WhatsApp Moderators Can View Users’ Private Messages

In March 2019, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced a new company approach to privacy, using WhatsApp as an example and highlighting its main feature—end-to-end encryption. This encryption turns messages into an unreadable format that only the intended recipients can access. Zuckerberg assured users that no one else, not even the company itself, could read these messages. However, according to a new report by the nonprofit investigative organization ProPublica, these assurances are not entirely accurate.

The article states that WhatsApp employs over 1,000 contractors in Austin, Texas, Dublin, and Singapore who review user content using artificial intelligence systems and special Facebook software. This tool allows them to analyze streams of private messages, images, and videos that have been reported to the company for issues such as fraudulent content, spam, child pornography, or potential terrorism. Typically, the entire content review process takes less than one minute.

According to ProPublica, the work of a WhatsApp moderator is similar to that of moderators on Facebook or Instagram. Job postings mention “content review,” but do not specify Facebook or WhatsApp. Moderators are paid from $16.50 per hour. If asked, employees are instructed to say they work for Accenture (the company declined to comment). Moderators also sign a non-disclosure agreement.

Because WhatsApp content is encrypted, AI systems cannot automatically scan all chats, images, or videos as they do on Facebook and Instagram. Former WhatsApp engineers explain that moderators gain access to private content only when a user reports a message for allegedly violating the service’s policies. The reported message, along with the four previous messages in the conversation, is then forwarded to a moderator in unencrypted form and placed in a review queue.

The unencrypted data includes user profile names and images, phone numbers, status, battery level, language and time zone, device ID, IP address and operating system, wireless signal strength, linked Facebook and Instagram accounts, date of last app use, and violation history.

In response to the article, a Facebook spokesperson stated:

“We build WhatsApp in a way that limits data collection but provides tools to fight spam, investigate threats, and ban violators, including based on user reports.”

The company also noted that WhatsApp has introduced new privacy protection tools, such as disappearing messages.

“Based on the feedback we receive from users, we are confident that people understand that when they send a WhatsApp message, we receive the content they send,” the Facebook spokesperson added.