One of the main advantages of WhatsApp over some of its competitors is that the messages you send are end-to-end encrypted. However, a new report now claims the messages would not be that private.
Since 2016, WhatsApp claims to encrypt your messages end-to-end, so that no middleman, not even WhatsApp, is able to read your conversations. Nonetheless, in a very long report from ProPublica, it is claimed that WhatsApp currently employs over 1,000 contract workers in Austin, Texas, Dublin and Singapore., specifically to monitor ” millions of user content “. All of these people ” would use special software from Facebook To review messages and content that have been reported by WhatsApp users, and that have been previously reviewed by AI systems.
Yet WhatsApp has always said that the privacy of its users is at the center of its concerns. The messaging also regularly highlights a message supposed to reassure users about their privacy before they send messages: ” No one outside of this chat, not even WhatsApp, can read or listen to them “. On the WhatsApp FAQ, we can even read ” End-to-end encryption ensures that only you and the person you are communicating with can read or listen to what is being sent; so there are no middlemen, not even WhatsApp. “
To read also : WhatsApp will no longer work on these smartphones from November 1, 2021
Facebook is defending itself, it would not have access to all the messages you send
In a statement to 9to5Mac, the company clarified the situation by revealing that when you use the Report feature of WhatsApp, the message is automatically forwarded to Facebook. Clicking the report button creates a new end-to-end encrypted message that is sent to Facebook moderators.
These are then able to review the post, as well as four previous posts from the same discussion to better understand the context and be able to sanction or not the user. Apart from these 5 messages, Facebook claimed that WhatsApp does not have access to other messages that you did not report.
The problem is that WhatsApp does not mention this practice at any time. in its official communication. Regardless, WhatsApp still tries to protect its users with other features. Unwanted people, for example, will soon no longer be able to see your personal information.
Source: ProPublica
