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Ask HN: Ads triggered by WhatsApp “end to end encrypted” messages?

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Re: Ask HN: Ads triggered by WhatsApp “end to end encrypted” messages?

#11

Post by davidgerard »

h2odragon wrote: post #2

Assuming you're using a phone, is there a "keyboard app" that could be intercepting things before WhatsApp? other endpoint issues with security? Not that I'd be surprised to see a big company flatly lying about their product, but because they're so big I suspect you need to work hard to eliminate other possibilities before taking them to court.

Facebook has an extensive history of grabbing people's data, lying about it, being caught and fined, apologising, then doing it again. So it's absolutely in character.

Re: Ask HN: Ads triggered by WhatsApp “end to end encrypted” messages?

#12

Post by rreyes1979 »

napolux wrote: post #3

IANAL of course, but you should read the ToS carefully and you will probably find something that allows them to read your messages anyway. e2e encryption doesn't forbid to read the messages as you type or read them or read a screenshot of the screen or whatever they can do inside an app :P They were caught activating your camera by "error" a while ago https://www.macrumors.com/2019/11/12/facebook-bug-camera-bac... As…

We are seeing the same thing. More so, my wife sent me a picture of my daughter working on a puzzle. Less than 24 hours later, her Instagram was showing ads for a store that was selling the same type of puzzle as the one my daughter was playing with. So it's not just terms but images too.

Re: Ask HN: Ads triggered by WhatsApp “end to end encrypted” messages?

#14

Post by rreyes1979 »

arnath wrote: post #8
rreyes1979 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No keyboard app. We use the regular Android Keyboard provided by Google.

But doesn’t Gboard send your typing data to Google?

But this is Instagram and WhatsApp. Are they sharing data about our conversations openly?

Re: Ask HN: Ads triggered by WhatsApp “end to end encrypted” messages?

#15

Post by rreyes1979 »

FreeHugs wrote: post #5

Just because that the messages might be sent end-to-end encrypted from Sue to Joe does not mean Meta cannot read them. Meta has control over the app Sue uses. So they could send them to Meta unencrypted in addition to sending them to Joe in an encrypted fashion. Or they just extract the relevant terms: Sue->Joe: "Hello Joe, I'm so excited! We are going to have a baby! Let's call it Dingbert. You're not the father! Ji…

More so, my wife sent me a picture of my daughter working on a puzzle. Less than 24 hours later, her Instagram was showing ads for a store that was selling the same type of puzzle as the one my daughter was playing with. So it's not just terms but images too.

Re: Ask HN: Ads triggered by WhatsApp “end to end encrypted” messages?

#17

Post by Maro »

Some options:

1. Nobody is reading your WA messages, the same topics can be learned from your browsing activity or other msgs, eg. by reading your sms texts.

2. Meta is reading your messages directly in-transit, server-side.

3. Meta is not reading your messages server-side, but the Meta apps extract keywords from your conversations and request relevant ads from the ad servers.

4. Another non-Meta app is doing the above.

5...

Re: Ask HN: Ads triggered by WhatsApp “end to end encrypted” messages?

#18

Post by Maro »

Whatsapp FAQ:

WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption is used when you chat with another person using WhatsApp Messenger. End-to-end encryption ensures only you and the person you're communicating with can read or listen to what is sent, and nobody in between, not even WhatsApp. This is because with end-to-end encryption, your messages are secured with a lock, and only the recipient and you have the special key needed to unlock and read them. All of this happens automatically: no need to turn on any special settings to secure your messages.

https://faq.whatsapp.com/791574747982248

Re: Ask HN: Ads triggered by WhatsApp “end to end encrypted” messages?

#19

Post by napolux »

rreyes1979 wrote: post #12
napolux wrote: post #3

IANAL of course, but you should read the ToS carefully and you will probably find something that allows them to read your messages anyway. e2e encryption doesn't forbid to read the messages as you type or read them or read a screenshot of the screen or whatever they can do inside an app :P They were caught activating your camera by "error" a while ago https://www.macrumors.com/2019/11/12/facebook-bug-camera-bac... As…

We are seeing the same thing. More so, my wife sent me a picture of my daughter working on a puzzle. Less than 24 hours later, her Instagram was showing ads for a store that was selling the same type of puzzle as the one my daughter was playing with. So it's not just terms but images too.

putting on my tinfoil hat

yup, do you think all these img recognition stuff is made for fun? companies wants to use them to read our pics on your phones and profile us

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