{"id":3108432,"date":"2026-04-01T09:34:10","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T16:34:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/?p=3108432"},"modified":"2026-04-02T05:21:24","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T12:21:24","slug":"whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/","title":{"rendered":"WhatsApp notifies hundreds of users who installed a fake app made by government spyware maker"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p id=\"speakable-summary\" class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WhatsApp says it has notified around 200 users who were tricked into installing a malicious fake version of the chat app that contained spyware.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WhatsApp accused Italian spyware maker SIO of creating a fake version of its messaging app for iPhones, according to an announcement the company shared with TechCrunch.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur security team proactively identified around 200 users primarily in Italy who we believe may have downloaded this malicious unofficial client,\u201d WhatsApp said in its statement. \u201cWe have logged them out, alerted [them] to the risks to their privacy and security that come with downloading fake unofficial clients, and encouraged them to remove it and download the official WhatsApp app.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WhatsApp spokesperson Margarita Franklin told TechCrunch that, at this point, the company cannot share more information about the users it notified, such as whether they were journalists or members of civil society.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOur priority has been protecting the users who may have been tricked into downloading this fake iOS app,\u201d said Franklin.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In its announcement, WhatsApp also said it plans to \u201csend a formal legal demand to stop any such malicious activity to this spyware firm.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"400\" height=\"870\" src=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp_spyware_Notification_English-e1775061124986.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3108441\" style=\"width:400px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp_spyware_Notification_English-e1775061124986.jpeg 400w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp_spyware_Notification_English-e1775061124986.jpeg?resize=69,150 69w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp_spyware_Notification_English-e1775061124986.jpeg?resize=138,300 138w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp_spyware_Notification_English-e1775061124986.jpeg?resize=313,680 313w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp_spyware_Notification_English-e1775061124986.jpeg?resize=198,430 198w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp_spyware_Notification_English-e1775061124986.jpeg?resize=331,720 331w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp_spyware_Notification_English-e1775061124986.jpeg?resize=368,800 368w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp_spyware_Notification_English-e1775061124986.jpeg?resize=307,668 307w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp_spyware_Notification_English-e1775061124986.jpeg?resize=172,375 172w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp_spyware_Notification_English-e1775061124986.jpeg?resize=284,617 284w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp_spyware_Notification_English-e1775061124986.jpeg?resize=244,531 244w, https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/WhatsApp_spyware_Notification_English-e1775061124986.jpeg?resize=23,50 23w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><span class=\"wp-element-caption__text\">A screenshot of the notification Whatsapp sent to users warning them to download the official app<\/span><span class=\"wp-block-image__credits\"><strong>Image Credits:<\/strong>WhatsApp<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Italian newspaper <a href=\"https:\/\/www.repubblica.it\/tecnologia\/2026\/04\/01\/news\/meta_denuncia_spyware_clone_di_whatsapp-425257968\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">La Repubblica<\/a> and news agency <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ansa.it\/sito\/notizie\/topnews\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-scopre-una-versione-falsa-creata-da-azienda-italiana-spiati-200_6d4472fe-0bed-4b8f-ac44-5b20f3acd411.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">ANSA<\/a> first reported the news.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Last year, TechCrunch revealed that <a href=\"http:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/02\/13\/spyware-maker-caught-distributing-malicious-android-apps-for-years\/\">SIO was behind a series of malicious Android apps<\/a> that contained its spyware, including fake versions of WhatsApp, as well as fake customer support tools for cellphone providers. SIO\u2019s spyware was identified with the name Spyrtacus, a word that appeared in the spyware\u2019s code.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-shortcode\">\t\t<div class=\"article-block block--callout block--right has-green-500-background-color\" >\n\t\t\t<h4 class=\"block--callout__title\">Contact Us<\/h4>\n\t\t\tDo you have more information about SIO, or other government spyware makers? From a non-work device, you can contact Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai securely on Signal at +1 917 257 1382, or via Telegram, Keybase and Wire @lorenzofb, or <a href=\"mailto:lorenzo@techcrunch.com\/\">by email<\/a><a href=\"mailto:lorenzo@techcrunch.com\/\">.<\/a> \t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Using fake apps against targets of surveillance is <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2022\/06\/23\/hermit-zero-day-android-spyware\/\">a well-established tactic used by authorities in Italy<\/a>, who often get collaboration from cellphone providers, who send phishing links to their customers on behalf of law enforcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">SIO <a href=\"https:\/\/www.siospa.it\/#:~:text=We%20partner%20with%20Law%20Enforcement%20Agencies%2C%20Government%20Organizations%2C%20Police%20and%20Intelligence%20Agencies.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">develops government spyware<\/a> through its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.intelligenceonline.com\/surveillance--interception\/2022\/03\/03\/sio-follows-european-cyber-offensive-consolidation-trend-with-asingit-acquisition,109737657-art\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">subsidiary<\/a> ASIGINT.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apple and SIO did not respond to a request for comment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WhatsApp\u2019s latest announcement comes a year after <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/01\/31\/whatsapp-says-it-disrupted-a-hacking-campaign-targeting-journalists-with-spyware\/\">the company alerted around 90 users<\/a> that they had been targeted with spyware made by the U.S.