Why did Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp vanish yesterday? Listen now to find out how it happened.
Why you should not use WhatsApp
ChatGPT
“Kim, I heard the call with the man who lost $60,000 in a crypto scam. You said anytime someone wants to move the conversation to WhatsApp, it’s a scam. Why is that?” — Dennis in Washington
Thanks for the question, Dennis. I’m glad you heard that call. Heartbreaking. And unfortunately, it’s not rare. When someone says, “Let’s move this conversation to WhatsApp,” it’s almost always the beginning of a scam.
By the way, I don’t know if you’re aware that many of these scammers are victims of human trafficking in Myanmar. They’re forced to work in scam compounds where they spend 12 to 16 hours a day targeting people around the world.
If they don’t hit their scam dollar quotas, they’re beaten. So it’s not personal, their lives depend on stealing from people.
📲 App-solutely a trap
Scammers are taught to not be watched. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and even regular old email have systems to detect fraud and spam. You can report messages, block shady profiles and sometimes recover lost money.
WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal are a different story.
These are encrypted apps designed for privacy. Great for your personal life, but also great for criminals. Once the conversation moves there, there are no moderators, no scam detection systems and no help when things go wrong. You’re on your own.
Scammers start where you trust them. Maybe it’s a message from someone who looks legit on LinkedIn. Maybe it’s a friendly DM on Instagram or a Facebook message from someone who says they’re in finance or crypto.
At first, it sounds professional. Then comes the switch:
- “Let’s move this to WhatsApp, it’s easier.”
- “I’ll send you the investment details on Signal.”
- “I only do business on Telegram.”
That’s when the manipulation begins. You’ve stepped off the platform with guardrails and right into their controlled zone. You’re isolated. And once they start asking for your money, there’s no one to step in.
👀 A note about Google watching your texts: I told you about this yesterday, and the link worked for some people but not all. It’s surprisingly tricky to turn off Google’s Gemini AI text tracking. You’ve gotta manually yank its permissions. Think of it like breaking up with a clingy ex who still has a key. Head to gemini.google.com/apps and toggle the switch off for Phone, Messages, WhatsApp, etc. These might not pop up on your end, yet, but anticipate a rollout sometime before July 7.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: On WhatsApp, you can bookmark any message by long-pressing it and tapping the star icon at the top. Then go to the three-dot main menu and find it under Starred.
Share your location on WhatsApp: Open the chat, tap the Paperclip icon, choose Location, then Share Live Location and hit Send. They’ll get a live-updating map showing where you are.
🕳️ Google reads your texts: They’re doing it again. Starting July 7, Google’s Gemini AI will tap into your Phone, Messages, WhatsApp and more, even if you’ve opted out of activity tracking. Google calls it “good news.” I found the secret steps to stop this nonsense here. Otherwise, your texts will be stored, scanned and possibly read by a human along with the things, up to and including being sold to who knows who. Not cool.
Chinese pump and dump stocks: Scammers are sliding into DMs and WhatsApp chats, posing as financial advisers. They’ll hype up shares in small Chinese companies listed on the Nasdaq that look promising. The twist? Insiders are manipulating the price. Once you buy in, they cash out, and you lose thousands (paywall link).
🧙♂️ AI pics on WhatsApp: You can now generate images with ChatGPT right inside your chats. Just save 1-800-ChatGPT (aka 1-800-242-8478) to your contacts, then open WhatsApp and say “Hi.” After the bot replies, try something like “Create a picture of a wizard eating a hot dog.” Wait a few seconds, and boom, it’ll pop up.
⚡️ 3-second tech genius: Going overseas? Use WhatsApp or Signal for free messaging over Wi-Fi, and skip roaming fees entirely.
Scammers are deepfaking finance pros: They’re posting videos impersonating experts like Abby Joseph Cohen, promising to make you rich fast. All you have to do? Join their WhatsApp group for “undervalued” stock tips. Please don’t. Anytime a complete stranger promises you wealth or love and wants to use WhatsApp for a conversation, that is a major scam red flag.
🤖 Llama mia: Meta just launched a stand-alone AI app (iOS, Android) to compete against ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, Claude and all the others. It’s the same chatbot you’ve used inside Facebook, Instagram or WhatsApp, built on their Llama model. I’ll report back after I’ve used it for a bit.
🔒 WhatsApp’s new privacy feature: Scammers love to ask you to use WhatsApp. When the new Advanced Chat Privacy mode is on, your messages can’t be exported and pics/vids won’t auto-download. To find it, tap the chat name, then select Advanced Chat Privacy.
🧑⚖️ Zuck tried to settle with mucho bucks: Mark Zuckerberg thought he could pay his way out of a government antitrust trial over Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. The FTC wanted $30B; Zuckerberg offered $450M and good vibes. The FTC said: lol, no. Meta argues that TikTok is the real threat now, not Instagram.
🏛️ Meta, meet another existential court case: Mark Zuckerberg put on his best courtroom tie and took the stand Monday in a trial that could break up Meta’s empire. The FTC basically wants (paywall link) Meta to sell off Instagram and WhatsApp, claiming Meta bought them just to squash the competition. If IG goes, it could gut over half of Meta’s U.S. ad revenue. The trial runs through July, but the vibes are already tense.
🚨 Use WhatsApp? Watch out. There’s a nasty bug going around that lets hackers send you what looks like a JPEG, but it’s actually malware. Click it, and boom: A hidden .exe file could run and infiltrate your system. Blame WhatsApp for misreading certain file types. The fix? Make sure you’re running a version higher than 2.2450.6 to be safe.
No FaceTime or Skype? No problem. Try WhatsApp for Mac when you want to include Android pals, too. You can add eight people to a video call or 32 for audio-only. Hit this link for the Windows version.
🤖 Not the AI Zuck wanted: Harry Potter, Jesus Christ and Taylor Swift walk into a bar … in the form of Meta chatbots. Anyone can whip up a chatbot on Instagram, Messenger or WhatsApp. Meta’s system is supposed to flag religious figures, real-life people and trademarked fictional characters, but it’s easy to get around that with a typo or two.
🥽 The “future of human connection”: That’s what Mark Zuckerberg will talk about at the big Meta conference this Wednesday and Thursday. Expect updates for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, along with some AI goodies, a more affordable Meta Quest headset and maybe augmented-reality glasses. You heard it here first, folks.
Tech Refresh: WhatsApp not so private, 3 smart tech hacks, talking duck
After years of assuring users Facebook can’t read WhatsApp messages, the truth comes out. Kim, Allie and Ben offer up their favorite quick tech life hacks, including how to use your browser to earn cash. And in weird news of a week, a talking duck named Ripper has something to say.