WhatsApp has denied claims that it constantly uses the microphone on smartphones even when the app is not in use.
The issue has been festering for weeks, but has now morphed into a full-blown privacy debacle for the messaging app.
On Tuesday, Elon Musk tweeted that “WhatsApp cannot be trusted.” The Twitter CEO made the incendiary statement in response to a viral tweet from a Twitter staffer. In the post, Foad Dabiri said that WhatsApp had quietly been using his phone’s mic while he was asleep.
A screenshot shared by the Twitter engineer appeared to show that WhatsApp had intermittently accessed his mic early in the morning.
The claim followed similar online reports from Samsung and Pixel phone owners. Confused users asked “Why is my WhatsApp using my microphone all the time?” and “WhatsApp using microphone when not in use” in a series of posts shared on Reddit, and Google and Samsung’s support websites.
WhatsApp on Tuesday responded by saying that the issue was due to a “bug” on Android that “misattributes information” in the “privacy dashboard”.
Users have full control over their mic settings
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) May 9, 2023
Once granted permission, WhatsApp only accesses the mic when a user is making a call or recording a voice note or video - and even then, these communications are protected by end-to-end encryption so WhatsApp cannot hear them
Located in your Android phone settings, the privacy dashboard lets you view what apps are using which permissions. This includes things such as access to your location, microphone, and camera, which many apps require to function correctly.
WhatsApp added that it had asked Google to investigate and “remediate” the issue. A Google spokesman told The Standard: “We are aware of the issue and are working closely with WhatsApp to investigate.”
We also contacted WhatsApp for a comment.
In a follow-up tweet, WhatsApp said that it can access the mic only with permission “when a user is making a call or recording a voice note or video.” It said: “These communications are protected by end-to-end encryption so WhatsApp cannot hear them.”
How to check if WhatsApp is using your mic
You can see how many times WhatsApp has used your mic, or even block it from accessing it altogether, via your Android phone’s settings.
Here, you should select “privacy”, and then “microphone” to see which apps have used your mic recently.
You can also block all apps from using your mic by toggling microphone access off. However, this will also stop you from making voice or video calls using apps such as WhatsApp, Zoom or Skype.
To see which permissions WhatsApp has access to specifically, go to your phone’s settings and scroll down until you see “apps”.
Now, scroll down again and select WhatsApp or search for it via the search bar. Here, you can toggle on or off permissions such as camera and mic access, among others.
WhatsApp vs Twitter
The timing of Musk’s attack on WhatsApp is notable. The entrepreneur appears to be positioning Twitter as a WhatsApp rival by promising to introduce voice and video calls.
WhatsApp cannot be trusted https://t.co/3gdNxZOLLy
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 9, 2023
With latest version of app, you can DM reply to any message in the thread (not just most recent) and use any emoji reaction.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 9, 2023
Release of encrypted DMs V1.0 should happen tomorrow. This will grow in sophistication rapidly. The acid test is that I could not see your DMs even if…
The social network already lets you tweet businesses and organisations, a feature WhatsApp borrowed back in 2018 and has gradually been expanding since.
Musk has also promised to add encryption for Twitter direct messages. The secure privacy feature is a bedrock for many messaging apps, including WhatsApp and Signal, and means that others cannot access your communications.
