“WhatsApp has been a surveillance tool for 13 years, it’s best to stop using it,” says Telegram founder Pavel Durov- Technology News, Firstpost
FP employees10 Oct 2022 13:13:04 IST
WhatsApp, one of the most popular IM apps in the world, which also boasts the most users, is a major security risk, says Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram. Pavel claims that the messaging app for the past 13 years WhatsApp has been nothing more than a surveillance tool for curious eyes.
Ever since Facebook (now Meta) acquired WhatsApp in 2014, there have been serious security and privacy concerns surrounding user privacy and data rights.
As convenient as some of the most popular apps have made our lives, they have also become one of the biggest security risks and threats to our privacy.
Regardless, WhatsApp had a colorful and sketchy history when it came to private chats and our data. Ever since it was acquired by Facebook (now Meta) in 2014, people have been concerned about how Facebook would handle our private data. Meta has been under fire for a long time for sharing our data not only with public agencies, but also with private actors.
That’s why many other privacy and security-focused instant messaging apps, like Telegram and Signal, became so popular.
Telegram’s founder, billionaire Pavel Durov, has warned that WhatsApp is a handy tool for surveillance and that people should immediately leave the app unless they want to get their phones hacked. Pavel has cited the recent security issue revealed by WhatsApp that allows hackers to access user data through intercepted videos.
Meta recently revealed that WhatsApp users can be hacked due to a video download and playback vulnerability, which hackers can use to gain full access to just about everything on the WhatsApp user’s phone. This includes not only your emails and photos, but also other communications, especially SMS from your banks, and app data from your banking and payment apps.
Telegram founder Pavel Durov claims that WhatsApp has been a surveillance tool for over 13 years.
WhatsApp has over 2 billion active users globally, while Telegram has over 700 million. Most of Telegram’s users came to the platform after WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook. Pavel says he does not support Telegram or ask people to switch.
The company has been one of the top 5 without even spending a penny on marketing. However, Pavel says users should stay away from WhatsApp since it has been a surveillance tool for almost 13 years. Users, says Pavel, should choose a better and much more secure option.
