WhatsApp "encryption" & privacy

smogsy

smogsy

smogsy

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A lot of you may may know this already & I do too but its pretty obvious in this example so wanted to share

My wife is on a school trip, the only time she get H/3G signal is in their accommodation when the kids are in bed.

as I our anniversary is coming up I texted a message suggesting Edinburgh to see the pandas & shared 1 screenshot of booking.com (picture didn't go through)

we shared the word Edinburgh and trip once

she loaded Facebook up on her phone later that night. every add is about edinbough/trip/booking.com
I don't have Facebook on my phone but logged on out of interested 0 ads.

so whatsapp says convo are encrypted, but i guess if its decrypted on your phone Facebook thinks is ok to scan your messages from another app? (wonder if this would work on iphone due to isolation apps) wife is on android
 
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End-to-end encryption just means no one can read it in the middle doesn't it? In it's decrypted state at either end, it'll be perfectly readable to whatever other apps may have access to the messaging app
 
smogsy said:
A lot of you may may know this already & I do too but its pretty obvious in this example so wanted to share

My wife is on a school trip, the only time she get H/3G signal is in their accommodation when the kids are in bed.

as I our anniversary is coming up I texted a message suggesting Edinburgh to see the pandas & shared 1 screenshot of booking.com (picture didn't go through)

we shared the word Edinburgh and trip once

she loaded Facebook up on her phone later that night. every add is about edinbough/trip/booking.com
I don't have Facebook on my phone but logged on out of interested 0 ads.

so whatsapp says convo are encrypted, but i guess if its decrypted on your phone Facebook thinks is ok to scan your messages from another app? (wonder if this would work on iphone due to isolation apps) wife is on android
Click to expand...
Did she open the booking.com link? If so thats probably what the tracker/cookie ad stalker thing, picked up on.
 
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Correct. The messages are encrypted between the user and the WhatsApp servers. What happens to you stat then is anyone’s guess.

iMessages are also encrypted end to end, but regular text messages are only encrypted as they pass through the Radio Access Networks of the network operators involved. Depending on the networks involved, they may sit unencrypted in either or both network’s Short Messages Service Centres for up to 30 days and any network personnel with SMSC access could read them.
 
Chuk_Chuk said:
Did she open the booking.com link? If so thats probably what the tracker/cookie ad stalker thing, picked up on.
Click to expand...
nope she couldnt even download the screenshot of booking.com i didn't give her the link, nor did she go their

the only way possible is facebook reading whatsapp chats
 
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Your home is the same wifi network. The advertisers probably tracked you and also target her as they know you're in the same household or on the same IP frequently.
 
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smogsy said:
the only way possible is facebook reading whatsapp chats
Click to expand...

Or the tracking cookies have linked you and your partners profiles as related so they advertise things to her that you've been looking at and vice-versa to get you both spending more money.

Just make sure you're doing all your dodgy browsing in a private session before she starts getting adverts for local MILFs ;)
 
Kenai said:
End-to-end encryption just means no one can read it in the middle doesn't it? In it's decrypted state at either end, it'll be perfectly readable to whatever other apps may have access to the messaging app
Click to expand...
Does it? I need to read the privacy policy again but theur website says:

End-to-end encryption​

Messages and calls stay between you. No one else can read or listen to them, not even WhatsApp.

Additional layers of privacy​

Beyond end-to-end encryption, we add additional layers of protection to all of your conversations.



As already suggested, it is more likely to be from visiting the booking site?

Edit: there is something about sharing between Meta apps but I'll need to read it properly.
 
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No need to read Whatsapp chat as they can claim privacy and encryption when the message is sent but keylogging anything put into the phone who knows.
 
sigma said:
Does it? I need to read the privacy policy again but theur website says:

End-to-end encryption​

Messages and calls stay between you. No one else can read or listen to them, not even WhatsApp.

Additional layers of privacy​

Beyond end-to-end encryption, we add additional layers of protection to all of your conversations.



As already suggested, it is more likely to be from visiting the booking site
Click to expand...

I've never understood 'end to end encryption' to mean any additional security is present on the device/messages at either end, only the route between - whether generally or whatsapp specifically.
 
UberTiger said:
Your home is the same wifi network. The advertisers probably tracked you and also target her as they know you're in the same household or on the same IP frequently.
Click to expand...
sounds feasible, although pihole blocks most on our network specially google but possible
 
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smogsy said:
she loaded Facebook up on her phone later that night. every add is about edinbough/trip/booking.com
I don't have Facebook on my phone but logged on out of interested 0 ads.
Click to expand...
Any chance she spoke to a colleague about it and the phone's microphone picked it up and went from there?

I've had two very specific incidents of instagram reels recommending me vids about things i've been chatting about in the phones vicinity within an hour or two of the conversation, it's taking in everything you say.
 
SixTwoSix said:
Any chance she spoke to a colleague about it and the phone's microphone picked it up and went from there?

I've had two very specific incidents of instagram reels recommending me vids about things i've been chatting about in the phones vicinity within an hour or two of the conversation, it's taking in everything you say.
Click to expand...
very possibly might find out tonight :D
 
smogsy said:
sounds feasible, although pihole blocks most on our network specially google but possible
Click to expand...

They also use bluetooth to track and even just the names of nearby networks that your not connected to. The amount of meta data that can be tracked indirectly to build profiles is staggering. They don't need to listen to your conversations or read your direct messages specifically.
 
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