Do you know that your WhatsApp communications are not really private and secure?
WhatsApp is not a reliable platform in terms of its assurance of privacy
Ever since Facebook purchased Whatsapp in 2014, the privacy of the world’s largest messaging app has been degraded, so unfortunately the truth is Whatsapp is not as secure and private as its millions of users imagine the app to be.
The majority of WhatsApp’s 2 billion global users believe WhatsApp’s assurances of being a privacy preserving, reliable messenger app.
WhatsApp’s assurance is even displayed on the screen before a user begins messaging, it reads - “No one outside of this chat, not even WhatsApp, can read or listen to them.”
Familiar text assurance we have seen in the WhatsApp’s chat screen from WhatApp's tweeter
This assurance is false and it’s very important for us to understand this as users of WhatsApp.
The basis on which Whatsapp gives its users the assurance of Privacy
WhatsApp’s claim to be a privacy preserving messenger centers around the application applying “end-to-end encryption” feature, where chats and messages exchanged through Whatsapp are encrypted.
Here, the chats, messages sent in Whatsapp are going to be in an unreadable format and will open up only to the person who that chat or message is sent to, which is the intended destination point of that message/chat.
All this is true, but read on…
WhatsApp's capability to read all it’s user messages even though its encrypted
Facebook and instagram are not privacy preserving apps because the “end-to-end encryption” feature is not integrated there but, it’s not true that the messages exchanged in Whatsapp can’t be read by WhatsApp employees. They can be read and are read and moderated by WhatsApp.
WhatsApp uses the services of thousands of contract employees, situated in offices of Austin, Texas, Dublin, Singapore whose job it is to screen through scores of private WatsApp messages for inappropriate content using a special facebook software. This is done to messages that are flagged as inappropriate by a Watsapp user and then backed as inappropriate by WhatsApps’ Artificial Intelligence algorithm.
These contract workers, will have to judge weather the Whatsapp content is inappropriate examining weather the image, text, video that flashes on their screen is spam, related to child porn, is a terrorist communication etc, generally within a span of 1 minute,
WhatsApp markets itself as a privacy preserving app which is not entirely true
WhatsApp is not transparent about its content moderation activities and does not disclose any details about those policing activities. This is not the case with its social media siblings, facebook and instagram as these apps put out quarterly transparency reports with details on the number of accounts they have moderated for objectionable content.
Whatsapp keeps claiming that the company gives utmost importance to privacy of its users and the app is designed keeping in mind the users' right of privacy while they take needed measures to prevent abuse.
However, there are lots of instances where WhatsApp has disclosed user conversations under pressure from powerful entities like Governments etc, and this lack of reliable privacy in WhatsApp which should worry users, especially users who are Citizens of countries that have authoritarian Governments.
More on this in my other subsequent articles…
Conclusion - Let’s take data privacy seriously, its important!!
I will delve further on this Whatsapp privacy issue in my subsequent articles.
Reference article - https://scroll.in/article/1004897/investigation-your-whatsapp-messages-are-far-less-private-than-you-think
I urge everyone to read the above scroll article, based on which I have written this piece because it’s important to understand how secure and private your communications are on whatsApp.
Generally, many of us don’t take data privacy very seriously, however, we must understand that we have the right to privacy and it's important for a lot of reasons, including safety from intimidation by big powers and other entities etc.
Thank you for reading, have a great day!!
I think there was much debate over the latest update on whatsapp app where they can have a look at our chat so that they can target their ads better.
more are moving into better privacy app, like Signal
That is true!!
Someone should rewrite this article for the South American market. (Spanish and Portuguese) I think @venpromundo would agree.
Ofcourse this is a very important matter too...people need to know that their whatsapp conversations are not private and secure as its advertised by watsapp!!
So, spreading the word in other languages for global users is a good idea!!
Thank you for sharing this secret with us. My question is, how do we go about this whole situation because with what I am seeing, there is no much if a choice.
I mean it is true that our privacy matters but should we stop using all these medias because that?
What's the way forward?
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Is there a way we could know if you are the same person on Publish0x??
https://www.publish0x.com/buzzing-news-and-stories-of-interest/do-you-know-that-your-whatsapp-communications-are-not-really-xglnnwz
Much appreciated.
Yes, that's me... a way to know it... you can read over my profile in HVe and publishx...it will mention my passion for crypto, cats and maybe travel...
I think it'd be easier to have some sort of Hive link over at Publish0x since anyone can just copy your profile info.
Can never be too careful these days.
Well @enforce48...that account is mine in publish0x, also I first publish my articles on Hive before , on publish0x, steemit and readcash.
Therefore, you guys don't need to worry, only the other platforms need to worry that the articles may not be original as it goes there after I publish my articles here...
I think you guys have to develop a system like in publishox, when registering they ask which sites I publish my articles. Now please don't trouble me about this plagmarism matter I don't engage in it and I don't need to prove all those articles I published in publish0x, read.cash or steemit are done by me by taking extra steps, its for Hive people to verify without troubling me.
Hive should make a arragement where we authors can mention where all we publish our articles, to avoid this problem.
Thanks...
Hive is not a homogenous community with one UI. But yes, individual frontends can try that approach.
I only came across your content through the @stemgeeks frontend.
Thanks for letting us know about the time stamps!
Hi there, can you please confirm your ID on Publish0x as @enforcer48 has mentioned otherwise we can't confirm the article is yours. That helps to avoid imposters monetising original content creators work on Hive.
The greenchic in Publish0x is me...besides I always post my articles first on Hive then on publish0x,so is anyone has to say that article is copied then it has to be from Publish0x people...
Anyway... please don't trouble and haress me for plagmalism because I don't engage in it... and I take offense on such an allegation saying this article maynot be mine...
@livinguktaiwan ... you can do some investigation and know that this article first appeared in Hive before in publish0x, readcash or steem...this article is posted by me in all those platforms.
Thankyou... I hope you and that @enforcer48 won't trouble me in this account. I am a very busy person.