A Twitter user discovered that Google was indexing WhatsApp group chat links, making them and their content available to anyone…
While most people probably think only a small portion of the internet is off-limits to the public, that’s simply not true. In fact, the majority of content on the web is actually private, hidden behind corporate networks. But, even some otherwise private areas are accessible and that apparently is the case with WhatsApp group chat links.
Google Indexed WhatsApp Group Chat Links, making Private Groups Discoverable
Invitations to WhatsApp group chats are being actively indexed by Google, thereby making the links and the contents of private group chats, discoverable and available to anyone who joins.
According to a journalist, the ostensibly private links and conversations are readily accessible through Google. This might be a result of WhatsApp users sharing said links outside the ecosystem’s private messaging service.
At this time, there’s no official explanation to how this occurred.
Your WhatsApp groups may not be as secure as you think they are.
The “Invite to Group via Link” feature allows groups to be indexed by Google and they are generally available across the internet. With some wildcard search terms you can easily find some… interesting… groups. pic.twitter.com/hbDlyN6g3q
— Jordan Wildon (@JordanWildon) February 21, 2020