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WeChat is a multifaceted communication and social networking app developed by Tencent[3] in 2010 as an alternative to QQ messenger. Its launch in 2011 was met with slow adoption, but by rebranding for international markets in 2012 and by introducing payment and commerce features in 2013, WeChat saw significant growth. The app includes features for text, voice and video communication, and offers additional services like Enterprise WeChat for work communication, WeChat Mini Programs for in-app functionality, and Weixin Pay for digital transactions. WeChat has made notable technological advancements, like its AR Platform and its use in legal communications. With a business model focused on customer[2] relationships and social network[1] profitability, WeChat has a global reach, boasting over 1 billion users, despite facing bans in some countries for security[4] reasons.

Terms definitions
1. ↑ social network.
1 A social network, as the term suggests, is a system that connects various individuals or organizations, also known as social actors. It's not just about online platforms like Facebook or Twitter, but about the intricate web of connections between these actors. The relationships, known as dyadic ties, allow for interaction and communication. By studying these networks, we can identify patterns and understand how influence works within the group. The field of social network analysis has roots in several areas such as social psychology, sociology, statistics, and graph theory. It's an evolving interdisciplinary field that uses various methods to analyze these social structures and provides theoretical explanations for the observed patterns. Key figures like Georg Simmel and Jacob Moreno have made significant contributions to this field.
2 A social network is a structure made up of individuals or organizations, known as actors, and the relationships or connections between them, referred to as ties. It is a field deeply rooted in disciplines such as sociology, psychology, statistics, and graph theory. The analysis of these networks, known as Social Network Analysis, involves identifying patterns, pinpointing influential entities, and studying how these networks evolve over time. It uses a variety of methodologies to study these structures. The development of this field has been significantly influenced by figures like Georg Simmel and Jacob Moreno, who made significant contributions to social network theories and methods. The study of social networks is interdisciplinary in nature, employing diverse methods to analyze network dynamics and patterns.
2. ↑ customer.
1 The primary entity in this text is the "customer. A customer is an individual or entity that purchases goods or services from a business. They are crucial participants in the commercial landscape, forming relationships with businesses through transactions. Customers can also be classified as 'clients,' especially when they receive tailored advice or solutions from a business. The term 'client' originates from Latin, implying a sense of leaning or bending toward a business. Customers vary in types - from end customers who directly buy products or services, to industrial customers who incorporate these goods or services into their own offerings. These customers can have different relationships with the business, such as being employers in construction projects. Businesses often segment their customers into different categories, like entrepreneurs or end users, to better understand and serve them. The understanding and management of customer relationships is a critical area of study and practice in business.
2 The primary entity in this text is the "customer. A customer is an individual or entity that purchases goods or services from a business. They are crucial participants in the commercial landscape, forming relationships with businesses through transactions. Customers can also be classified as 'clients,' especially when they receive tailored advice or solutions from a business. The term 'client' originates from Latin, implying a sense of leaning or bending toward a business. Customers vary in types - from end customers who directly buy products or services, to industrial customers who incorporate these goods or services into their own offerings. These customers can have different relationships with the business, such as being employers in construction projects. Businesses often segment their customers into different categories, like entrepreneurs or end users, to better understand and serve them. The understanding and management of customer relationships is a critical area of study and practice in business.
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WeChat (Wikipedia)
Not to be confused with WeeChat.

WeChat or Weixin in Chinese (Chinese: 微信; pinyin: Wēixìn(listenⓘ); lit. 'micro-message') is a Chinese instant messaging, social media, and mobile payment app developed by Tencent. First released in 2011, it became the world's largest standalone mobile app in 2018 with over 1 billion monthly active users. WeChat has been described as China's "app for everything" and a super-app because of its wide range of functions. WeChat provides text messaging, hold-to-talk voice messaging, broadcast (one-to-many) messaging, video conferencing, video games, mobile payment, sharing of photographs and videos and location sharing.

WeChat/Weixin (微信)
Developer(s)Tencent Holdings Limited
Initial release21 January 2011; 13 years ago (2011-01-21) (as Weixin)
Preview release(s)
Android8.0.47 / 1 February 2024; 2 months ago (2024-02-01)
Operating systemAndroid, HarmonyOS (for watch and bands), iOS, macOS, Windows, Windows Phone, WatchOS, Wear OS
Service nameWeChat (International)
Weixin (China Mainland)
Available in17 languages
List of languages
Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Indonesian, Malay, Thai, Vietnamese, Arabic, Turkish
TypeInstant messaging client
LicenseProprietary freeware
Websitewechat.com (WeChat)
weixin.qq.com (Weixin)
Weixin
Chinese微信

Accounts registered using Chinese phone numbers are managed under the Weixin brand, and their data is stored in mainland China and subject to Weixin's terms of service and privacy policy, which forbids content which "endanger[s] national security, divulge[s] state secrets, subvert[s] state power and undermine[s] national unity". Non-Chinese numbers are registered under WeChat, and WeChat users are subject to a different, less strict terms of service and stricter privacy policy, and their data is stored in the Netherlands for users in the European Union, and in Singapore for other users. User activity on Weixin, the Chinese version of the app, is analyzed, tracked and shared with Chinese authorities upon request as part of the mass surveillance network in China. Chinese-registered Weixin accounts censor politically sensitive topics. Any interactions between Weixin and WeChat users are subject to the terms of service and privacy policies of both services.

In response to a border dispute between India and China, WeChat was banned in India in June 2020 along with several other Chinese apps, including TikTok. U.S. president Donald Trump sought to ban U.S. "transactions" with WeChat through an executive order but was blocked by a preliminary injunction issued in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in September 2020. Joe Biden officially dropped Trump's efforts to ban WeChat in the U.S. in June 2021.


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