this post was submitted on 19 Apr 2024
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Privacy
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FWIW, WeChat and 微信 are different apps. With a non-Chinese phone number and Google Play Store download, you'll be using the international one (WeChat) instead of the Chinese one (微信). There are still privacy concerns, but it'll be less invasive than what you'd have with the version that people in China are buying their groceries with and stuff.
I'm sorry I don't have advice for how to actually protect yourself, though... I'll be keeping an eye on this thread to see what I can learn.
Ah, that's interesting and makes sense. So I guess your best option (if you must use WeChat) is to use the international version of the app with as many permissions disabled as possible.
Or maybe look at the Matrix WeChat bridge? https://matrix.org/ecosystem/bridges/wechat/
I've heard of matrix bridges before but I'm unfamiliar with how to actually set them up and use them. I understand the basic idea is that they relay messages out of matrix and into some other messaging service, but I don't understand how to actually enact that onto the element client on my phone. Matrix is so complicated 😅
I'll level with you... I've never used Matrix either. 🤣 But all the cool kids around these parts recommend it, and I fundamentally agree with the cause of the project and saw they had the WeChat bridge, so thought I'd mention it.
That's a great point, thanks! I will definitely be using the international one. I expect since I'm getting it through Google Play it'll be constrained based on the OS permissions I give it. And I don't intend to give it any permissions
Getting it through google play or not does not constrain anything more or less.
Hopefully it won't require any to be able to keep using it