Tencent’s WeChat has temporarily suspended registration of new users in mainland China as it undergoes a technical upgrade “to align with relevant laws as well as regulations”; China’s dominant instant messaging platform said on Tuesday.
“We are currently upgrading our security technology to align with all relevant laws and regulations;” the company said in a statement to Reuters.
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“During this time, registration of new Weixin personal and official accounts has been temporarily suspended. Registration services will be restored after the upgrade is complete; which is expected in early August,” the company said.
Weixin is the Chinese name for WeChat.
China is in the process of tightening its policy towards privacy as well as data security.
It is readying a Personal Information Protection Law; which calls for tech platforms to impose stricter measures to ensure secure storage of user data.
Meanwhile, Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz will travel to France this week to discuss spyware sold by Israeli cyber firm NSO that was allegedly used to target French President Emmanuel Macron.
Macron’s phone was on a list of targets that were possibly under surveillance by Morocc;, which used NSO Group’s Pegasus software, according to France’s Le Monde newspaper.
The French leader has called for an investigation. Gantz will meet French Defence Minister Florence Parly on Wednesday; an official Israeli statement said.
“Gantz will discuss the crisis in Lebanon and the developing agreement with Iran. He will also update the minister on the topic of NSO,” it said.
