still the cryptoweenies will refuse to lear (Score: 2) by vux984 on Thursday December 22 2016, @04:19AM

  by vux984 (5045) on Thursday December 22 2016, @04:19AM (#444620)

  Steganography on the other hand... egypt can read my inane plaintext posts to their approved social media site all they like.

  Parent

  • Re:And still the cryptoweenies will refuse to lear (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 22 2016, @08:03AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 22 2016, @08:03AM (#444646)

    egypt can read my inane plaintext posts

    We have to so why shouldn't they? ;-)

    Parent

• Re:And still the cryptoweenies will refuse to lear Re:And still the cryptoweenies will refuse to lear (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 22 2016, @05:06AM

  by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 22 2016, @05:06AM (#444630)

  And why do you think that "cryptoweenies" weren't aware that oppressive governments are oppressive? Everyone knows is a cat-and-mouse game, but that's no reason to give up.

  Parent

  • You must be to stupid to get the message You must be to stupid to get the message (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 22 2016, @05:47AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 22 2016, @05:47AM (#444635)

    > And why do you think that "cryptoweenies" weren't aware that oppressive governments are oppressive?

    Because jmorris is smarter than any expert. Half his posts are him telling us how dumb everyone else is. You must be to stupid to get the message!

    Parent

    • Re:You must be to stupid to get the message (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 22 2016, @07:45AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday December 22 2016, @07:45AM (#444643)

      Looks like you've been to stupid, show us how to get there too

      Parent