WhatsApp is a new security Bogeyman

Iran and the United States may not agree on much (and this has Technically in a state of war with each other Currently), but there, apparently, one thing that appears to be officials from both countries on the same page about: WhatsApp, the chat application everywhere, is a danger to data and cannot be trusted.

since Buy Facebook WhatsApp For 19 billion dollars in 2014, Mark Zuckberg tried to put the application as a major communication tool that focuses on privacy in the world. “The encryption from one side to a party keeps your personal messages and calls between you and the person you communicate with,” WhatsApp with him He said. “No one is outside the chat, not even WhatsApp, he can read, listen or share.” At the same time, Zuckerberg sought to make it one of the most used applications on this planet. His efforts have been greatly successful: WhatsApp is Used all over the world (with 3 billion monthly users), Including in large parts of Europeand latin americaAnd The Middle East.

However, activists and researchers have constantly raised questions about the actual privacy assurances of the application – questions that were directed to the spotlight this week with the arrival of two new differences involving the application.

Last week, Iranian government television dismantled a warning to the country’s citizens, and asked them to remove WhatsApp from their phones, devices and demand – without evidence – the information can be shared from the application with Israel. Associated Press I mentioned originally On the allegations of the Iranian government. Such warnings from Iran about the Israeli influence on Western companies This will not be unusual On its face, but it seems that government offices in the United States also agree to an application problem.

On Monday, Axius I mentioned that The chief administrative official of the US House of Representatives, who provides support services to the legislators and their employees, issued instructions that prevent the use of WhatsApp on government phones. The report cites an email that has been circulated between home staff, which reads: “Home staff is not allowed to download or keep the WhatsApp application on any home device, including any versions of mobile phone, desktop or web browser of their products.” Keep email: “If you have WhatsApp on your device that runs your home, you will be contacted to remove it.” The warning continued: “The WhatsApp security office has considered a high risk for users due to the lack of transparency in how to protect user data, the absence of encryption data stored, and the potential security risks involved in its use.”

In a joint statement with Gizmodo, a Meta spokesman said that “these wrong reports (published by the Iranian government media) will be an excuse for our services as people need more.” The spokesperson added: “We do not follow your exact location, and we do not continue in the records of who is the correspondence and do not follow the personal messages that people send each other.” “We do not provide great information to any government.” In response to the restrictions of the House of Representatives on WhatsApp, the descriptive connection officer Andy Stone He said the company does not agree “With the description of the senior administrative staff in the House of Representatives with the strongest possible conditions.” Gizmodo communicate to Meta for more information.

In the past, the chief administration official in the House Chinese AI tool Deepseek and The trumpet, the Chinese owner of Tectok. Senate No directives were issued on WhatsApp.

WhatsApp has been criticized several times over the years for the various Security issuesAlthough the application does Use the E2E encryption very strongAnd there is no evidence that dead breaks this encryption. In 2021, ProPublica detailed The alleged facebook “to undermine” WhatsApp privacy “.

Meanwhile, Meta is often accused of separation with Israel when it comes to the Israeli -Palestinian conflict. In 2023, Human Rights Watch Accuse the company From the preaching pro -Palestinians content systematically on Instagram and Facebook. Last December, BBC I mentioned that Meta was actively suppressing news about the Gaza war inside the Palestinian territories. Meta Supervision Council Claim The company has exceeded its borders when it comes to the content of supporters of the Palestinians.

Although we have not seen any general cases of governments containing the back door in WhatsApp, in May, the Israeli Israeli company NSO Group NSO Pay Meta 167 million dollars after the penetration of 1400 of its users in 2019.