[ad_1]
The messenger decided to postpone the transition to the new rules after “complaints from many people who were not happy with the updates.”
Although the WhatsApp messenger has been criticized for updating its security policy and transferring data in favor of Facebook, another vulnerability has been found in it: the numbers of some users are indexed by Google, which means that they can be found in the unencrypted public domain. to form. Correspondent.net says the details.
Making fun of the word “privacy”
On January 8, WhatsApp added a clause to the user agreement, according to which the personal data of messenger users is made available to the entire Facebook family of applications, which is the owner of the application.
WhatsApp users were asked to confirm the new agreement before February 8 or to stop using it. Then users began to massively switch to Telegram and other instant messengers. WhatsApp downloads at Apple and Google stores fell 17 percent in the week after the new rules were announced, according to SensorTower.
The Wall Street Journal noted that the number of downloads from Signal, which was also advised by Tesla founder Elon Musk, increased by more than six thousand during the same period, Telegram downloads more than doubled. Telegram founder Pavel Durov reported that 25 million users joined Telegram in just 72 hours.
Viber CEO Jamel Agaua also expressed dissatisfaction.
“The recent update to WhatsApp’s privacy policy is a mockery of the word ‘privacy.’ Not only does it show that user privacy is not important to WhatsApp, it also sets a new record for disrespecting user data. user, “said Agaua.
WhatsApp has previously exchanged some data with Facebook, emphasizes WSJ. We are talking about phone numbers and information about when the user last logged into Messenger.
Former US Federal Trade Commission chief technologist Ashkan Soltani noted that many users simply did not understand that the messenger belongs to Facebook.
Soon, WhatsApp decided to postpone the introduction of new privacy rules. The company said in a statement that the courier received complaints from many people who were not happy with the updates.
WhatsApp has pledged to “actively work” to dispel rumors about the messenger’s privacy and security principles.
The company also emphasized that they do not intend to block or delete anyone’s accounts as of February 8.
“Little by little we will begin to offer our users to familiarize themselves with the new policy until May 15,” said the messenger’s management.
According to Courier Chief Will Cathcart, the changes do not affect privacy. According to him, neither WhatsApp nor Facebook, which owns it, can see the private correspondence of its users and their calls.
“With end-to-end encryption, we cannot see your private messages or calls, just like Facebook. We are committed to this technology and we are committed to protecting it globally,” said Cathcart.
At the same time, in October, Democrats in the United States Congress proposed dividing Facebook into several small businesses. Both he and the corporations Google, Amazon and Apple, were accused of monopolizing the market.
At the center of the conflict is the issue of Facebook’s purchase of the photo-sharing service Instagram and WhatsApp several years ago. The first was acquired by the Internet giant for a billion dollars, and the second, for 19 billion dollars.
“Facebook systematically pursues a strategy to eliminate competitors, including buying smaller, emerging rivals like Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014,” the US Federal Trade Commission said.
In its lawsuit, the commission asks the court to order Facebook to sell both apps.
New York Attorney General Letisha James also said it is critical to “block predatory acquisitions and restore confidence in the market.”
“They (Facebook – ed.) Have reduced options for consumers. They have stifled innovation and undermined the protection of privacy for millions of Americans,” explained the plaintiffs’ position.
The commission’s claim on Facebook is considered unfair. The concern accused the US government of “reviewing history” to punish successful entrepreneurs, recalling that the Federal Trade Commission initially approved the purchase of Instagram and WhatsApp.
WhatsApp now provides Facebook with the user’s name, phone number and IP address, as well as details of the payments and transactions they make through the messenger.
On January 15, Indian information security researcher Rajshekhar Rajahariya reported that the phone numbers and messages of users of the web version of WhatsApp can be found in Google search results.
“The leak happens through the desktop version of WhatsApp. If someone uses WhatsApp on a laptop or PC, their mobile phone is indexed in Google search. It is not the business accounts that are merged, but the amount of common users “, explained the researcher. to the IOL.
Rajahariya noted that this is the third time that he has faced indexing of the phone numbers of users of the web version. Previously, he pointed out the vulnerability of the WhatsApp administration, reporting that links to user accounts and group chat invitations can be found in a Google search.
The service administration removed the links the researcher talked about and also added the “noindex” tag to all deep links. [ссылкам, ведущим в мобильное приложение]to avoid being indexed by Google.
News of Correspondent.net on Telegram. Subscribe to our channel https://t.me/korrespondentnet
