A director at the University of California sent an alarming email this year warning students not to use messaging apps WeChat and WhatsApp when travelling to China.
The advice caused confusion. WhatsApp is blocked in China and messages are encrypted. (The email mentions an espionage case against a US citizen referring to WhatsApp but that was in Russia, not China.)
The more surprising part for me was the number of US students who came out in defence of WeChat. The Chinese app has a history of surveillance and while it can be difficult to get things done in China without it, the same is not true in the US. Its supporters just seemed to like having another chat app.