3.5B Accounts: Complete WhatsApp Directory Retrieved and Evaluated
4 days ago
- #privacy
- #data-leak
- Researchers retrieved 3.5 billion WhatsApp profiles, marking the largest data leak in history.
- The data included phone numbers, public keys, and profile details, accessible without protection.
- Meta Platforms (WhatsApp's operator) ignored repeated warnings from researchers for a year.
- Sensitive data exposed includes user distribution, business accounts, churn rates, and fraud centers.
- WhatsApp bans in China, Iran, Myanmar, and North Korea were ineffective, with millions of active accounts.
- 30% of users filled the 'Info' field, revealing personal, political, or professional details.
- 57% of users uploaded profile pictures, many containing faces, enabling facial recognition risks.
- Profile changes and device registrations exposed additional user behavior patterns.