3 ms·

No. A user owns each endpoint. Whatsapp provides a service to the owners of the endpoints. Yes, Whatsapp is in a position to act unethically and steal informat

No. A user owns each endpoint. Whatsapp provides a service to the owners of the endpoints. Yes, Whatsapp is in a position to act unethically and steal information, but that does not make Whatsapp the owner of anything.

xorcist 2y ago
Whatsapp is not something you can compile or inspect easily. They own the endpoint, in that specific meaning. They may not have root access on the device, but inside the client nothing is out of scope. It is their client. Any data you enter into the client is data they 0wn.
- sunshowers 2y ago
  You can definitely decompile WhatsApp on Android to inspect it. I'm sure security researchers do this regularly, including those looking for a bug bounty that could be life-changing.
  - xorcist 2y ago
    You can always inspect what you are running right now. Again, they literally own the software. They could augment it at runtime, or do whatever else they desire. You have to trust them that they don't copy your data. How the transport protocol works is completely beside the point. Security researchers analyze software in order to third party attack vectors. They do not analyze first or second party attack vectors, because that would be silly. There's simply too many of them.
benfortuna 2y ago
They don't have to steal information in order to block inappropriate content. The app itself can detect and block without external intervention.
- hellojesus 2y ago
  Presumably they would use edge based hash scans or ai models to detect unsavory content. But if the content is so extreme as to be unsavory, likely they will be legally required to report it to leo. The next steps are leo seizing your device(s) or leo having WhatsApp start sending all your messages to them for review. What happens when leo adds the hash of a state-loathed meme?

3 ms·

No. A user owns each endpoint. Whatsapp provides a service to the owners of the endpoints. Yes, Whatsapp is in a position to act unethically and steal informat

by Hizonner 2y ago

xorcist 2y ago
Whatsapp is not something you can compile or inspect easily. They own the endpoint, in that specific meaning. They may not have root access on the device, but inside the client nothing is out of scope. It is their client. Any data you enter into the client is data they 0wn.
- sunshowers 2y ago
  You can definitely decompile WhatsApp on Android to inspect it. I'm sure security researchers do this regularly, including those looking for a bug bounty that could be life-changing.
  - xorcist 2y ago
    You can always inspect what you are running right now. Again, they literally own the software. They could augment it at runtime, or do whatever else they desire. You have to trust them that they don't copy your data. How the transport protocol works is completely beside the point. Security researchers analyze software in order to third party attack vectors. They do not analyze first or second party attack vectors, because that would be silly. There's simply too many of them.
benfortuna 2y ago
They don't have to steal information in order to block inappropriate content. The app itself can detect and block without external intervention.
- hellojesus 2y ago
  Presumably they would use edge based hash scans or ai models to detect unsavory content. But if the content is so extreme as to be unsavory, likely they will be legally required to report it to leo. The next steps are leo seizing your device(s) or leo having WhatsApp start sending all your messages to them for review. What happens when leo adds the hash of a state-loathed meme?