Is WhatsApp really listening to your bedroom conversations? 

WhatsApp has been facing some serious allegations about the use of microphones, even while its users are asleep. Some prominent personalities including Elon Musk and Indian IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar have raised concerns about the Meta-owned messaging application. Elon Musk went as far as saying that "WhatsApp cannot be trusted". The IT Minister even initiated an inquiry on WhatsApp for the allegations made on Twitter. But is the app really listening to your conversations? 

WhatsApp holds access to several critical privacy elements on smartphones. Granting all permissions gives the app access to the user's camera, contacts, location, microphone, photos and videos, call logs, nearby devices, and even SMS. This extensive access raises concerns regarding the potential impact on user privacy if a compromise were to occur.

Twitter engineer Foad Dabiri pointed out his log of microphone usage where WhatsApp was seen recording audio when the user was awake and even when he was asleep. Dabiri said, "WhatsApp has been using the microphone in the background, while I was asleep and since I woke up at 6 AM (and that's just a part of the timeline!) What's going on?"

Elon Musk retweeted Dabiri's tweet saying that users shouldn't trust the app. His tweet brought the application in limelight. 

So, does this prove that WhatsApp is listening to you? 

If you take WhatsApp's response for it, the answer is a clear no. The Meta-owned company states that the issue actually lies in the Pixel phone that was running the application. WhatsApp, in a tweet, believes that this issue lies in the dashboard which is wrongly attributing the microphone usage to the messaging app.

The tweet said, "Over the last 24 hours we’ve been in touch with a Twitter engineer who posted an issue with his Pixel phone and WhatsApp. We believe this is a bug on Android that mis-attributes information in their Privacy Dashboard and have asked Google to investigate and remediate."

The app promises that users have full control over their mic settings. WhatsApp claims that once the user grants permission, it only accesses the mic when while making a call or recording a voice note or video. Furthermore, the app claims that these communications are protected by end-to-end encryption so WhatsApp or Meta cannot hear them. 

Meta's Director & Head of India Public Policy, Shivnath Thukral also pitched in. He said, "we believe this is a bug on Android, Google has said they are looking into it. Your calls and voice notes are protected by end-to-end encryption so we cannot hear the microphone in any case."

An Indian Pixel 7 Pro user also confirmed the bug. Sachin Tandon, claimed that his Pixel 7 Pro was misattributing audio usage to Amazon. He claimed the WhatsApp mic usage was genuine, but the privacy dashboard continued to show that Amazon Shopping was using his microphone.

Also read: 'This is unacceptable breach of privacy': IT Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar initiates inquiry on alleged WhatsApp leak

Also read: ‘WhatsApp cannot be trusted’: Elon Musk’s take on suspicious microphone use; here’s their reply

WhatsApp Scam Epidemic

Two types of scams are running rampant in India. One of them tries to lure users into fake high-paying jobs and the other is used to blackmail users by capturing them alongside compromising videos. 

Job Vacancy Scam

The Job Vacancy Scam is a fraudulent scheme that preys on unsuspecting WhatsApp users by offering high-paying jobs that require minimal effort. The scammers use this opportunity to extract the user's bank details. They lure vulnerable users by promising salaries of up to Rs 10,000 per day for simply liking YouTube videos. After liking the videos, users are asked to share screenshots via WhatsApp and Telegram. Once the screenshots are shared, scammers ask for account details to pay the amount owed, but it's only a trick to obtain sensitive bank information. This can result in the user's account being emptied.

Video Call Scam  On the other hand, the Video Call Scam is more sinister and involves blackmailing innocent users. Scammers call users from unknown numbers with attractive profile pictures. Once the user picks up the call, the scammer plays vulgar videos and starts screen recording, giving the impression that the user is watching compromising material. The scammer then blackmails the user for money, threatening to share the video with their known contacts and online if the ransom is not paid.