Iranian state TV urged people on Tuesday to delete WhatsApp from their phones. They claimed, without showing proof, that WhatsApp collects user data and sends it to Israel. WhatsApp responded by calling the claims false. The company said it was worried that Iran might use these false reports to block the app, especially when people really need to stay connected.

WhatsApp explained that it uses end-to-end encryption. This means only the sender and the receiver can read the messages, not even WhatsApp can see them. If someone tries to intercept the message, it will appear as a scrambled code that can’t be read without a special key. The company also said it doesn’t track your exact location, doesn’t keep records of who you message, and doesn’t share large amounts of user data with any government.

However, Gregory Falco, a cybersecurity expert from Cornell University, said that even with encryption, some data, like message timing and sender/receiver info (called metadata), can still be understood. “You can understand how people are using the app,” he said, noting that this has made some users hesitant to trust WhatsApp.

Falco also pointed to another issue: data sovereignty. This means that even if WhatsApp collects data in Iran, that data might be stored on servers in other countries. "Countries need to store and manage their data within their borders using their own systems," he said. "It's getting harder to trust the global network of data centres."

WhatsApp is owned by Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. Over the years, Iran has blocked several social media platforms. However, many Iranians use VPNs and proxies to bypass restrictions. WhatsApp and Google Play were banned in 2022 during anti-government protests, but the ban was lifted late last year.
Despite occasional restrictions, WhatsApp has remained one of Iran’s most-used messaging apps, alongside Instagram and Telegram.