November 21, 2019 - 13:52 AMT
Telegram founder: WhatsApp likely part of surveillance programs

Pavel Durov, the founder of Telegram has issued a new statement regarding its rival WhatsApp. This statement comes days after a major WhatsApp security flaw surfaced online. This is the second major flaw in just about a month and it is not that first time that we have talked about such security issues. Durov stated that spy agencies have likely used WhatsApp as a surveillance tool. This is evident from the recent string of vulnerabilities. Interestingly, Durov issued this new statement six months after initially predicting that we will keep hearing about WhatsApp-related security flaws, BGR reports.

Durov said this new security flaw, a backdoor to be exact is similar to previous cases. He went on to state that spy agencies and other parties are using this WhatsApp to spy on non-WhatsApp related photos and calls. The statement went ahead to state that this likely is because of the parent company Facebook. As noted in some past reports, Facebook has long been part of a number of surveillance programs. So, the acquisition of WhatsApp was not likely to change the company policy. The Telegram founder also noted recent statements from WhatsApp founder Brian Acton to support his argument.

Beyond the supporting arguments, Durov also noted that Facebook tried to confuse the public. He went on to clarify the logic and flaw behind the official Facebook response. Durov shared this statement on his official “Durov’s Channel” on Telegram last night. As part of the statement he also shared a list of articles he referred to arrive at the statement, This provides legitimacy and accountability on part of Durov to ensure that he is not shared incorrect information out there.

The statement noted that the app is likely to be exploited again in the future. Durov also questioned Facebook’s response where the company claims that the app accidentally implemented an update that resulted in the flaw. He compared this response with Telegram to outline the ridiculous nature of the statement. To conclude, the statement urges users to delete their Facebook accounts, close their WhatsApp account and shift to Telegram.