Techlore Surveillance Report

WhatsApp Leaked 3.5 BILLION Numbers

12 snips
Nov 20, 2025
This week dives into a massive WhatsApp flaw that exposed 3.5 billion numbers, raising serious privacy concerns. There's also a discussion about Google's new restrictions on sideloading, impacting Android freedom. The Digital Omnibus proposal from the EU could weaken GDPR protections significantly. Alarmingly, attempts are underway in Wisconsin and Michigan to ban VPNs based on dubious age verification claims. Plus, a recap of major data breaches and service updates keeps tech enthusiasts informed.
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INSIGHT

Rate Limiting Was The Single Point Of Failure

  • The root cause of the WhatsApp exposure was weak or missing rate limiting on contact-discovery endpoints.
  • Henry stresses even large companies with massive budgets can fail at basic mitigations like rate limiting.
ADVICE

Use Signal Username And Privacy Toggles

  • Use Signal's settings 'who can see my phone number' and 'who can find me by phone number' and set them to nobody.
  • Create and rotate Signal usernames to avoid exposing your phone number while sharing contact info temporarily.
INSIGHT

Sideloading Rules Threaten Android Freedom

  • Google's planned sideloading restrictions would require developer registration and fees, harming open distribution.
  • Henry explains this threatens projects like F-Droid and community-driven app distribution models.
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