On April 17, XChat, an independent communication application launched by Elon Musk’s X platform, officially landed on the Apple App Store. The app’s main features include end-to-end encryption and a weak identity verification mechanism. However, it has faced blocking and restrictions on platforms in mainland China, with related reports on Xinhua and TikTok being censored.
Several users testing from different locations have shown that when searching for keywords like XChat, xchat, and “X chat” within TikTok, the search results are empty, accompanied by technical error codes like “-30002.” In contrast, keywords like WeChat and Telegram can still return results normally. This difference is not a common technical issue but a deliberate interception targeting specific keywords.
An engineer named Li Zhihao, who conducts platform technical tests in Guangdong, explained to reporters, “This prompt is not just a regular ‘no results’ message. It means the search request was intercepted at the server-side. Generally, this situation indicates that this keyword has been included in the platform’s high-level risk control system.”
Some users have mentioned online that they can still occasionally see scattered content related to the application in their feeds. However, they are unable to accurately locate related videos or accounts through the search entry, presenting a “visible but not searchable” characteristic. This approach aims to suppress dissemination, making it challenging for the public to access relevant information while avoiding complete disappearance of the topic to prevent external attention.
Apart from TikTok, users have reported reduced or abnormal content results when searching for related keywords on platforms like Xiaohongshu. Different platforms have concurrently tightened their search and recommendation entries, indicating the operation of a unified control system behind the scenes.
According to online technical professionals, “XChat”-type instant messaging tools prioritize anonymity and privacy protection, typically requiring no binding of phone numbers during registration. In terms of functionality, such apps focus on end-to-end encryption and a weak identity system, with limited platform involvement in user identity recognition and content management.
In contrast, mainstream Chinese social platforms like WeChat and Weibo generally enforce phone number binding and real-name registration requirements, taking responsibility for content review and data management. User behavior and account information on these platforms have clear identity and locatable features.
From April 11 to 13, various Chinese media outlets, including Xinhua, The Paper, and First Financial, briefly mentioned the pre-launch reservation news of XChat. Subsequent searches by reporters have found that some related reports are no longer accessible on their original publishing pages, with some links displaying as dead pages or incomplete content.
Industry insider Ms. Wang stated in an interview that the withdrawal of articles by state media regarding XChat indicates the high sensitivity of the Chinese Communist Party on digital control. She mentioned, “The CCP never allows the existence of a ‘black box’ that it cannot see. Domestic software survives because they have become monitoring tools that can access user chats and identities at any time. Now, the CCP is attempting to cut off the spread of XChat at the source, even turning keywords into restricted areas.”
Ms. Wang expressed her intention to continue using foreign communication tools by bypassing the Great Firewall, stating, “This wall cannot hold everyone back. The more people who bypass it to download, the more it shows that everyone is fed up with this communication environment without privacy but only surveillance. Many are holding their breath, wanting to try this software where they can speak safely.”
Over the past decade, the Chinese authorities have continuously strengthened control over communication tools, with over twenty internet regulation laws in place. Chat applications like Telegram and Signal with end-to-end encryption features have long been unable to function properly in mainland China.
Multiple interviewees from Hebei, Guangdong, and other regions have indicated that due to its encryption and anonymity features, XChat has become another communication tool under close observation following Telegram and Signal.
Scholars suggest that the emergence of such encrypted communication tools is continuously challenging China’s internet control system centered around real-name registration and data control.