Iran has asked its citizens to uninstall WhatsApp. WhatsApp’s response has been outraged

He Application blocking during protests or armed conflicts is something that We have seen before. Although it is not a blockade for now, WhatsApp is in the spotlight in Iran. In the middle of Conflict with IsraelIranian state television asked a few days ago to its population that They will erase WhatsApp from their devices. The reason? According to them, the Meta app shares data with Israel. WhatsApp soon responded.

Iran’s accusation. They tell it in AP news. Last Tuesday afternoon, on Iranian state television, the population to erase WhatsApp from their mobiles was urged. Iran ensures that the app is collecting user information, including your last locationand sharing it with Israeli intelligence, although without any proof that corroborates it.

The WhatsApp response. In a Message posted in your X profileWhatsApp has responded bluntly, crossing this accusation of false information and highlighting that they use end -to -end encryption. This means that the information cannot be read if it is intercepted, it is only convenient when it reaches the recipient. They also emphasize that they do not keep registration of user location. Here the full message:

This information is false and we are concerned that it will be used as an excuse to block whatsapp just when they need it most.

All your personal messages and calls are encrypted from end to end, so we cannot see them.

We do not track your exact location.

We do not keep records of personal messages that are sent to each other.

We do not provide massive information to any government.

Can a government ask WhatsApp information? In a response to the WhatsApp publication in X, a user questioned if “we did not provide massive information to any government” meant that they do provide more detailed information. The truth is that there are cases in which yes They can share information before requests from order forcesfor example, given an emergency situation or investigation. In your response to this userWhatsApp insists that the Iran-Israel conflict is not one of these cases.

In his Help centerWhatsApp explains how the process works when one of these applications occurs, which always has to meet the legal framework and its privacy policy. Among the data they can share with the authorities is the username, the date on which it started using WhatsApp, date of the last use, IP address, device information, your name, profile photo, contact list or its email. Goal provides details about government requests in its Transparency Centeralthough the data is updated every six months, so the most recent is from December 2024.

Iran and WhatsApp have history. The finishing messaging app has already been in the spotlight of the Iranian government. In 2022, during Protests for the death of Masha Amini At the hands of the Iranian police, the government blocked Internet access in some parts of Tehran. Access to Instagram and WhatsApp was also blocked in an attempt to weaken the protests, it was not until late 2024 When they lifted the blockade. On the other hand, a few days ago The Internet connection will restrict throughout the country as a measure to prevent “cyber attacks from the enemy”, although They assured which would be a “temporary, specific and controlled.”

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