Cyber Directorate investigates blocking of opposition MKs from WhatsApp
Cyber Directorate investigates blocking of opposition MKs from WhatsApp
According to the Cyber Directorate, as of now all members of the Knesset, including Opposition Head Yair Lapid, have access again to the application. As far as is known, this is not a case of device hacking
The WhatsApp access of about ten MKs of the Yesh Atid party, including party chairman Yair Lapid, was blocked in the morning hours of Saturday, possibly as a result of coordinated malicious activity. The Cyber Directorate confirmed the details to Calcalist, adding that they helped the MKs handle the blocking. As of the afternoon, access to the application was restored to everyone.
Although this is an unusual event, as far as is known it is not a hacking into the devices of the MKs themselves and there is no danger to the personal and sensitive information kept on them. Blocking a user on a WhatsApp account can be done without any access to the user's device, the phone number or the WhatsApp account itself. For example, through multiple reports on the phone number of the user as a spammer or as a malicious account.
Recently, several cases have been reported in which right-wing activists organized mass coordinated reports on the WhatsApp accounts of protest activists, with the aim of blocking them from the application, which is an important means of communication among the leaders of the protest against the Israeli government's judicial overhaul. In light of the speed with which MKs were restored access to their accounts, it is possible that this will be the case here as well. If so, it will be possible to identify the whistleblowers easily, through a court order ordering Meta to reveal their phone numbers.
The Fake Reporter organization, which documented for months efforts to block WhatsApp accounts through false reports, said that this was a step up in activity. "Until now, the WhatsApp blocks have been carried out through mass and organized false reports by the supporters of the reform, now there is a suspicion of a step up in the methods of operation and it is possible that malicious technological tools were even used," the organization said. "Unfortunately, the phenomenon of mass blocks has so far been ignored by the Meta company and the police. A report on the subject was written by Fake Reporter and sent to many parties, including WhatsApp and Meta. The State of Israel neglects our online security, neglects online regulation and this is the result."
Yesh Atid said in response: "During the day, a malfunction was reported on several Knesset members' phones. The incident was reported to the Knesset officer and the Shin Bet security service. The problem has been dealt with and is being investigated."
