Twitter Engineer Alleges WhatsApp Is Listening to Conversations – Is That True?

There has been an increase in the suspicions that WhatsApp is listening to its user’s conversations in recent years. Elon Musk’s tweet in which he claimed to have “uncovered” proof that WhatsApp was listening to his conversations raised suspicions.

On May 10, 2023, Twitter engineer Foad Dabiri posted a tweet that alleged that WhatsApp was listening to his conversations even when the app was not in use. Dabiri shared a screenshot of his Android dashboard, which showed that WhatsApp’s microphone had been active for several hours while he was asleep.

Dabiri’s tweet went viral. A lot of people expressed concern that WhatsApp was violating their privacy. 

WhatsApp Denies Allegations of Listening to Conversations

WhatsApp issued a statement in response denying that the company was listening to its users’ conversations. WhatsApp said that the app would access the microphone only when the user is making a voice call or sending a voice message.

WhatsApp also said that it is possible for the microphone to be activated by other apps, even when WhatsApp is not in use. This can happen if the user has given another app permission to access the microphone.

In the wake of Dabiri’s tweet, WhatsApp has said that it is investigating the issue. The company also said that a new privacy feature will be out with which users would be able to know which apps have access to their microphones.

Where is the Evidence?

As a matter of fact, there is no evidence that WhatsApp is intentionally listening to its users’ conversations. However, the company has admitted that it is possible for the microphone to be activated by other apps even if WhatsApp is not in use. If you are concerned about your privacy, you can disable WhatsApp’s access to your microphone and use a privacy-focused messaging app.

Why Do People Believe Whatsapp Can Listen To Their Conversations?

There are some reasons why people might believe that WhatsApp is actually listening to them. First, the company collects a lot of data about its users which includes the user’s phone number, email address, and contact list. WhatsApp also collects data on user’s usage of the app, including the messages and calls they make.

The second reason is that the app has access to the user’s microphone. This access is important for the app to work properly which allows users to make voice calls and send voice messages. However, some people worry that WhatsApp could use this access to listen to the user’s conversations even when they are not using the app.

Despite these suspicions, there is no evidence whether WhatsApp is listening to its users’ conversations or not. The company has denied these claims. It also said that it is not possible for the company to listen to its users’ conversations without their consent.

How To Protect Your Privacy?

If you are concerned about your privacy, you can follow these steps. 

One step you can take is to disable WhatsApp’s access to your microphone. You can do this by going to Settings > Privacy > Microphone and turning off the switch next to WhatsApp.

Another step you can take is to use a privacy-focused messaging app such as Signal and Telegram. These apps are designed to protect your privacy and they do not collect as much data as WhatsApp.

In the end, It’s up to you whether to use WhatsApp or not. If you are concerned about your privacy, you may use a different messaging app. But if you are comfortable with how much data WhatsApp collects you can continue to use the app without worry, till then stay connected with oreonow.