WhatsApp violates privacy laws

[grim]

Must say that I agree with the article.

Every time I have tried to use whatsapp it asks for access to my entire address book, and if I decline terminates the app.

I got an invite to download the app because my son and my wife installed whatsapp on their devices and it therefore sent me an invite.

This is SPAM marketing in the highest degree.

PEBKAC error

None of my contacts that don't have Whatsapp has received any invites from me to install Whatsapp on their devices.

Whatsapp can have all my contacts for all that I care, FFS it's just a cellphone number. You'll find far more private things on people's FB profile's that they don't set their permissions properly.

It's by far the best IM client for smartphones as it's available on all platforms and you don't need to know someone's PIN or what not to have them as a contact.

F!ck they can read my messages as well while they are at it.

 

[Tns]

when you install the app it clearly states it accessing what.....so what is the noise really about?

 

[system32]

Must say that I agree with the article.

Every time I have tried to use whatsapp it asks for access to my entire address book, and if I decline terminates the app.

I got an invite to download the app because my son and my wife installed whatsapp on their devices and it therefore sent me an invite.

This is SPAM marketing in the highest degree.

WhatsApp:

first of all, your address book is not saved or stored anywhere on our end. we don’t need it. we don’t want it. we are not an advertising supported product and our goal is to know as little information about our users as we possibly can
…
while we do a transient check of the phone number in the address book to find other WhatsApp users and properly route messages between you and your friends, none of your address book numbers are ever saved or stored on our servers.

 

[SAdata]

All the article says is it goes against Canadian and Dutch privacy laws. If those laws are different elsewhere there's nothing unlawful about it

 

[Haldex]

What about the IDF owned Viber app? Dies the same thing.
I wonder if this has anything to do with the Facebook offer to buy whatsapp.

 

[Dolby]

Rather they import my Address book, than having to remember and give a ****ty BBM pin to everybody I want to talk to.

^ This.
I can't help but LOL at all the new BBM pin broadcasts from friends on social networks. Archaic.

This goes both ways - sometimes you want the privacy of inviting like a BBM pin.

You can just enter any number on your phone with 80% chance they have Whatsapp and 80% have profile pics of themselves - and you can see who they are without them having a clue who you are or that you're doing it ...

 

[ClintZA]

Why does the article choose to mention iOS and BB, with links, but ignores the OS with the greatest market share? And those mentioned OSs have their own messaging services too.

 

[ClintZA]

You can just enter any number on your phone with 80% chance they have Whatsapp and 80% have profile pics of themselves - and you can see who they are without them having a clue who you are or that you're doing it ...

What boring lives some people lead...

You could also scour the internet looking for names on Facebook which have profile pictures and some even openly, and stupidly, share contact numbers.

People are too paranoid about privacy. If someone wants to find you they will.