Some WhatsApp users noticed that the Android app has been using the microphone in the background constantly. They found that app triggers microphone permission when the app is not in use.
A user posted a screenshot of Android’s Privacy Dashboard to confirm the suspicious microphone usage by WhatsApp. His Pixel 7 Pro recorded 9 separate reports of the app using the microphone in the background when the phone was not active.
This was not an isolated event. Several users found similar suspicious activity by the app. It is happening across multiple Android versions running on different devices including Pixel and Samsung phones. So, it is certainly a thing to worry about.
After the tweet went viral, WhatsApp tweeted to claim that this happened due to a bug on Android.
“We believe this is a bug on Android that miss-attributes information in their Privacy Dashboard and have asked Google to investigate and remediate,” says the company.
WhatsApp further claims that users have full control over their phone’s mic settings and the app only uses a microphone when a user is making a call or sending a voice message.
Meta has been accused of spying with mics for years. Users complain of seeing ads and suggested posts they were talking about in person. This is the reason it is hard to trust Meta when it comes to privacy. Now that Meta claims it is the bug one associated with Android, let’s wait for Google’s reply.
