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The messaging platform is to begin allowing users to connect to the app using proxy servers
WhatsApp is letting its users connect to the app using 'proxy servers' – intermediary gateways between users and web servers that let them go online.
From today, WhatsApp users globally can head to the app's settings to enter the name of a proxy server and use it to access the internet.
Proxy servers work as alternative gateways between a user and the internet when traditional connection methods and servers have been shut down or cut off.
Allowing WhatsApp users to connect to proxy servers will help users connect in case of internet shutdowns, as recently seen in Iran.
It's an intermediary server separating end users from the websites they browse, and can take the form of hardware or software.
Proxy servers function as a bridge on the internet when you don't want to (or are unable to) connect to websites directly.
Such proxies can potentially enhance security, privacy and help bypass content filters and geographical blocks.