Have you know what Data shared and collected from WhatsApp Messenger app

  • Account Registration Information (Phone number)
  • Device Information (Hardware model, OS, battery level, signal strength)
  • Identifiers (Device ID, App version)
  • Network details (IP Address, Mobile network, ISP)
  • Usage Data (How often and how long you use the app, features used)
  • Interactions with Businesses (Data shared with Meta and third-party CRMs when messaging a business account)
  • Payment and Transaction Data (If using WhatsApp Pay/Payments, shared with payment gateways and banks)
  • Approximate Location (Derived from IP address or phone number area code)
  • Crash logs, diagnostics, and performance data
  • Spam and abuse reports (including recently sent messages of the reported user, shared with human moderators)
  • Mobile Phone Number (Required for registration)
  • Profile Name, Profile Picture, and "About" information
  • Address Book/Contacts (If contact sync is enabled)
  • Status Updates
  • Messages (Normally E2EE, but temporarily stored encrypted on servers for up to 30 days if undelivered)
  • Media Forwarding Data (Highly forwarded media is stored temporarily and encrypted on servers to speed up delivery)
  • Payment Account and Transaction Information (For WhatsApp Pay users)
  • Precise Device Location (Only collected and shared in chat if explicitly initiated by the user, e.g., "Share Live Location")
  • Approximate Location (IP address based)
  • Device and Connection Information (OS, browser type, hardware model, mobile network, signal strength)
  • Application Usage Data (Time of activity, groups joined, features utilized)
  • Customer Support Communications (Emails or chats sent to WhatsApp support)
  • Cookies (For users of WhatsApp Web/Desktop)
  • Default End-to-End Encryption (E2EE) using the Signal Protocol for all personal messages, voice calls, and video calls
  • End-to-End Encrypted Cloud Backups (Optional feature requiring a custom password or 64-digit encryption key)
  • Two-Step Verification (A custom PIN required to register your phone number on a new device)
  • Disappearing Messages (Options for messages to vanish after 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days)
  • View Once Media (Photos, videos, and voice notes that disappear after being opened once)
  • Chat Lock (Hiding and locking specific chats behind device biometrics/PIN)
  • Silence Unknown Callers feature to automatically filter out spam calls
  • Security Code Verification (QR code or 60-digit number to verify the encryption of a specific chat)
  • Account protection alerts (Warnings when a new device registers your number)
  • In-app blocking and reporting mechanisms for spam and abuse
  • Operating and providing the core messaging, voice, and video calling services
  • Synchronizing contacts to connect you with people you know
  • Processing and facilitating financial transactions (WhatsApp Pay)
  • Ensuring the safety, security, and integrity of the platform (combating spam, bots, and abuse)
  • Evaluating app performance, troubleshooting crashes, and conducting diagnostics
  • Communicating with users regarding updates, terms, and policies
  • Facilitating communication between users and registered Business accounts
  • Sharing infrastructure and backend technology with Meta companies to improve overall service reliability
  • Extensive Metadata Collection: While messages are encrypted, WhatsApp (and Meta) knows who you talk to, when, how often, and from where (metadata).
  • Business Chat Privacy: Messages sent to WhatsApp Business accounts may be read, stored, and used for advertising by the business or their third-party service providers (they are not strictly E2EE if a third-party CRM is used).
  • Account Hijacking via Voicemail/SMS: Hackers can steal accounts by requesting an SMS or call verification code and intercepting it via compromised carrier voicemails or SIM-swapping.
  • Unencrypted Default Backups: Unless explicitly enabled by the user, Google Drive and iCloud chat backups are generally unencrypted, meaning Apple or Google could access them via law enforcement requests.
  • Spread of Misinformation and Scams: The platform is heavily used for phishing, malicious link distribution, and viral misinformation (despite forwarding limits).
  • Spyware Vulnerabilities: High-profile targets (journalists, activists) face risks from zero-click spyware (like Pegasus) that exploit app vulnerabilities.
  • Profile Scraping: Profile pictures, "About" text, and "Last Seen" status can be scraped by stalkerware or third parties if privacy settings are not set to "My Contacts".
  • November 2022 (Alleged Scraping Leak): A database allegedly containing 500 million WhatsApp user phone numbers from 84 countries was put up for sale on a hacker forum. Meta disputed it as a traditional hack, stating it was likely aggregated via web scraping.
  • May 2019 (Pegasus Spyware Attack): A severe vulnerability in WhatsApp's audio calling feature allowed attackers to inject NSO Group's Pegasus spyware into phones simply by ringing the device, even if the user didn't answer. WhatsApp sued NSO Group over this breach.
  • 2014-Present (Continuous Scraping Exploits): Various third-party services and modified apps (like WhatsApp Plus or GBWhatsApp) have routinely bypassed API restrictions to scrape user statuses, online activity, and profile data, leading to mass bans by WhatsApp.
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