WhatsApp boss Will Cathcart has responded to claims made by Elon Musk that the messaging app “exports your user data every night.” In a post on X, Cathcart refuted the allegation, stating that WhatsApp messages are end-to-end encrypted and cannot be read by the company.
Yann LeCun, the artificial intelligence chief at Meta, also joined the conversation, using strong language in his X post to criticize Musk’s claims. On Threads, another Meta platform, LeCun continued to criticize Musk, accusing him of spreading conspiracy theories about artificial intelligence.
Musk, known for his online disputes, has not backed down from his claims. However, security researcher Tommy Mysk pointed out that while WhatsApp messages are encrypted, user data such as metadata, user location, and communication patterns may still be shared.
It is known that WhatsApp shares some metadata with other Meta platforms, but not the actual message content. Dr. Tristan Henderson, a computer science lecturer, expressed concern over this data sharing, as it can be used for personalized advertising.
The WhatsApp Privacy Policy states that user data may be used for showing relevant offers and ads across Meta Company Products. The BBC has reached out to Meta for further comment on the matter.
The clash between Cathcart, LeCun, and Musk highlights the ongoing debate over data privacy and encryption in messaging apps. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
