Following a spate of leaked WhatsApp chats of some Bollywood actors , the instant messaging application has reiterated that messages are end-to-end encrypted and can be seen only by the sender and receiver of the message.
“WhatsApp protects your messages with end-to-end encryption so that only you and the person you’re communicating with can read what is sent, and nobody in between can access it, not even WhatsApp,” a WhatsApp spokesperson said in an emailed response.
The spokesperson highlighted that people sign up on WhatsApp using only a phone number, and WhatsApp does not have access to the message content.
“WhatsApp follows guidance provided by operating system manufacturers for on-device storage and we encourage people to take advantage of all the security features provided by operating systems such as strong passwords or biometric IDs to prevent third parties from accessing content stored on device,” the spokesperson added.
The statement comes at a time when several private WhatsApp chats of various Bollywood actors have found their way into the public domain.
Recently, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) issued summons to actors Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Shraddha Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh in the Bollywood drug nexus, allegedly following incriminating WhatsApp conversations that came out in the public domain.
Published - September 25, 2020 10:36 am IST
