Revealed: how Whisper app tracks "anonymous" users

[TheIrishman]

Revealed: how Whisper app tracks "anonymous" users

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/16/-sp-revealed-whisper-app-tracking-users

<< Some Whisper users monitored even after opting out of geolocation services. Company shares some information with US Department of Defense. User data collated and indefinitely stored in searchable database. >>

[protokol]

Ouch, I haven't heard of this "Whisper" app before, but if true, it's pretty bad that a platform aimed at anonymity is in bed with the NSA et al. I suppose open source is the only option to guarantee privacy, hopefully people will catch on soon that any closed platform is vulnerable to this sort of thing...

[panju1]

We might have even consented to being tacked when we clicked on the "I agree" button. 

[Argwai96]

The use of geolocation is actually controlled by the phone itself not the app. In order for this to work as the article describes, the phone would need to be somehow modified so to provide geolocation information (unless the manufacturers are not being honest about stopping geolocation data being sent to the app when turned off).

[DhaniBoy]

it could happen, because the technology built increasingly sophisticated, so it can detect anonymous user. this is made ​​possible can be detected through an IP number that is detected by a specific tool that easily IP numbers of users can be tracked, such technology has been developed by developers programming in the world ... 

[TheIrishman]

Whisper chief executive answers privacy revelations: "We're not infallible"

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/19/-sp-whisper-chief-executive-on-privacy-revelations-were-not-infallible

<< Michael Heyward releases statement on Guardian reports. Does not dispute accuracy of reporting. Says: "Reasonable people can disagree about online anonymity". >>