WEBDESK: Iranian state TV has asked people to delete WhatsApp from their phones, claiming, without offering any evidence, that the messaging app collects users’ information to send to Israel.
In response, WhatsApp strongly denied the accusation and expressed concern that the claims might be used as an excuse to block its services again.
The platform said, “We are concerned these false reports will be an excuse for our services to be blocked at a time when people need them the most.”
WhatsApp, owned by Meta Platforms, the same company behind Facebook and Instagram, stressed that its service is designed to protect privacy.
It explained that it uses end-to-end encryption, which means messages are locked and can only be read by the person sending them and the person receiving them.
Even if intercepted, the message would appear scrambled and unreadable without a special key.
The app added, “We do not track your precise location, we don’t keep logs of who everyone is messaging and we do not track the personal messages people are sending one another. We do not provide bulk information to any government.”
The app uses end-to-end encryption, a security method that scrambles messages so only the sender and the person receiving them can read what’s being said.
If someone tries to intercept the message, all they’ll see is unreadable data, unless they have the special key to unlock it.
Despite these reassurances, experts say concerns around metadata still exist.
Gregory Falco, a cybersecurity expert and assistant professor at Cornell University, pointed out that even though the contents of messages are secure, it’s still possible to learn things from how people use the app.
“So you can understand things about how people are using the app and that’s been a consistent issue where people have not been interested in engaging with WhatsApp for that (reason),” Falco said.
He also highlighted the issue of data sovereignty. That’s when a country wants its citizens’ data stored and processed within its own borders.
“Countries need to house their data in-country and process the data in-country with their own algorithms,” he said. “Because it’s really hard increasingly to trust the global network of data infrastructure.
Over the years, Iran has blocked access to several social media and messaging platforms. Despite this, many Iranians continue to use VPNs and other tools to get around these restrictions.
Iran has a history of restricting access to international digital platforms.
Before the ban, WhatsApp was among the most widely used messaging platforms in Iran, alongside Instagram and Telegram.
The current warning from state TV repeats the earlier unproven claim that WhatsApp collects and sends user data to Israel.
The company has repeated its stance that this is false and that it does not hand over users’ private information.
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