I kind of thought "Is WhatsApp really safe?" but when I found out that approximately 3.5 billion phone numbers could be easily viewed, I was pretty shocked 😳💭
How did this happen?
WhatsApp is that free messaging app that's super popular worldwide, right? 📱✨ But apparently, there was a security vulnerability that allowed anyone to easily create lists of other people's phone numbers by searching under "specific conditions."
Basically, if bad actors used this hole, phone numbers for 3.5 billion people worldwide were essentially exposed 🥺
Why are the numbers so huge?
First of all, WhatsApp has a massive user base. It's used in many countries like India, Brazil, the US, etc., so... the numbers were on a completely different scale.
Plus, phone numbers are more "real personal information" compared to social media, so if they leak, it's pretty scary 💦
What's the problem?
- Phone numbers being collected without permission could lead to more spam calls and messages 📵⚠️
- You might become more susceptible to impersonation or targeted scams 🕵️♀️💬
- There's also a risk of it being linked with other services and connecting to your personal information 👀
What can we do?
Honestly, these kinds of issues require the app developers to take action first. But there are things we can do too ✨
- Avoid carelessly sharing your phone number online
- Review your WhatsApp privacy settings 📲
- Be cautious of suspicious contacts or calls from unknown numbers 👀
- If possible, enable two-factor authentication to prevent unauthorized access 🛡️
Final thoughts
Smartphones and apps are convenient, but when you hear news like this, it makes you think "Hmm, I really need to be careful" 💭
But just knowing about things you weren't aware of before can bring some peace of mind, right? I feel like I want to keep checking concerning news from now on～ 🥰✨
Hatena
Comments
ハンナ
Meta's services violating privacy again? Not surprised, they'll just pay fines and continue their misdeeds.
ハンナ
It's about time everyone ditched this crappy platform and moved to Signal.
クリス
All they did was register a bunch of numbers to check if accounts existed, it's not that big of a deal.
ベン
Whoa, I'm so shocked! (Not really)
ロバート
You should just assume your number is already out there for everyone.
グレース
The countermeasures are probably just usage restrictions at best, it's easier to think of profiles and such as public information.
クリス
Signal also uses phone numbers for authentication and has contact discovery features, so it might have the same weakness.
ジョージ
Zero surprise. It's always been an unsafe platform.
ジャック
So that's why I've been getting more weird calls from the UK lately?
ノーラン
Another vulnerability, totally not surprised. If they know your number, spamming is easy, and Meta didn't help, so it's better to avoid WhatsApp.
レオ
I use a prepaid phone for calls with family and friends, and have other separate smartphones, PCs, and virtual environments—caution is necessary, right?
ミア
Signal.org is the way to go.
ジャック
That's scary.
エイダン
It's about time to switch to Signal or Telegram.
