Jakarta, Indonesia Sentinel — Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has disclosed that WhatsApp chats on users’ phones can be accessed by third parties, including intelligence agencies like the CIA. The revelation came during an interview on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, where Zuckerberg explained how authorities can exploit vulnerabilities in encryption.
As the head of Meta, Zuckerberg oversees platforms including Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and Threads. He highlighted that while WhatsApp messages are protected by end-to-end encryption—a security protocol designed to ensure that messages can only be read by the sender and recipient—this protection could still be exploited.
“The way encryption works is it ensures that the company managing the service can’t see the messages,” Zuckerberg explained.
Encryption Exploitation
Despite WhatsApp’s robust encryption for messages sent through the app, it has limits. While the encryptions can protect data in transit, it cannot safeguard data in the phone devices. Intelligence agencies and hackers have their focus to exploiting these vulnerabilities, Zuckerberg said.
One such method involves spyware like Pegasus, a tool developed by Israel-based NSO Group. Pegasus has gained infamy for its ability to infiltrate devices and access messages, photos, and call logs without intercepting communications during transmission. This software has been used to compromise the iPhones of government officials worldwide.
Zuckerberg specifically mentioned that tools like Pegasus allow direct access to data stored on a device, bypassing the app’s encryption.
CIA Accusations and Broader Concerns
The discussion also touched on claims by journalist Tucker Carlson, who accused U.S. intelligence agencies, including the CIA, of interfering with his attempt to interview Russian President Vladimir Putin by accessing his private messages.
While Zuckerberg acknowledged the risks of surveillance, he emphasized Meta’s commitment to protecting user privacy.
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WhatsApp Privacy Features
Zuckerberg pointed to WhatsApp’s disappearing messages feature as a significant step toward safeguarding user privacy. The feature automatically deletes messages, photos, and videos after a specified period, reducing the amount of sensitive data stored on devices.
“Making [chats] encrypted and disappearing is a good standard for security and privacy,” Zuckerberg stated.
Despite ongoing concerns about privacy vulnerabilities, Zuckerberg reaffirmed that Meta is continually developing tools to enhance user security in an increasingly surveillance-prone digital landscape.
(Raidi/Agung)
