New: WhatsApp assures users that no one can see their messages — but the company has an extensive monitoring operation and regularly shares personal information with prosecutors. https://t.co/byYEeASFYo
— ProPublica (@propublica) September 7, 2021
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WhatsApp can read some messages exchanged by users
Ever since WhatsApp implemented the end-to-end encryption system it boasts that the content is completely anonymous. The message passed to the public states that any message sent is not read by your team, only by the sender and receiver.
The recently published report contradicts this thesis. It exposes a message moderation system on WhatsApp that aims to prevent the spread of spam, terrorist content, child abuse content and other illegal practices.
In fact, WhatsApp has 1000 employees focused on analyzing content signaled by its artificial intelligence and user complaints. When this content is flagged, the platform receives part of the conversations without any kind of encryption.
WhatsApp reiterates that this content only reaches its employees if someone reports it. Furthermore, it claims that it does not have access to the entire content of a chat room, only some messages prior to the alarming content for some context.
After analyzing these messages, moderators can archive the flag, ban that user’s account or place him on a watch list. The decision will be taken considering the content read by WhatsApp contributors, contrary to what has always been advertised regarding its end-to-end encryption system.
WhatsApp says it has good reasons for this review system
Faced with these accusations, WhatsApp gave its side of the coin to ProPublica. In statements to this source, the Facebook group’s platform defends its practices.
The platform rates this content review system as something positive. He claims that only in this way can he prevent abusive or harmful content from being disseminated by the millions of users who use WhatsApp on a daily basis.
Furthermore, it states that all practices exposed in this report are contained in the privacy policy provided by WhatsApp. As you would expect, it is not wide open to the user, who has to do some work to find such items.
In short, this investigation once again hurts the image of WhatsApp among its users. After the scandal of changing the terms of service, last January, here is another case that will create distrust among its users.
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