[daphne]

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - WhatsApp, one of the most popular apps in the world, contravenes international privacy laws because it forces users to provide access to their entire address book, Canadian and Dutch data protection authorities said.

WhatsApp, which ranks as one of the world's top five best-selling apps, is an instant-messaging application for smartphones including Apple's iPhone and Research in Motion's Blackberry.

More details in article.
WhatsApp violates privacy laws over phone numbers: report | Reuters

[ZombieBerry]

+10000 Daphne!!!!

I have been saying this since the effing app came out. All apps that want unrestricted access to my contacts are a big no no in my book!!

[fourstringfuror]

WhatsApp is bad news. Stay far away from it.

[daphne]

I've read articles too saying the chat transmissions are not encrypted in any way. No security at all.

WhatsApp is broken, really broken | fileperms
WhatsApp security fails again | fileperms

[ZombieBerry]

I had thought in response to the first round of issues, Whatsapp decided to encrypt something. Not sure if it was contact information or messages themselves.

Some people can't seem to grasp that months after you stop using whatsapp, your phone number may still be accessible from their servers.

[fourstringfuror]

This is one reason I was disappointed to see BlackBerry promoting WhatsApp as one of the top apps that the new devices would get.

[NJBlackBerry]

Yes indeed - in agreement on that. I don't use it and haven't loaded it on the Zed/Zee 10.