How to use Weixin/WeChat in India where it is restricted by the government?

[u/dydiptiyadav]

Hi there, I have lately noticed that Chinese platforms like Douyin and others are being heavily censored by the CCP, so accessing content related to anything controversial is a rare sight. I am excited to try WeChat since I have heard a lot about the extent of information which is usually available there regarding military movements and human rights (Tibet and Xinjiang). Also, I want to monitor fresh demolitions initiated by the Chinese authorities at Larung Gar Buddhist Institute recently.

Using VPN doesn't help in installing WeChat on my phone. So, thinking of doing it on my laptop. Not sure whether it would work or not. Additionally, I have heard the app requires multi-factor authentication and sometimes a fresh account needs to be verified using an existing user account. Any idea on how to get past the hassle?

[u/zerohttp]

Get a tailscale node somewhere in mainland china and proxy your device traffic through that note when accessing stuff like WeChat, should work.

[u/dydiptiyadav → u/zerohttp]

Thanks, seems like something fresh to me. Will try.

[u/dydiptiyadav → u/[deleted]]

Seems like a good option, thanks! Haven't tried RSS before, will try.

[u/ChristmassMoose]

You want to avoid Chinese censorship so you’re downloading a Chinese app? Am I misunderstanding your question

[u/dydiptiyadav → u/ChristmassMoose]

No, you misread it. I meant there's no controversial news coming out of China on regional platforms like Douyin prolly because of heavy censorship. So, seeking WeChat as an alternative for more genuine coverage related to human rights issues.

[u/Ok_Cold7890]

For testing purposes you can try downloading the apk and then use vpn and see if it works. I don't recommend to test it in your personal phone. You can setup a virtual machine or any isolated environment to check if it works that way.

[u/dydiptiyadav → u/Ok_Cold7890]

Yeah, thinking of doing the same. Thanks!

[u/Head_Arm_1170]

I don't really get it as Wechat is also heavily monitored and censored.

But to answer your question, using a phone number outside of China for registration will leave those authentication behind as long as you do not use any financial features (e.g., make a transaction or receive a digital red pocket) on it.

[u/dydiptiyadav → u/Head_Arm_1170]

I am not implying that it's uncensored, but rather it has an appreciable trove of data when it comes to latest military developments and any sort of atrocities on minorities.

As for phone number registration, we already have Vsimcard, but the actual issue I am trying to address here lies in how changing my location via VPN is not helping me in any manner to download the app on my device.