Data protection for private individuals in Switzerland

Messenger

WhatsApp and data protection

Published: 27 April 2023Updated: 1 November 2026

WhatsApp is the world’s most widely used messenger and has belonged to the Meta group (Facebook, Instagram) since 2014. Message content is end-to-end encrypted. However, data protection experts have been criticising for years how much other data is generated and how closely WhatsApp is tied to Meta.

For users in Switzerland and the rest of the “European Region”, the provider is WhatsApp Ireland Limited; outside that region, it is WhatsApp LLC in the USA.

In brief

  • WhatsApp collects more data than just message content.
  • Metadata – who talks to whom, when and how often – is very revealing for profiling.
  • Data protection experts and authorities have repeatedly criticised it.
  • Being part of the Meta group is problematic from a data protection point of view.

The main points of criticism

Metadata and data sharing

Even though messages are technically encrypted, a lot of metadata is generated, for example which numbers communicate with each other and how often, timestamps and IP addresses. This data can be processed within the Meta group and makes profiling possible.

Address book and contacts

WhatsApp regularly matches the phone’s address book. As a result, data is also processed about people who do not use WhatsApp themselves and have never consented.

Advertising and the Meta ecosystem

Originally, WhatsApp promised to do without advertising and data linking. WhatsApp now shows ads in the “Updates” tab (status and channels); according to the provider, private chats remain ad-free. The data protection organisation noyb criticises this development.

Criticism from experts

In its privacy review, the Mozilla Foundation points out pitfalls caused by data processing within the Meta ecosystem. A former head of security at WhatsApp has sued Meta, alleging that security and data protection concerns were not adequately addressed.

Why many people use WhatsApp anyway

  • Reach: almost all your contacts can be reached – often the most practical way of staying in touch with family, friends and clubs.
  • Features: text and voice messages, photos, videos, documents, calls and groups in one app.
  • Habit: contacts and groups built up over years make switching a lot of effort.

Using WhatsApp anyway? How to protect yourself better

The labels may differ slightly depending on the app version and operating system.

  1. Encrypt your chat backup: Settings → Chats → Chat backup → turn on “End-to-end encrypted backup”. Otherwise backups are stored unencrypted in Google’s or Apple’s cloud.
  2. Limit visibility: Settings → Privacy → set “Last seen”, “Profile photo”, “About” and “Status” to “My contacts” or “Nobody”.
  3. Control group invitations: Settings → Privacy → Groups → “My contacts” – so no strangers can add you to groups.
  4. Protect your IP address in calls: Settings → Privacy → Advanced → “Protect IP address in calls”.
  5. Use advanced chat privacy: in individual chats and groups you can prevent content from being exported or media from being saved automatically.
  6. Reconsider address book access: you can revoke access to your contacts in your phone’s settings. You will then no longer see names in WhatsApp, but you will also not be passing on your contacts’ numbers.
  7. Read receipts and location: turn off read receipts and only share your live location selectively and for a limited time.

Alternatives

If you want to switch, our messenger comparison gives you an overview. Threema (based in Switzerland, usable without a phone number) and Signal (non-profit, open source) in particular are considered more data-minimising. Telegram, on the other hand, is not end-to-end encrypted by default.

A personal account: Why I don’t use WhatsApp.

Sources

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