When you share a link on WhatsApp, your preview and other important information are also transmitted to the other person. This information can be used for hacking and tracking.
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WhatsApp offers many safety features, but one feature can expose your important information to the other party. WhatsApp is used to send photos, text, and links. When you share a link, WhatsApp activates a short preview to provide an idea of what the link is about. This feature sends your important information to the other party.
What information is transmitted through the link preview?
In fact, when you insert a link into your message box, WhatsApp creates a “Get Request” to the website containing the link. This allows the app to load the preview image and other elements. The problem with this is that the sender’s IP address is also transmitted. This means that when you send a link to someone in a message, your IP address is also transmitted.
What problems can IP addresses cause?
When your IP address is transmitted in a message, it also includes information about which version of WhatsApp you’re using and your operating system. This is problematic because your device can be tracked using your IP address. Hackers can also exploit this to launch targeted attacks through open ports or DDoS. Similarly, the version number can reveal any security flaws found, which could be exploited for hacking purposes.
How to prevent this?
Link previews are enabled by default on WhatsApp. Therefore, you’ll need to disable them manually. To do this, go to the app’s settings, go to the Privacy section, and tap Advanced. Here, you’ll find the setting to disable link previews. If you disable this option, link previews will no longer be displayed, and only the URL and link text will appear in messages.
