Is the Viber Iphone Android Application a Spy? Your privacy at risk?

Consider these before downloading and installing Viber, think about your privacy and safety

1. From an ex-Israeli Defense Forces person Talmon Marco

“Talmon served for four years in the Israel Defense Forces and held the position of CIO of the central command.  He graduated Cum Laude from the Tel-Aviv University with a degree in Computer Science and Management.”

                     Reference http://ws.lteconference.com/speaker/talmon-marco/

Before Viber Talmon also created and spread free applications that could potentially monitor users communication and their activities

1. iMesh: A file sharing application that was found installing spyware on the users’ computers http://filesharingz.com/reviews/imesh-review.php

2. Bandoo: A facbook plugin, blamed for sucpicious activities on users’ computers http://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/bandoo.com

2. So what does it read from your phone and what actions can it perform? you will be stunned if you do not know yet

1. Read SMS, Receive SMS, any message even non-Viber messages, from your sim card
2. Read sensitive log data – This allows it to discover general information about what you are doing with the tablet, potentially including personal or private information
3. Read your contacts and move them to their server
4. Your location
5. Record Audio, take pictures and videos
6. Automatically start when your phone is switched on “eyes always watching you”
7. and a lot more, visit the reference below

Reference Google Play Store : https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.viber.voip

3. Not open for you and me,

1. No advertised job ever could be found on internet or on their website, how do they hire their staff? how can I or you apply?

4. No detailed physical address but only a P.O.Box address of their agent in Cyprus ( a place knwon for Israeli spy operations).

1. Viber, for some odd reason, was incorporated in Cyprus, a location favored by offshore gambling operations
2. You cannot find where their offices are located, you will only find an address of theiry agent (a P.O.Box) address in Cyprus.
3. Cyprus is well known as an external base for Israeli spy agents
4. Why are they hiding where do they work and where are their offices?

Ref : http://www.viber.com/dmca.html (see the contact details at the bottom of the page)

5. If a secret service, like Mossad, had to setup a service that could watch everyone talking and chatting than what could be the easiest way then a free VOIP application?

Further Reading

“Your Apps are watching you” http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704694004576020083703574602.html

Must read: “Privacy 101 or Why You Should Not Use iPhone App Viber” http://blog.agmon.com/2010/12/04/why-i-will-not-install-viber/