After numerous WhatsApp users expressed concern over the alleged eavesdropping by the app, Google has stepped forward to acknowledge the issue, attributing it to an Android bug. Last month, Twitter engineer Foad Dabiri, among others, brought attention to a bug in WhatsApp that seemed to be using the microphone in the background, even when users were asleep.
WhatsApp has been using the microphone in the background, while I was asleep and since I woke up at 6AM (and that's just a part of the timeline!) What's going on? pic.twitter.com/pNIfe4VlHV
— Foad Dabiri (@foaddabiri) May 6, 2023
— Foad Dabiri (@foaddabiri) Dabiri tweeted about his experience, stating, “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?” The tweet included a screenshot of the Android Dashboard displaying WhatsApp’s microphone access. Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to the tweet, stating, “WhatsApp cannot be trusted.”
In response, WhatsApp defended itself by suggesting that the issue appeared to be related to Android and reiterated that users have full control over their privacy settings, including microphone access. The app only uses the microphone with explicit user permission and solely for making calls or recording voice and video messages, which are protected by end-to-end encryption.
Google has recommended that users update their WhatsApp applications, as the bug has now been fixed. The company’s Android Developers account tweeted, “We appreciate WhatsApp’s collaboration and apologise for any confusion caused by this bug.”
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