• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • Startups
  • Funding
  • Sponsored
whatsapp google

Google Shared Private WhatsApp Group Chats Invite Links

11 months ago
TRAGOA Trading - techbuild

TRAGOA Trading, “The Alibaba of Africa”, adds Verification Services for Importing/Exporting/Brokering to and from Africa

15 seconds ago
Kalenga - techbuild

#BizTrends2021: Musa Kalenga to speak on leapfrogging Tech in Africa

2 hours ago
Founder Institute
US-Africa Tech Challenge

US-Africa Tech Challenge 2021 opens to African Techpreneurs (USD $250,000)

3 hours ago
techbuild.africa - techbuild

Founder Institute announces techbuild.africa Fellowship for Startups in Africa

3 hours ago
Trusted Travel - techbuild

COVID-19: Kenya adopts ‘Trusted Travel’ Digital Tool for Test Result Verification

4 hours ago
un fao

UN FAO International Innovation Program calls for Application (USD $30,000)

6 hours ago
National Privacy Week - techbuild

NITDA DG kicks off National Privacy Week 2021

1 day ago
sparkle - techbuild

Nigeria’s Sparkle partners Network International to power its Payment Card Offering

1 day ago
Pula - techbuild

African InsurTech Platform Pula secures $6mn Series A Funding

1 day ago
AFIDBA - techbuild

Young African Entrepreneurs? Apply for AFIDBA 2021

1 day ago
tech jobs - techbuild

5 Tech Jobs for African Women Who Don’t Want to Code

1 day ago
Peer-to-Peer Lending - techbuild

Is Peer to Peer Lending (P2P) worth the Risk?

2 days ago
Founder Institute Founder Institute Founder Institute
  • Home
  • About
  • Partners
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Signup to receive updates
  • en English
    en Englishfr Frenchar Arabicsw Swahilipt Portuguesede Germanes Spanishzh-CN Chinese (Simplified)
Innovation | Start-ups | Funding | Tech Blog in Africa
Advertisement
  • Home
  • Startups
  • Funding
  • Women Tech
  • Hubs
  • News
  • Interviews
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Startups
  • Funding
  • Women Tech
  • Hubs
  • News
  • Interviews
No Result
View All Result
Innovation | Start-ups | Funding | Tech Blog in Africa
No Result
View All Result

Google Shared Private WhatsApp Group Chats Invite Links

David Okelezo by David Okelezo
25th February 2020
in Uncategorized
whatsapp google

whatsapp google

According to a report released by Motherboard a few days ago, it was revealed that invitations to WhatsApp group chats were being indexed by Google.

Few hours after the report, Google appears to have stopped showing results for that search, instead of returning the message “Your search site: chat.whatsapp.com – did not match any documents.

It was reported that anyone can search and join any private WhatsApp group of their choice via links made available by Google. Although, it appears Google has moved swiftly to rectify it.

The Motherboard team has also revealed that some unknown individuals have gained access to some private group chat and one being an NGOs group accredited by the UN and had access to all the participants and their phone numbers.

The Motherboard is not the only team that has shared this news, Jordan Wildon a Journalist also tweeted that he discovered that the invite to group link of WhatsApp feature lets Google index groups, making them available across the internet since the links are being shared outside of WhatsApp’s secure private messaging service.

Wildon tweet read thus “your WhatsApp groups may not be as secure as you think and links to your chats can easily be discovered using a particular Google search”

Alison Bonny a spokesperson for WhatsApp noted that “Like all content shared in searchable public channels, invite links that are posted publicly on the internet can be found by other WhatsApp users.”

Bonny also stated that “The links that users wish to share privately with people they know, and trust should not be posted on a publicly accessible website.”

Jane Wong an app reverse-engineer stated that “Google has around 470,000 results for a simple search of “site: chat.whatsapp.com”, part of the URL that makes up invites to WhatsApp groups.”

Also speaking on the issue is Google’s public search liaison Danny Sullivan, who tweeted that “Search engines like Google and others list pages from the open web.

That’s what’s happening here. It’s no different than any case where a site allows URLs to be publicly listed. We do offer tools allowing sites to block content being listed in our results.”

It was also reported that some of the indexed search results contain several child porn sharing groups.

However, WhatsApp has also stated that it will take swift action by promptly banning anybody found guilty of using its platform to promote child porn (This has been stated on their FAQ page).


Featured Image: ciobulletin


Don’t miss important articles during the week. Subscribe to cfamedia weekly newsletter for updates.

Related Posts

TRAGOA Trading - techbuild
General

TRAGOA Trading, “The Alibaba of Africa”, adds Verification Services for Importing/Exporting/Brokering to and from Africa

15 seconds ago
Kalenga - techbuild
General

#BizTrends2021: Musa Kalenga to speak on leapfrogging Tech in Africa

2 hours ago
US-Africa Tech Challenge
Funding

US-Africa Tech Challenge 2021 opens to African Techpreneurs (USD $250,000)

3 hours ago
techbuild.africa - techbuild
Funding

Founder Institute announces techbuild.africa Fellowship for Startups in Africa

3 hours ago

SIGNUP FOR UPDATES

RECENT

  • TRAGOA Trading, “The Alibaba of Africa”, adds Verification Services for Importing/Exporting/Brokering to and from Africa
  • #BizTrends2021: Musa Kalenga to speak on leapfrogging Tech in Africa
  • US-Africa Tech Challenge 2021 opens to African Techpreneurs (USD $250,000)
  • Founder Institute announces techbuild.africa Fellowship for Startups in Africa
  • COVID-19: Kenya adopts ‘Trusted Travel’ Digital Tool for Test Result Verification

PREVIOUS

Join Founder Institute Join Founder Institute Join Founder Institute
ADVERTISEMENT
Innovation | Start-ups | Funding | Tech Blog in Africa

© 2013-2021 techbuild.africa. All Rights Reserved.

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Service

Follow us

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Startups
  • Funding
  • Women Tech
  • Hubs
  • News
  • Interviews

© 2013-2021 techbuild.africa. All Rights Reserved.

en English
en Englishfr Frenchar Arabicsw Swahilipt Portuguesede Germanes Spanishzh-CN Chinese (Simplified)
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.