New Delhi: WhatsApp breaches are plastered throughout the internet in bold, fear-inducing headlines for everyone to see. Due to the nature of their sensitive and private discussions, a series of WhatsApp leaks have made users feel threatened, and many are questioning how reliable WhatsApp’s claim of end-to-end encryption is.

The most important message for WhatsApp users is that the app’s security is quite high. WhatsApp has stated that no third parties will be able to view anyone’s WhatsApp chats, photographs, or videos. Facebook does not have access to the information, and WhatsApp does not have access to it either. The talks can only be read by the sender and receiver of WhatsApp. No one can claim that they do not have access to this encryption because it is enabled by default.

WhatsApp leaks will continue to occur. If you’re not careful about what you do on WhatsApp or how you handle your phone, you, too, could be in danger. You could be in contact with criminals, transmitting or receiving restricted content, or doing something else that is considered illegal. As a result, if someone you’ve been speaking with on WhatsApp gets apprehended by authorities, suspicion will fall on you by association. So, no, it won’t keep you safe.

In the end, all of your information is stored on your phone or on a cloud drive. When there is a suspicion of wrongdoing or criminal conduct, the same information can be made available to government authorities upon request.

Then there are WhatsApp leaks of a different kind. These occur when someone gains access to another person’s phone and photographs or screenshots their WhatsApp conversations. This is a violation that occurs beyond the realm in which WhatsApp operates and over which it has no authority. Anyone who steals or loses your smartphone while you are not looking can snap screenshots of your private data, images, and videos, and then “leak” the material to others.

There’s another way for WhatsApp leaks to occur. WhatsApp users frequently download apps that turn out to contain malware. They are mostly designed to steal money, but they can also take data and communications. When a WhatsApp user downloads such an app, he or she is putting his or her privacy at risk. Even safe platforms like Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and others can be used to download malware. These malicious programmes are disguised as legitimate apps. The most recent is on the well-known Squid Game. In fact, Google just removed 150 apps from its Play Store.

WhatsApp has been accused of gathering information that its parent firm, Facebook, intends to exploit for commercial purposes. This can take the form of usernames, phone numbers, and location to comprehend the user’s footprints and provide her or him targeted adverts.

Your safety and security are ultimately in your control. You should be cautious about what you discuss with your friends, family, and coworkers. Your conversations are eventually broadcast to a wide number of individuals, including complete strangers. If the chats contain anything inappropriate, they can be used against you. So, for starters, don’t do the following five things on WhatsApp:

1. Don’t talk on WhatsApp about anything that could be considered criminal, even if it’s just on the edge of being such – drugs, porn, abuse, and so on.

2. On WhatsApp, do not post or discuss any compromising photos or videos of yourself or others.

3. Never discuss or disclose any financial transactions on WhatsApp.

4. Don’t talk about or disclose any events you’ve been to when you’ve acted out of character.

5. Always remember that prudence, whether on WhatsApp or in real life, is the better part of valour.

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