WhatsApp, one of the world’s most popular messaging apps, recently faced scrutiny regarding its microphone usage, know how to check it
A viral tweet claimed that WhatsApp had been accessing the microphone while the user was asleep. This raised concerns about privacy and led to a response from Elon Musk, who said that WhatsApp “cannot be trusted.” Below, we will explore how to check WhatsApp’s microphone usage on Android devices, discuss WhatsApp’s response to the issue, and Elon Musk’s statement.
How to check WhatsApp microphone usage
WhatsApp has been using the microphone in the background, while I was asleep and since I woke up at 6AM (and that's just a part of the timeline!) What's going on? pic.twitter.com/pNIfe4VlHV
— Foad Dabiri (@foaddabiri) May 6, 2023
I've checked microphone usage in my phone as well & whatsapp is using it even though I didn't send any voice messages to anyone.#whatsapp #privacyviolation #unauthorizedmicaccess pic.twitter.com/g62FVa4ZVl
— Siddharth Shatavelli (@siddhugupta97) May 10, 2023
Checking WhatsApp microphone usage on Android
If you are using an Android device with Android 12 or beyond, you can utilize the Privacy Dashboard feature to monitor which apps are accessing your privacy permissions without your knowledge. Here’s how to check WhatsApp’s microphone usage:
Open Settings on your Android device.
Navigate to the Privacy section.
Find and select Privacy Dashboard.
Look for the Microphone option within the Privacy Dashboard.
The Microphone section will provide information on which apps have accessed your device’s microphone, including WhatsApp.
WhatsApp’s response
Following the viral tweet claiming unauthorized WhatsApp microphone usage, the platform acknowledged the incident but attributed it to a bug on Android.
WhatsApp revealed that the misattribution of information in their Privacy Dashboard caused the app to appear as if it had accessed the microphone during specific times when the user was asleep. The company promptly reached out to a Twitter engineer who posted the issue and requested that Google investigate and resolve the bug.
WhatsApp clarified that users have complete control over their microphone settings and emphasized that the app only accesses the microphone when initiating a call, recording a voice note, or capturing a video. Additionally, WhatsApp reassured users that all communications are protected by end-to-end encryption, ensuring that the app itself cannot listen to or access the content of these communications.
Elon Musk’s remarks
Elon Musk responded to the tweet regarding WhatsApp’s microphone usage by saying, “WhatsApp cannot be trusted.” In subsequent replies, Musk highlighted that WhatsApp is owned by Meta (formerly Facebook) and pointed out that the app’s founders had left the company and expressed their discontent by initiating the #deletefacebook campaign.
Musk also mentioned their involvement in developing Signal, an alternative messaging app that prioritizes privacy and security.