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"Tens of millions" of people are using technical workarounds to secretly access WhatsApp in countries where it is banned, the messaging platform's boss has said.
“You’d be surprised how many people have figured it out,” Will Cathcart told BBC News.
Like many Western apps, WhatsApp is banned in Iran, North Korea and Syria.
And last month, China joined the list of those banning users from accessing the secure platform.
Other countries, including Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, restrict features such as voice calls.
But WhatsApp can see where its users truly are, thanks to their registered phone numbers.
“We have a lot of anecdotal reports of people using WhatsApp and what we can do is look at some of the countries where we're seeing blocking and still see tens of millions of people connecting to WhatsApp," Mr Cathcart told BBC News.
www.bbc.com
“You’d be surprised how many people have figured it out,” Will Cathcart told BBC News.
Like many Western apps, WhatsApp is banned in Iran, North Korea and Syria.
And last month, China joined the list of those banning users from accessing the secure platform.
Other countries, including Qatar, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, restrict features such as voice calls.
But WhatsApp can see where its users truly are, thanks to their registered phone numbers.
“We have a lot of anecdotal reports of people using WhatsApp and what we can do is look at some of the countries where we're seeing blocking and still see tens of millions of people connecting to WhatsApp," Mr Cathcart told BBC News.
Tens of millions secretly use WhatsApp despite bans
Will Cathcart reveals how many people are secretly using his app in countries where it is banned.
www.bbc.com
