WhatsApp’s updated privacy policy and user agreement pose a risk that US intelligence agencies could monitor and manipulate users. These are the conclusions reached by the specialists of the Scientific and Technical Center (STC) of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise “Main Radio Frequency Center”.
The experts noted that WhatsApp, as well as Facebook and Instagram, are American companies that are subject to US law. According to him, companies can provide special services with documents with encryption keys, which, according to WhatsApp, protect users’ private messages, even if there is no special reason for that.
“With such broad powers and significant material and technical resources, the American special services can carry out total state espionage not only for their citizens, but also for millions of users around the world,” the Central Radio Frequency Center said in a press release.
It is noted that the new privacy policy allows you to connect a person’s profiles on all social networks and get specific characteristics, which can then be used to present information in a certain way.
The new version of the user agreement also indicates the ability to transfer data from WhatsApp to Facebook, which is the owner of the messenger.
“Since 2014, the messenger has been transmitting a significant amount of user data to Facebook companies: the user’s phone number, phone numbers of contacts from the notebook, the addressee, the time of sending and reading messages, the location and parameters of the user device, etc.,” experts say.
In addition, experts found out that WhatsApp can collect even more data if, for example, the user has allowed access to his photo, microphone, camera. There is a possibility that the application can record video and audio.
In early January, WhatsApp changed the terms of use, which now requires users to transfer their data to the advertising system of the social network Facebook and its “application family” to analyze their habits and tastes.
The administration of the messenger warned that if users do not accept the new conditions, they will receive messages and calls, but they will not be able to answer them.