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> Authorities can selectively block WhatsApp voice calls, it's been done in Oman where I used to live.

But they cannot do it without WhatsApp's help. My understanding is that WhatsApp will check the following at the server side:

1) User IP in UAE/Oman/etc.? Block voice.

2) User's number registered in UAE/Oman/etc.? Block voice.

This is different from UAE/Oman blocking voice traffic without coordination with WhatsApp.

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They don't need WhatsApp's help to do it. WhatsApp voice calls are done over different ports, so only these need to be blocked.

The UAE (and Saudi Arabia) went through the extra step of asking WhatsApp to perform a block server side because of legal regulatory issues. Oman has made no such demand.

My family regularly makes WhatsApp calls to me from Oman; they just have to switch on a VPN to tunnel out of Oman's censorware.

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