We all might have got the pop-up from WhatsApp asking to accept the updated privacy policy. As a computer engineer I have some thoughts on using WhatsApp.
I am trying to help you understand what all details WhatsApp knows about you if you are using it.
Here is a glimpse of what they know about you if you have WhatsApp installed.
- When you woke up today.
- Where you are going today.
- Who all you are texting are calling.
- How long are you speaking with someone on a call.
- Your exact location with accuracy in meters.
- The photos and videos you are taking..
- When you are going to sleep today.
How are they using this information?
- All data they collects about you will be permanently stored in their servers as long as they want.
- If you installed WhatsApp on 2014, Facebook knows where you were, what time you used your phone, who you texted/called everyday from 2014 to today.
Keep reading to know how they will be able to know all these and the potential implications of this.
Here is a list of things WhatsApp collects and uses to track you.
Location data
When you share use WhatsApp, if you share your location with other users, they WhatsApp will be able to get your location data. This data will be stored in WhatsApp servers. This data will be use used by WhatsApp to identify your location. Using this data Facebook will be able to know your exact location. Facebook will also be able to know the location of other WhatsApp users in your location.
Using this data Facebook will be able to accurately understand the users around you and who you are related with. This will be added to a social graph with all your relations, which will be used for targeted advertisements or could potentially be sold to other companies without our consent.
Storage
The source code of WhatsApp is not publicly available. In Android if you are able to see other people’s status or have sent photos to other users, then you definitely have given full storage access to WhatsApp. So WhatsApp will be able to read all files including all your photos and videos in your phone.
WhatsApp will also be able to read the metadata like, date and time in which a photos was taken and location of these photos. These data may be send to their servers, which they can use to identify where you have been and find out your interest.
We will not be able to clearly tell what they are collecting from our phone’s storage.
Status Updates
When you post anything as status, WhatsApp/Facebook will be able to access the contents and store them. The content you post as status is not end-to-end encrypted. The employees working at Facebook will be able to see what you are posting as status.
Profile picture and about info
WhatsApp/Facebook employees will be able to access your profile information. This data is directly linked to you using your phone number. If you have a phone number
IP address
When you connect your phone to the internet WhatsApp will be able to ready your IP address. Using IP address they will be able to know your approximate location and which service provider are you using. They will also be able to link the other users near you based on the IP address. So if you are using office WiFi, they already know all of your co-workers.
Bank details
If you are using WhatsApp payments, then Facebook will be able to know how much money you have in your bank account.
They will also be able to know who you are sending money to and how much.
I don’t think there is nothing wrong with finding your interest. But are you really ok with someone knowing exactly where you are all the time?
Are you really ok with someone seeing and knowing everything in your mobile phone?
