WhatsApp is facing renewed scrutiny after Iranian state media urged citizens to delete the app and alleged it was sending user data to Israel.
The messaging platform, owned by US tech giant Meta, denied the claim and said it was “concerned these false reports will be an excuse for our services to be blocked at a time when people need them the most”.
“We do not track your precise location, we don’t keep logs of who everyone is messaging and we do not track the personal messages people are sending one another,” a statement said. “We do not provide bulk information to any government.”
The timing of the accusation has sparked fresh debate around WhatsApp’s security, particularly given that Israel is the only country known to have successfully hacked the platform.
Strong encryption?
“WhatsApp uses strong end-to-end encryption, which means only the sender and receiver can read the messages,” said Mohammad Ismail, vice president for EMEA at Cequence Security, a company that offers application programming interfaces security management. "Even WhatsApp itself can’t see what’s being shared."
In practice, this kind of encryption is considered very secure and is trusted by security professionals around the world, he said.
"However, the biggest risks usually does not come from the encryption, but from things like someone getting access to your phone or tricking you into revealing your login,” he told The National.
Pegasus breach
In 2019, the messaging platform filed a lawsuit against Israeli spyware company NSO Group, claiming the firm’s Pegasus software had exploited a vulnerability in the app to target more than 1,400 users.
Victims included journalists, human rights defenders and activists across several countries.
The attack did not compromise WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption. Instead it utilised a “zero-click” exploit, a method that enables spyware to be installed simply by sending a specially crafted message or call, which triggers the hack without the user needing to click or even see it.
Once Pegasus is installed, it can bypass encryption entirely by accessing messages directly, recording calls and even activating the phone’s camera and microphone without the user’s knowledge, according to the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.
The NSO Group says it licenses Pegasus exclusively to vetted government clients for use in counterterrorism and criminal investigations, and all foreign sales are subject to approval by the Israeli Defence Ministry.
Encryption v device-level threats
While WhatsApp’s encryption remains intact in such cases, security experts warn encryption alone is not enough to protect against sophisticated surveillance tools.
Experts say directly breaching WhatsApp encryption is extremely unlikely. “It would take huge computing power and advanced knowledge, which even most government agencies don’t have,” Mr Ismail said. “Instead, hackers usually go after easier targets, like hacking into your phone, sending fake links, or using spyware.”
Technical flaws and metadata risks
Subho Halder, chief executive and co-founder of Appknox, a security platform, noted that WhatsApp’s encryption protocol, the Signal Protocol, is considered the gold standard in secure messaging.
“WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption remains mathematically unbreakable with today’s technology,” Mr Halder told The National.
However, a recent scan of WhatsApp’s latest Android build (v2.25.9.78) by Appknox uncovered several critical and high-severity implementation flaws, including insecure network configurations, hardcoded secrets and potential file access vulnerabilities.
“These don’t break encryption directly, but they expose sensitive data through poor engineering practices,” he added. “The real risk often lies not in the cryptography, but in how securely it’s implemented.”
He added that other vectors remain concerning. “WhatsApp does not encrypt metadata, like who messaged whom, when and for how long, which can still be revealing even without access to the message content,” Mr Halder said.
He noted that cloud backups, while now optionally encrypted, have previously posed security risks.
Regional distrust
The renewed concern over WhatsApp’s vulnerability comes amid broader distrust in Meta in the Middle East.
Last year, the firm updated its hate speech guidelines to restrict posts referencing Zionists, saying the term was frequently used in way to dehumanise Jews and Israelis.
However, researchers and rights groups argue this change has led to the suppression of political speech, especially from pro-Palestinian voices.
Meta has been accused of “shadow-banning” Arabic or Palestine-related content, and Human Rights Watch documented more than 1,000 instances of post removals or demotions on Facebook and Instagram in October and November last year.
Wider context in Iran
Iran’s call to delete WhatsApp is not unprecedented. The app was blocked during nationwide protests in 2022 following the death of Mahsa Amini in police custody.
Although the ban was lifted late last year, the government maintains tight control over digital communication and platforms like WhatsApp are widely used via virtual private networks (VPNs).
WhatsApp is one of Iran’s most popular messaging apps, along with Instagram and Telegram.
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
Lost to Oman by 12 runs
Beat Namibia by 43 runs
UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv
Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
South Africa World Cup squad
South Africa: Faf du Plessis (c), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (w), JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Dale Steyn, Rassie van der Dussen.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Explainer: Tanween Design Programme
Non-profit arts studio Tashkeel launched this annual initiative with the intention of supporting budding designers in the UAE. This year, three talents were chosen from hundreds of applicants to be a part of the sixth creative development programme. These are architect Abdulla Al Mulla, interior designer Lana El Samman and graphic designer Yara Habib.
The trio have been guided by experts from the industry over the course of nine months, as they developed their own products that merge their unique styles with traditional elements of Emirati design. This includes laboratory sessions, experimental and collaborative practice, investigation of new business models and evaluation.
It is led by British contemporary design project specialist Helen Voce and mentor Kevin Badni, and offers participants access to experts from across the world, including the likes of UK designer Gareth Neal and multidisciplinary designer and entrepreneur, Sheikh Salem Al Qassimi.
The final pieces are being revealed in a worldwide limited-edition release on the first day of Downtown Designs at Dubai Design Week 2019. Tashkeel will be at stand E31 at the exhibition.
Lisa Ball-Lechgar, deputy director of Tashkeel, said: “The diversity and calibre of the applicants this year … is reflective of the dynamic change that the UAE art and design industry is witnessing, with young creators resolute in making their bold design ideas a reality.”
Who is Allegra Stratton?
- Previously worked at The Guardian, BBC’s Newsnight programme and ITV News
- Took up a public relations role for Chancellor Rishi Sunak in April 2020
- In October 2020 she was hired to lead No 10’s planned daily televised press briefings
- The idea was later scrapped and she was appointed spokeswoman for Cop26
- Ms Stratton, 41, is married to James Forsyth, the political editor of The Spectator
- She has strong connections to the Conservative establishment
- Mr Sunak served as best man at her 2011 wedding to Mr Forsyth
OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
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