A Look Into WeChat – Enabling an Analyst to Search and Monitor Content

WeChat, or Weixin (微信) in Mandarin, is a multi-function mobile app, first launched by China’s Tencent Holdings in 2011. With over a billion users, they are the sixth most used social platforms in the world. Within China, Weixin is by far the most used social media platform with 73.2% of Chinese nationals aged between 16 and 64 using it on a monthly basis. Outside of China, it is estimated that there are about 100 million foreigners using WeChat. With such vast numbers of users, there are analysts concerned about the kind of information or content that WeChat users could potentially be exposed to. Therefore, it is important to monitor this information space. This report will explore the ways through which analysts can search and monitor the information put out and spread via WeChat. This will be done in two main parts. The first part focuses on the application itself, including its design and operating principles. The second covers the best methods, procedures and technologies to search and monitor for information on WeChat.