WhatsApp accused of activating the microphone without permission

He accused WhatsApp of activating the microphone of Android smartphones without users’ permission, even when the app is not being used. The complaints began over the weekend, in posts on Twitter.

It all started when Fouad El-Debeiri, an engineer on the social network, released a picture of the timeline of using the microphone on his cell phone, Google Pixel 7 Pro. The microphone was activated during the night while he was sleeping.

After the post, more users reported the same issue and posted screenshots of the cell phone history. In addition to the models from the Pixel line, the records were noted in the Samsung Galaxy S23 and S22 Ultra models, all of which have Android 13 operating system.

WhatsApp response about the ‘ghost’ microphone

The case gained notoriety on Tuesday the 9th, when Twitter CEO Elon Musk shared Dabiri’s account. Hours later, WhatsApp spoke. The company attributed the misuse of the microphone to a bug in the Android operating system, which Google will have to fix.

According to WhatsApp, the privacy panel on Android devices misinterpreted some privacy information. This way that will enable the feature. those responsible for program They said they’ve been in touch with a Twitter engineer who revealed that users have complete control over the use of the microphone, which only activates during calls, message recordings, and other features where the component is required.

To date, no updates have been made. Users who encountered the problem said that they were able to fix it after restarting their phones.

Read more