WhatsApp goes down for users globally

Re:WhatsApp goes down for users globally by dustedcodes on Tuesday October 25, 2022 @05:41AM (#33328321)

Even though I do have WhatsApp I wouldn't have noticed without this HN headline.

Everyone I message with is via iMessage or Signal nowadays and I only have WhatsApp because I am part of a few sports clubs which have a WhatsApp group but we don't chat enough for me to notice a downtime like today.

Makes me happy to see how I've actually managed to rid myself of WhatsApp for the most part.

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Re:WhatsApp goes down for users globally by sgt on Tuesday October 25, 2022 @06:29AM (#33328625)

Same, I use iMessage for anything critical as friends and family are mostly on iPhones, but for those that aren't I use WhatsApp and Telegram.

In some countries WhatsApp is used by almost everyone. I wonder how much all those free users cost Meta each year. Just as a side thought :)

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Re:WhatsApp goes down for users globally by themoonisachees on Tuesday October 25, 2022 @08:59AM (#33329871)

these free users are probably generating revenue by sharing all their conversations to advertisers.

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Re:WhatsApp goes down for users globally by sneak on Tuesday October 25, 2022 @06:52AM (#33328802)

WhatsApp is end to end encrypted and AFAIK now has encrypted backups.

iMessage intentionally preserves a backdoor in its crypto so that the FBI can read approximately every iMessage sent/received without a warrant, should they so desire.

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Re:WhatsApp goes down for users globally by capableweb on Tuesday October 25, 2022 @08:23AM (#33329544)

Both whatsapp and imessage are run by american companies, you can sure both of them are compromised and I wouldn't pass US state secrets via either of them.

For the normal person this matters less of course, intelligence services are not interested in your nudes.

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Re:WhatsApp goes down for users globally by cyphar on Tuesday October 25, 2022 @08:48AM (#33329764)

Signal is also run by an American entity.

> intelligence services are not interested in your nudes

There is actually plenty of evidence they are[1].

[1]: https://www.theverge.com/2014/7/17/5912287/edward-snowden-sa...

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Re:WhatsApp goes down for users globally by ycombinete on Tuesday October 25, 2022 @08:49AM (#33329769)

> intelligence services are not interested in your nudes

If I recall correctly Snowden said the opposite. The guys he was around regularly shared nudes etc of people they were spying ins

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Re:WhatsApp goes down for users globally by eye_street on Tuesday October 25, 2022 @08:58AM (#33329861)

Would you mind expanding on that last bit? It’s this related to iCloud backups, the ability to add an invisible user to a chat, or something else?

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Re:WhatsApp goes down for users globally by jonnybgood on Tuesday October 25, 2022 @09:22AM (#33330124)

> iMessage intentionally preserves a backdoor in its crypto so that the FBI can read approximately every iMessage sent/received without a warrant, should they so desire.

Would be great if you provide a source for that.

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Re:WhatsApp goes down for users globally by plibither8 on Tuesday October 25, 2022 @10:23AM (#33330834)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Room_641A

Might not be the best "source", but there's clear evidence of it being done in the past.

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Re:WhatsApp goes down for users globally by sneak on Tuesday October 25, 2022 @11:18PM (#33339411)

iMessages are encrypted via TLS in transit. Room 641A-style cable taps do not allow them to be read.

The backdoor in their end to end encryption preserved intentionally by Apple to enable surveillance is what allows them to be read - by Apple.

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Re:WhatsApp goes down for users globally by sneak on Tuesday October 25, 2022 @10:13PM (#33338915)

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-fbi-icloud-exclusiv...

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Re:WhatsApp goes down for users globally by Nextgrid on Tuesday October 25, 2022 @09:39AM (#33330307)

Maybe not a backdoor but iCloud backups being enabled by default (and those are not end-to-end encrypted) effectively serves as one.

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