WhatsApp security alert: Strangers could get an invitation to your private group
Invitations to private WhatsApp groups have been published online and can be found with a Google search. The messaging app’s groups are supposed to serve as safe havens where users can speak to friends in total privacy. But invitations to these groups can be found in a simple Google search. ‘Your WhatsApp groups may not be as secure as you think they are,’ tweeted Jordan Wildon, a multimedia journalist for German outlet Deutsche Welle, who discovered the glitch.
This claim was backed up by Jane Manchun-Wong, a computer expert who is world-famous for reverse-engineering apps to find hidden features. She said a simple Google search revealed 470,000 group invite links.
The invitations published online included porn groups as well as others linked to organisations including the UN. If you can find an invitation, it’s possible to get inside the group and potentially find out members’ phone numbers.
