TECH-INFO-FIRST

Cyber security experts warned that free text messaging applications , such as Wechat , WhatsApp etc. pose a threat to the country’s security apart from compromising an individual user’s data.

When users download free messaging apps on their smartphones, they agree to a host of conditions that necessarily enable the companies to access a majority of the users’ phone data, including their conversations, contacts and many more confidential Data. Since the companies’ servers are on foreign shores, sensitive data or information can well be compromised.

India has already raised concern over Chinese telecom firms ZTE and Huawei, whose close ties to the Chinese government, have obstructed their footprint in India. What may compound the worry now is the fact that an increasing number of Indian political leaders, policymakers, businessmen and others are using these apps, potentially dealing a blow to sensitive data.

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Cyber security expert Jiten Jain told dna “WeChat’s security loopholes have been largely ignored by its users, and this can be exploited to easily access their data.”