Amid the increasing attacks on the social networking platform, WhatsApp over the alleged leak of chats, an assertion that came amid speculation about how the Narcotics Control Bureau managed to access old messages during its investigation into the Bollywood drug angle, the networking platform gives clarification on the accusation.

“WhatsApp protects your messages with end-to-end encryption so that only you and the person you’re communicating with can read what is sent, and nobody in between can access it, not even WhatsApp. It’s important to remember that people sign up on WhatsApp using only a phone number, and WhatsApp doesn’t have access to your message content,” a WhatsApp spokesperson said, reported NDTV.

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“WhatsApp follows guidance provided by operating system manufacturers for on-device storage and we encourage people to take advantage of all the security features provided by operating systems such as strong passwords or biometric IDs to prevent third parties from accessing content stored on device,” it added.

Many have alleged that the messages were accessed using the mobile phone cloning technique that has been around since 2005.

In this technique, the cloned phone can access WhatsApp back-up chats, which are not encrypted, from wherever they are stored, Google Drive or iCloud.

The NCB has issued summons to Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Shraddha Kapoor and Rakul Preet Singh for questioning in a drug-related probe.

The NCB has summoned Deepika Padukone on 25 September while Shraddha Kapoor and Sara Ali Khan have been summoned on 26 September.

Chats discussing drugs have surfaced between Karishma Prakash, Padukone’s manager, and an employee of Kwan talent management company and one “D”. The NCB has summoned Karishma Prakash, as well as Kwan talent management company CEO Dhruv Chitgopekar, for questioning.

The names have appeared in WhatsApp chats that have been retrieved from the phone of Jaya Saha, Sushant Singh Rajput’s talent agent, who is also being questioned by investigators.

Many others from the Bollywood industry including Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet Singh were named by actor Rhea Chakraborty, who is in jail for charges of buying drugs.

A senior NCB official reportedly told IANS, “Summons have been issued to Deepika, Sara, Shraddha and Rakul for questioning. Besides four Bollywood actors, the NCB has also summoned fashion designer Simone Khambatta.”