-Israeli surveillance tech maker <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/tag\/paragon-solutions\/\">Paragon Solutions<\/a>. WhatsApp sent those notifications to <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/02\/03\/journalist-targeted-on-whatsapp-by-paragon-spyware-i-feel-violated\/\">journalists<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/02\/05\/new-target-of-paragon-spyware-comes-forward\/\">pro-immigration<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/02\/11\/another-person-targeted-by-paragon-spyware-comes-forward\/\">activists<\/a>, among others, sparking a wide-ranging scandal across Italy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In response, <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/02\/06\/spyware-maker-paragon-terminates-contract-with-italian-government-media-reports\/\">Paragon cut ties<\/a> with Italy\u2019s spy agencies, <a href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2025\/06\/09\/paragon-says-it-cancelled-contracts-with-italy-over-governments-refusal-to-investigate-spyware-attack-on-journalist\/\">which were its customers<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Meta-owned company said it identified around 200 users who were tricked into installing a fake version of WhatsApp that was actually Italian-made spyware.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":133574594,"featured_media":3108439,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tc-featured-article":false,"tc-header-option":"","tc-breaking-news":false,"tc-article-brief":false,"carmot_uuid":"","apple_news_api_created_at":"2026-04-01T16:34:16Z","apple_news_api_id":"54dd1a4a-3cb5-4ab5-818d-8b9047a17be2","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2026-04-02T12:21:22Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABQ==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AVN0aSjy1SrWBjYuQR6F74g","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"tc_subtitle":"","tc_featured_image_disabled":false,"tc_exclude_from_rss_feed":false,"tc_exclude_from_content_rivers":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21587494],"tags":[965824,1816,15593,171,3279,577338905,5448,21053,25699058],"tc_region":[577183612],"tc_event":[],"tc_storyline_tax":[],"coauthors":[577104450],"class_list":["post-3108432","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-security","tag-cybersecurity","tag-hacking","tag-malware","tag-meta","tag-privacy","tag-sio","tag-spyware","tag-surveillance","tag-whatsapp","tc_region-italy"],"apple_news_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.1 (Yoast SEO v25.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>WhatsApp notifies hundreds of users who installed a fake app made by government spyware maker | TechCrunch<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Meta-owned company said it identified around 200 users who were tricked into installing a fake version of WhatsApp that was actually Italian-made spyware.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"WhatsApp notifies hundreds of users who installed a fake app made by government spyware maker | TechCrunch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Meta-owned company said it identified around 200 users who were tricked into installing a fake version of WhatsApp that was actually Italian-made spyware.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"TechCrunch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/techcrunch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-04-01T16:34:10+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-02T12:21:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/whatsapp-logo-notification-badge.jpg?resize=1200,800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@TechCrunch\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@TechCrunch\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ae6736172fc69d49ba9b3d836e93d029\"},\"headline\":\"WhatsApp notifies hundreds of users who installed a fake app made by government spyware maker\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-01T16:34:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-02T12:21:24+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/\"},\"wordCount\":446,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/whatsapp-logo-notification-badge.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"cybersecurity\",\"hacking\",\"malware\",\"Meta\",\"privacy\",\"SIO\",\"Spyware\",\"surveillance\",\"WhatsApp\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Security\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"copyrightYear\":\"2026\",\"copyrightHolder\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#organization\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/\",\"name\":\"WhatsApp notifies hundreds of users who installed a fake app made by government spyware maker | TechCrunch\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/whatsapp-logo-notification-badge.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-04-01T16:34:10+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-02T12:21:24+00:00\",\"description\":\"The Meta-owned company said it identified around 200 users who were tricked into installing a fake version of WhatsApp that was actually Italian-made spyware.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/whatsapp-logo-notification-badge.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/whatsapp-logo-notification-badge.jpg\",\"width\":3000,\"height\":2000,\"caption\":\"This illustration photograph taken on December 1, 2025, shows the logo of US instant messaging software Whatsapp displayed on a smartphone's screen. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV \/ AFP \/ Getty Images)\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"WhatsApp notifies hundreds of users who installed a fake app made by government spyware maker\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/\",\"name\":\"TechCrunch\",\"description\":\"Startup and Technology News\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#organization\"},\"alternateName\":\"TC\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"TechCrunch\",\"alternateName\":\"TC\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/tc-logo-2018-square-reverse2x.png?resize=1200,1200\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/tc-logo-2018-square-reverse2x.png?resize=1200,1200\",\"width\":1200,\"height\":1200,\"caption\":\"TechCrunch\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/techcrunch\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/TechCrunch\",\"https:\/\/mstdn.social\/@TechCrunch\",\"https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/techcrunch.com\",\"https:\/\/www.threads.net\/@techcrunch\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ae6736172fc69d49ba9b3d836e93d029\",\"name\":\"Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/e5c2a45b56c8d08b18a46cf3571af0fc\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/675be9c00f9239b767b25cc470ba3878e035e319722e04170747562fd77e0d42?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/675be9c00f9239b767b25cc470ba3878e035e319722e04170747562fd77e0d42?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/author\/lorenzo-franceschi-bicchierai\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"WhatsApp notifies hundreds of users who installed a fake app made by government spyware maker | TechCrunch","description":"The Meta-owned company said it identified around 200 users who were tricked into installing a fake version of WhatsApp that was actually Italian-made spyware.