Tech
Egypt continues cyber crackdown, blocks encrypted messaging app
Authorities in Egypt have continued its cyber crackdown especially against encrypted messaging app.
Last week Egyptian users raised the alarm about their inability to access the highly encrypted app popular among activists including important whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Egypt has been increasingly tightening controls on speech all year, and the move against Signal is just the latest attempt to stifle dissent and impede open journalism.
Read also: Google launches public toilet locator to reduce open defecation in India
“Signal is important as a means of secure communications without third parties knowing who I’m contacting,” said prominent Egyptian blogger and Global Voices board member Mohammed El Gohary.
El Gohary was one of the first activists to report the lack of access on Twitter.
“I was trying to message a friend on Signal, and it said ‘unable to send’. I tried other friends, same issue. The failing to send also happened on another ISP. When I tried to use it on VPN, it worked. So I concluded that something happened in the scope of Egypt”, El Gohary told TechCrunch.
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