WhatsApp Web users' Phone numbers available on Google Search? Know how to stop it

WhatsApp Web: Facebook-owned WhatsApp, which is currently facing backlash from many of its users due to its new privacy policy, has now been hit by yet another problem. Reportedly, WhatsApp Web users phone numbers are available on Google Search via indexing.

This means that anyone with the right search query can find your personal number on Google Search very easily. The search result will showcase the number only but not your name. However, with a simple Truecaller search your identity can also be detected, bgr.in reported.

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According to Rajshekhar Rajaharia, an internet security researcher, phone numbers of WhatsApp web users have appeared on Google Search. In his tweet, he stated that this is the third time that this has happened. Rajaharia also stressed that Google is also indexing the text messages of users.

According to the news agency IANS, Rajaharia said: “The leak is happening via WhatsApp on Web. If someone is using WhatsApp on a laptop or on an office PC, the mobile numbers are being indexed on Google Search. These are mobile numbers of individual users, not business numbers.”
On Twitter, he also claimed that WhatsApp is using a “Robots.txt” file and a “disallow all” setting, instructing search engines not to index anything. However, tech giant google is still indexing the data and showing it in search results.

Also, Google had indexed invite links to private WhatsApp group chats, meaning anyone can join various private chat groups with a simple search. The indexed WhatsApp group chat links have now been removed from Google.

How to Stop WhatsApp Web users phone numbers being made available on Google Search 

Concerned at private group chat links being available on Google Search, WhatsApp also said that they have asked Google not to index such chats. Over and above that, importantly, WhatsApp has advised users not to share group chat links on publicly accessible websites.