WhatsApp bug lets blocked users send texts, view your profile picture and last seen data: Report

Facebook-owned popular messaging service **WhatsApp** is known to introduce new features often to improve its functionality and ease-of-use. However, a major bug which seems to have recently cropped up, allows an individual’s blocked contacts to get n touch with them. [caption id=“attachment_4131249” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] WhatsApp app logo. Reuters.[/caption] The basic idea behind blocking a person on WhatsApp or any other social media website is to stop that individual from being able to reach out you or view any of your details. The bug which has been spotted and reported by a number of WhatsApp users, claims to negate this feature completely as blocked users are not only being able to send images across but are also able to view one’s last seen and display image.

Spotted first by The Independent in a report, the bug seems to be affecting users on both iOS and Android. Numerous users who have taken to Twitter reporting the problem were left clueless about how this was possible. What was further intriguing is the fact that the issue seems to prevail regardless of whichever version/build of WhatsApp you may be on. There is a workaround to the problem, though a lot of users may not be aware of it yet. The solution seems to be as simple as unblocking the individual and blocking them again.

It looks blocked contacts might sometimes be able to see your profile picture and last seen. It really seems a server side bug.
I recommend you to remove the blocked contact from your Address Book, to configure Privacy Settings on “My Contacts” and mute the blocked contact’s chat

— WABetaInfo (@WABetaInfo) May 23, 2018

WhatsApp, in the meantime, has remained silent about the issue and WABetaInfo, a source that closely tracks happenings on the platforms, suggests that the bug is server-side which is why so many users seem to be affected by it.