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"WhatsApp notifies hundreds of users who installed a fake app made by government spyware maker | TechCrunch","og_description":"The Meta-owned company said it identified around 200 users who were tricked into installing a fake version of WhatsApp that was actually Italian-made spyware.","og_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/","og_site_name":"TechCrunch","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/techcrunch","article_published_time":"2026-04-01T16:34:10+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-02T12:21:24+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1200,"height":800,"url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/whatsapp-logo-notification-badge.jpg?resize=1200,800","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@TechCrunch","twitter_site":"@TechCrunch","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/"},"author":{"name":"Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai","@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ae6736172fc69d49ba9b3d836e93d029"},"headline":"WhatsApp notifies hundreds of users who installed a fake app made by government spyware maker","datePublished":"2026-04-01T16:34:10+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-02T12:21:24+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/"},"wordCount":446,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/whatsapp-logo-notification-badge.jpg","keywords":["cybersecurity","hacking","malware","Meta","privacy","SIO","Spyware","surveillance","WhatsApp"],"articleSection":["Security"],"inLanguage":"en-US","copyrightYear":"2026","copyrightHolder":{"@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#organization"}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/","url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/","name":"WhatsApp notifies hundreds of users who installed a fake app made by government spyware maker | TechCrunch","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/whatsapp-logo-notification-badge.jpg","datePublished":"2026-04-01T16:34:10+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-02T12:21:24+00:00","description":"The Meta-owned company said it identified around 200 users who were tricked into installing a fake version of WhatsApp that was actually Italian-made spyware.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/whatsapp-logo-notification-badge.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/whatsapp-logo-notification-badge.jpg","width":3000,"height":2000,"caption":"This illustration photograph taken on December 1, 2025, shows the logo of US instant messaging software Whatsapp displayed on a smartphone's screen. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV \/ AFP \/ Getty Images)"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"WhatsApp notifies hundreds of users who installed a fake app made by government spyware maker"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/","name":"TechCrunch","description":"Startup and Technology News","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#organization"},"alternateName":"TC","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#organization","name":"TechCrunch","alternateName":"TC","url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/tc-logo-2018-square-reverse2x.png?resize=1200,1200","contentUrl":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/tc-logo-2018-square-reverse2x.png?resize=1200,1200","width":1200,"height":1200,"caption":"TechCrunch"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/techcrunch","https:\/\/x.com\/TechCrunch","https:\/\/mstdn.social\/@TechCrunch","https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/techcrunch.com","https:\/\/www.threads.net\/@techcrunch"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#\/schema\/person\/ae6736172fc69d49ba9b3d836e93d029","name":"Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/e5c2a45b56c8d08b18a46cf3571af0fc","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/675be9c00f9239b767b25cc470ba3878e035e319722e04170747562fd77e0d42?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/675be9c00f9239b767b25cc470ba3878e035e319722e04170747562fd77e0d42?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai"},"url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/author\/lorenzo-franceschi-bicchierai\/"}]}},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"WhatsApp notifies hundreds of users who installed a fake app made by government spyware maker","url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/whatsapp-logo-notification-badge.jpg?w=150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/whatsapp-logo-notification-badge.jpg"},"articleSection":"Security","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai"}],"creator":["Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"TechCrunch","logo":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/cropped-cropped-favicon-gradient.png"},"keywords":["hacking","malware","privacy","whatsapp","spyware","surveillance","meta","cybersecurity","sio"],"dateCreated":"2026-04-01T16:34:10Z","datePublished":"2026-04-01T16:34:10Z","dateModified":"2026-04-02T12:21:24Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"WhatsApp notifies hundreds of users who installed a fake app made by government spyware maker\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/2026\/04\/01\/whatsapp-notifies-hundreds-of-users-who-installed-a-fake-app-that-was-actually-government-spyware\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/whatsapp-logo-notification-badge.jpg?w=150\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2026-04-01T16:34:10Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"Security\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"hacking,malware,privacy,whatsapp,spyware,surveillance,meta,cybersecurity,sio\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/techcrunch.com\/p.js"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/whatsapp-logo-notification-badge.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3108432","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/133574594"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3108432"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3108432\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3108784,"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3108432\/revisions\/3108784"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3108439"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3108432"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3108432"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3108432"},{"taxonomy":"tc_region","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tc_region?post=3108432"},{"taxonomy":"tc_event","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tc_event?post=3108432"},{"taxonomy":"tc_storyline_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tc_storyline_tax?post=3108432"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=3108432"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}