Rights group demands probe into Israeli use of Whatsapp to target Palestinians
Palestinian digital rights group Sada Social has sought an investigation into Israel’s alleged exploitation of WhatsApp data to target Palestinians via its AI system, Lavender.
Reports suggest Israel Defense Forces (IDF) employ Lavender, using AI to select targets in Gaza potentially based on WhatsApp data.
Meta, WhatsApp’s owner, faces accusations of complicity in the killings of Palestinians.
Concerns have arisen over WhatsApp’s supposed privacy as activists warn of metadata exploitation.
Bahraini activist Esra’a Al Shafei highlights risks, emphasizing the need for Meta to scrutinize metadata use.
While WhatsApp denies bulk data provision to governments, activists stress user safety.
Observers say the issue raises questions on WhatsApp’s privacy claims and Meta’s responsibility in safeguarding users.
Sada Social, which is affiliated with the Al Jazeera Media Institute and Access Now, says one of the inputs to the Lavender system relies on data collected from WhatsApp groups.
Paul Biggar, founder of Tech for Palestine, says providing this data as input for Lavender undermines the claim that WhatsApp is a private messaging app.
Journalist Marc Owen Jones has said informants, captured devices, and spyware could be used by Israel to gain Palestinian users’ WhatsApp data.
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