China Signal users report difficulty accessing messaging app

Messaging app Signal appears to have been blocked in the country without the use of VPN. — Bloomberg

Signal, an encrypted messaging app that competes with the likes of Facebook Inc’s WhatsApp, appears to have been blocked in China, the latest move by Beijing to crack down on social media platforms.

From Monday night, Signal users reported difficulties using the app in China without the help of a virtual private network, or VPN, which allows users to mask their location and access banned foreign communication services like Gmail and Twitter. Previously, no such software was needed to access Signal.