One of the concerns for those who use current technological resources is the various ways in which data and personal information can be leaked.
Recently, a case involving one of the most popular messaging apps left everyone surprised and questioning its security.
Find out details about the improper use of cell phone microphones by WhatsApp.
Unsafe WhatsApp Activity
Foad Dabiri was the one who noticed the improper use of cell phone microphones by WhatsApp. He is an expert and works in social media engineering. To prove the improper use of the app, he used a Google service.
A timeline points to the unusual functioning of the voice feature on his cell phone, which, in his case, was the Pixel 7 Pro. According to the timeline, the microphone was activated without any command from Dabiri in the early hours of the morning.
On Twitter, he shared the image that identified the times and commented that WhatsApp was using the microphone in the background and asked the company why it was using it.
The shared information generated interest from other users who promptly identified the same activity on their smartphones.
This activity was identified in some specific models with the Android 13 system, such as the Pixel itself, Galaxy S23 and S22 Ultra.
Elon Musk’s involvement
The businessman shared Dabiri’s post about the incident. After Elon Musk expressed interest in the WhatsApp case, he shared a note explaining what happened. According to the note, the background activation occurred due to an error in the Android system, which had already been adjusted by Google.
Apparently, the system misinterpreted the privacy information. They reaffirmed that the application only uses the microphone when the user performs an activity that requires it, such as calls, recordings or voice messages.
Finally, some people pointed out that, by restarting their cell phones, they were able to fix the system error. In addition, those responsible for the application highlighted the contact with Dabiri to clarify the facts and reinforce that the use of the application is safe.
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