WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart has disputed Elon Musk’s claim that the messaging app “exports your user data every night.”
Cathcart asserted on X (formerly Twitter) that this statement is “not correct,” highlighting that WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted and cannot be read by the company.
Yann LeCun, Meta’s AI chief, also criticized Musk, accusing him of spreading conspiracy theories and making unrealistic claims about AI.
While WhatsApp messages are indeed encrypted and secure, security experts note that metadata—information like user location and communication patterns—is still shared with other Meta platforms.
This data can be used to show personalized ads and suggestions. Dr. Tristan Henderson from the University of St Andrews points out that sharing such metadata can reveal significant user information.
WhatsApp’s privacy policy confirms that it uses some user data for targeted advertising across Meta’s services.
Credit: BBC.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0ddwymz8ero