WhatsApp messages may not be actually private, says security expert

A security expert has reportedly warned that messages on the Facebook-acquired popular messaging service, WhatsApp, might not be secure and private.

Security consultant Bas Bosschert said that it was possible for others to access users' private WhatsApp chats through downloaded Android apps.

According to Mashable, the encryption codes, used during message exchanges that help in restoring the messages after uninstalling or reinstalling the app, are stored in a built-in back up database, which allows for a potential access by another app.

This means, a developer behind an app could decrypt and ultimately gain access to those messages and Bosschert noted that WhatsApp database is saved on a user's phone's SD card, which can be read by any Android app if a user gives it access to do so, the report added.