WhatsApp Spam Detection Works Even After Encryption

WhatsApp has been solely fighting spam on its own for years. Even after its end to end encryption update, WhatsApp is giving a tough fight to spam. Now, this feature ensures that no one except the recipient, not even WhatsApp can read the recipients messages. If so, then how do they plan on spam detection? Apparently, they have the answer, and WhatsApp has been doing this for the longest time.

Suppose someone is sending you a forwarded message about a cheap weight loss promotion and they do so by spamming you endlessly. Then there is a friend of yours who keeps sending you good morning texts. Without reading the two messages how will WhatsApp figure out which one is spam and which one is not?

Further so, how will it stop the spam messages without reading it in the first place? In reality, we actually havent seen this as a big problem, says WhatsApp software engineer Matt Jones. We actually reduced spam by about 75 percent from around the time that we launched end-to-end encryption.

He explained that Spam detection is done by noticing suspicious behavior users indulge in. For example, it will see how long ago the user registered on the app. It will also see how many messages it has sent out in the last 30 seconds. So it can quickly identify if a person was sending out floods of messages to others. These are telltale signs of spam and its a smart move to determine potential threats.

Also Read: WhatsApp Real-Time Location Sharing Being Tested in Beta Version

After so many spam detections and blockages, WhatsApp is trying to identify a pattern. Is there a particular mobile provider or data provider whose services are used? It will examine the network and check out if it has routinely blocked out numbers from a particular target or not.

WhatsApp has a key advantage over other providers in fighting spam. It registers the mobile number, and therefore it has access to the network providers details as well.

If we make things expensive for [the spammers], their business model wont work, Jones said.

During Spam detection, the regular users can also be targeted because WhatsApp will detect unusual behavior like a US number suddenly sending connecting to an Indian network. This will set off alarms, and if WhatsApp suspects you are the spammer, it will immediately block you instead of deleting your spam messages.

So a lot of innocent users could come under the radar and face extreme measures. However, the legitimate users can file an appeal immediately. Meanwhile, WhatsApp is working on making spam detection more error-free.

Now with video calling feature intact, there is just one thing that WhatsApp seems to lack

February 6, 2017

It turns out that the WhatsApp update rumors were true after-all! Worlds number one messag

February 6, 2017

We are always looking for a secure messaging app not realizing that safety is complicated.

February 6, 2017

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