How Will You Prevent Location Information from Being Exposed on WhatsApp?

Hakan Karakoca
Onedio Member
0
Source: https://onedio.com/haber/whatsapp-ta-kon...

Cybersecurity expert Elorm Daniel has claimed that WhatsApp messages contain location information, even if users do not share their location. According to the details he shared from his X account, during a forensic examination on an iPhone 12 Pro Max, he noticed that the metadata of a message he sent revealed the location of the person he was corresponding with. Daniel argued that neither he nor the sender of the message requested this data, but the phone automatically recorded the information.

So, how will you protect yourself from this exposed vulnerability? By following the procedures in our news, you can personally prevent this data breach.

What does a data breach entail?

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Daniel stated, 'This implies that if your location is turned on while you're chatting on WhatsApp, it's possible for your location to be retrieved from another person's device during a forensic examination.'

The expert highlighted that the data collected by WhatsApp isn't limited to just location information. He pointed out that metadata retains details such as who created a group, when it was created, and who was added or removed, even if the person has left the group. Daniel emphasized that storing this data on the device could potentially be used in investigations concerning the individual.

Photographs, videos, screen recordings, and logs are becoming accessible, now even with location information.

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Daniel emphasized that every photo, video, recording, and screenshot on our phones embed the location where the file was created: 'Your phone automatically logs GPS coordinates for every media file. This means that investigators can pinpoint exactly where you were when you took a photo, recorded a video, or captured a screenshot,' he explained.

The expert went on to assert that this level of metadata can track human movements and behaviors with astonishing accuracy along a timeline. Moreover, he suggested that the device keeps records of URL addresses, usernames, passwords, and all installed applications.

Eren Turkmen, a user who posts on X, also provided some tips on how to escape from this vulnerability.

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In his post, Turkmen advised, 'There's just one setting you need to adjust to avoid falling victim to this vulnerability. Follow these steps: Whatsapp > Settings > Privacy > Advanced > Disable Link Previews.'

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