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Tracking friends and strangers using WhatsApp

robertheaton.com

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Re: Tracking friends and strangers using WhatsApp

#122

Post by dx034 »

j_s wrote: post #70
antirez wrote: post #34

A few weeks ago there was a similar discussion, and I commented the following: If you think there is no problem, you are wrong. The blog post does not show all the information leaks that this implies. Example: I can modify the script to monitor all the numbers I've in my phone, so that based on the online/offline status in a few weeks I can be able to guess who is having conversations together, discovering cheatings,…

Most Tor busts follow a similar pattern, watching both ends of the connection. There is a real need for a "tor delay" metadata-disruption-as-a-service, where random strangers invoke one another's web callbacks and report back the result in exchange for Bitcoin (Strangers on a Train -style). Someone put it on the block chain and start an ICO!

same risk as hosting an exit node. It could take a while convincing police that you obfuscated traffic patterns without any involvement in the crimes they're after. I think most people wouldn't want to take that risk.

Re: Tracking friends and strangers using WhatsApp

#123

Post by pvorb »

kuschku wrote: post #93
NeoBasilisk wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yikes, that second person is almost robotic in their sleep patterns.

Actually, most normal working people are similar to the second person. Only few people have sleep patterns like me (first, erratic graph), and I have them because I spend often my nights working on projects, trying to build new products, and once I've started one, it's hard to stop.

I don't think one of them can be a working person. Both are texting all the time while they're awake.

Re: Tracking friends and strangers using WhatsApp

#124

Post by gsich »

jeromegv wrote: post #86
gsich wrote: post #83

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whatsapp doesn't have a read receipt either. Just because the message was displayed, doesn't mean it was read.

You are mistaken. They do make a distinction between actually read and just delivered.

How do they do that? Opened the message on device != read.

Re: Tracking friends and strangers using WhatsApp

#125

Post by gsich »

kevingrahl wrote: post #95
janwh wrote: post #50

Nevermind the clever writing but the issue has been known for years—and beautifully exploited with the selfhostable ready-made solution WhatsSpy Public since Feb 2015: https://gitlab.maikel.pro/maikeldus/WhatsSpy-Public/ It's not actively maintained anymore but Maikel deserves some credit for it.

Do you happen to know if it’s still working without heavy modifications?

Probably not, it used Chat-API [0], but the developer is kind of an asshole. But I admit, people just post stupid issues all the time. However I don't share the developers opinion that this was abused. My friends and I haven't received spam messages on Whatsapp. I admit that may be a small sample size, but still.

[0] https://github.com/mgp25/Chat-API

Re: Tracking friends and strangers using WhatsApp

#126

Post by helloindia »

antoaravinth wrote: post #110

I might be wrong here, but what if I change my settings to "not show the last seen status"? I guess in that case this doesn't work. Yes, I believe checking "Online" status frequently does give some information about my activity. Correct me if I'm wrong here.

I was thinking the same. I haven't seen any of my friend with last seen status enabled.

Re: Tracking friends and strangers using WhatsApp

#128

Post by kintamanimatt »

kzisme wrote: post #60

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I haven't ever used WhatsApp. Is there a huge benefit to using it over SMS, or something similar?

Particularly for those living in Europe, or those that have a lot of international friends - all with phone numbers from different countries - it's a godsend. My phone bill would be ridiculous if I were texting my friends in Sweden or Brazil from my Dutch SIM. iMessage for similar reasons.

Also the group messages are great. My housemates and I all talk via a WhatsApp group. It makes it far easier to hold a coherent group conversation when some of us aren't at home. SMS would be a ballache.

Oh and GIFs, voice messages, and videos can be sent in messages. Free calling too. I can call my friends in Australia for nothing, and it's not a bullshit experience like Skype.

I almost never send true blue SMS any longer.

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