Iran: Delete WhatsApp from your smartphones

On Tuesday afternoon, Iranian state television called on citizens to delete WhatsApp from their smartphones. The broadcaster claimed, without offering specific evidence, that the messaging app collects user data and transmits it to Israel.

In response, WhatsApp issued a statement expressing concern that these unfounded accusations might be used as a pretext to block access to the app. The company emphasized that WhatsApp provides secure communication through end-to-end encryption.

WhatsApp clarified that it does not track users’ exact locations, store records of who users message, or monitor personal conversations. It also stressed that it does not share mass user data with any government, Associated Press reported.

The platform’s end-to-end encryption ensures that only the sender and the intended recipient can read messages. If intercepted, the messages remain unreadable without the correct decryption key.

Gregory Falco, a cybersecurity expert and assistant professor at Cornell University, acknowledged that while messages are encrypted, metadata—such as usage patterns—can still be analyzed. This has long been a point of concern among privacy-conscious users.

Falco added that some users avoid WhatsApp because metadata can reveal general behavioral patterns, such as communication frequency and time stamps, even if message content remains private.

He also highlighted issues of data sovereignty, noting that WhatsApp’s data centers may not be located in the same country as the users they serve. For example, Iranian user data may be stored outside Iran.

According to Falco, countries increasingly see the need to store and process data domestically using national infrastructure and algorithms, due to diminishing trust in global data networks.

WhatsApp is operated by Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Meta services have faced frequent access restrictions in Iran over the years.

Despite bans, Iranians often use VPNs and proxy tools to bypass internet censorship. WhatsApp and Google Play were banned during the 2022 protests over the death of a woman in morality police custody, though access was restored in late 2023.