New Delhi

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk criticized Meta-owned WhatsApp for allegedly exporting user data every night. An X user claimed that WhatsApp exports user data nightly, which is analyzed and used for targeted advertising, making users the product. Musk responded, agreeing with the allegation and stating that some people still think WhatsApp is secure. Meta and WhatsApp have not yet commented on Musk’s claim.

John Carmack, a computer programmer and video game developer, responded to Musk, questioning if there is evidence that message content is scanned or transmitted. Carmack suggested that usage patterns and routing metadata are likely collected and noted that invoking a bot in a conversation opens it up, but he believes message contents remain secure by default.

Musk has previously criticized Meta, accusing it of being greedy in taking credit for advertisers’ campaigns on its platform. The rivalry between Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is well known. They were reportedly set for a cage fight, which was dubbed the fight of the century, but the showdown never took place.

The ongoing tension between Musk and Zuckerberg continues to highlight the competitive nature of their respective companies and differing views on data privacy and business practices.