Whatsapp mobile phone app Vulnerability

Seems to be more and more phone apps have security issues .

https://www.bestvpn.com/whatsapp-encryption-vulnerability/?utm_source=newsletter&utm

2 Likes

I would totally agree with you vax2000, I am reading more and more complaints of privacy invasion as consumers unwittingly download mobile apps without reading t&cs and privacy information.

Often these apps are designed to discover as much information about the mobile user as they can, in order to market their business and sell their goods and services.

It is really a matter of “Buyer Beware” - so please, please Beware of T&C’s!

Cheers Natalie :slight_smile:

1 Like

I have declined more than one mobile app when asked for very intrusive access such as my contacts list or “other apps that are installed”, and so on. I reckon most people don’t think, they want the app and automatically OK anything put in front of their eyes.

Re reading T&C, one of my favourites is http://dilbert.com/search_results?terms=Towel+Boy

2 Likes

Thank you for this website, which I have passed on to my sister who never believes me when I say that I don’t download any apps on my mobile and especially Whatapp, it was the only time my mobile was hacked in to and I have never, ever downloaded it again. I realise that people do have success with it, but I don’t go there with any apps for that matter.

1 Like

This is not the issue first raised by my friend @vax2000 above and is an entirely new concern in 2019. If you use Whatsapp, the company is urging it’s users to update now (immediately) to it’s latest version. There is a vulnerability in all other versions that has been leveraged by an Israeli company NSO Group that allows spyware to be injected via the call function. There are users that have been affected by this tool/hack. So please don’t delay updating.

To read some articles, though most are of a similar vein, about the issue visit:

6 Likes

I recommend Signal. It’s open source, based upon the same underlying privacy technology, but works (and is not owned by Facebook).

In order to connect securely with other Signal users, you have to meet face to face and scan a code - so you actually verify that you are ‘you’. If you change devices, you have to do it again.

2 Likes

This has just recently come through from Norton (15 July 2019)…

1 Like

Why Signal is better I think.

https://signal.org/

2 Likes

I use Line…

And usually only when travelling overseas and only with close family. And like anything, assume the content could make the front page of a paper at some stage in the future.

4 Likes

Vulnerabilities is one issue, but now Whatsapp forces its users to share their data with Facebook. Is this abuse of market share where these larger digital platforms acquire competitors so they can extract more data to analyse their users?

It maybe worth reconsidering Whatapps if you are uncomfortable with your data going far and wide and used for any purpose Facebook sees fit.

Maybe Australian government needs to consider action to protect its citizens from such behaviours.

3 Likes

It was never evitable that Facebook would let WhatsApp stay a secure messaging service that was outside the company’s business model. The only real surprise is that the change has taken so long.

If my memory serves, the WhatsApp founders left the bought-out company some time ago.

4 Likes

I dumped Whatsapp as soon as facebook bought it. I have Signal, and Telegram. Both are secure, Signal a little more so.

5 Likes