In summary:
- Tech Advisor reveals that WhatsApp’s link preview feature automatically shares your IP address with websites when sending links, creating privacy and security risks.
- This data transmission occurs despite WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption, potentially exposing users to tracking and targeted attacks from hackers.
- Users can protect themselves by disabling link previews in Privacy and Advanced settings within WhatsApp. Detailed instructions are provided below.
Anyone who uses WhatsApp to send messages will undoubtedly also send links back and forth with their contacts. By default, WhatsApp activates a short preview for shared links so that you can see at a glance what they’re about. However, this very feature also shares data with the recipient. More specifically, it includes your IP address.
When you insert a link, WhatsApp creates a so-called “get request” to the website from which the shared link originates. This allows the app to load the preview image, among other things. The problem is that the sender’s IP address is also transmitted, despite end-to-end encryption of the chats.
Why is this a problem?
In addition to the IP address, other data is transmitted, such as the version of WhatsApp used or even information about your operating system. This is problematic because the device’s IP address can be used for tracking. Hackers could also attempt to launch targeted attacks via open ports or DDoS.
The version number, on the other hand, could provide information about which security vulnerabilities still exist if the user hasn’t yet updated the app.
In any case, if data protection and security are particularly important to you, you should change the link preview setting.
Deactivate automatic link preview
In WhatsApp, link preview is enabled by default, so you have to take action yourself to disable it. To do this, go to the app and then to Settings if you’re using Android, or You in iOS. Choose Privacy and then Advanced. Here you’ll find the setting Disable link preview.
No preview should then be displayed in chats, either images or text. You and your chat partner will only see the URL or link text when you share a link. However, you’ll still see the preview when you receive a link unless the sender has also enabled these privacy settings.
Another option for protecting your IP address is to forward calls exclusively via WhatsApp’s servers. Otherwise, the IP address can be shared via the call function. The Protect IP address in calls setting can also be found under Privacy and Advanced.
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This article originally appeared on our sister publication PC-WELT and was translated and adapted from German.
Author: Laura Pippig, Staff Writer, PC-WELT
Laura is an enthusiastic gamer as well as a movie and TV fan. After studying communication science, she went straight into a job at PCMagazin and Connect Living. Since then, she has been writing about everything to do with PCs and technology topics, and has been a permanent editor at our German sister site PC-WELT since May 2024.