WhatsApp Messages Hold Key Evidence in Murder Investigation: META Faces Lawsuit if Messages Not Released
Turkey’s Request for WhatsApp Messages Denied by META
Turkey recently requested access to messages from the messaging platform WhatsApp, which is owned by META. However, META responded negatively to the request, sparking discussions among experts in the field. According to assessments made by experts in an article by Milliyet, accessing message content can typically be part of a criminal investigation, and authorities such as prosecutors, police, or security forces can request this information with permission from the court. If WhatsApp refuses to share the data despite a court order, legal action can be taken.
However, experts point out that META, being based in the US, is subject to the laws of that country. Courts in other countries can request information from WhatsApp through international legal agreements. Turkey and the US have an agreement on legal assistance, so information can be requested from META within this framework. META has stated that it is particularly sensitive to protecting children, indicating that in cases of crimes like murder or sexual abuse of children, they would comply with requests made through proper procedures.
While META may be required to share information with Turkey under mutual legal assistance agreements, accessing data from WhatsApp poses challenges due to its end-to-end encryption system. Despite this, it was revealed that WhatsApp takes backups every night, and deleted messages can potentially be accessed through these backups if the phone is seized.
Forensic experts state that all WhatsApp correspondences are systematically logged, with records being kept for 30 days. However, sharing this data must be done within the scope of certain crimes, as indicated in META’s terms of use. Experts emphasize that while WhatsApp prioritizes user privacy due to its encryption practices, in some cases, they may be compelled to provide information to authorities as part of a legal process.
The article also sheds light on recent revelations that the FBI accessed data from WhatsApp and other messaging services with a search warrant. Additionally, the ongoing lawsuit involving the Israeli NSO Group and their spyware product Pegasus, used to infiltrate users’ devices, has raised concerns about privacy and data security.
In their latest report, META disclosed that government institutions in Turkey made over 4,000 requests for user data, with the company responding positively to 80% of these requests. The complex landscape of data privacy, international legal agreements, and user protection continues to be a pressing issue in the digital age.
