PETALING JAYA - The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has released a notice urging members of the public to avoid downloading an application called Pink WhatsApp.

“Users may receive messages and links that appear to be from WhatsApp inviting them to try the new application. The MCMC advises the public not to download and install this application, and to immediately delete if it is already present on their mobile devices,” it said in a statement on Tuesday.

The commission said the application is being falsely advertised with claims that it has better security and privacy offerings, along with other features such as a customised interface and the ability to send larger files compared with the popular WhatsApp application by Meta.

However, MCMC said the app poses a security risk as it can access certain items on the user’s device such as photos, contact list and SMSes.

According to a recent report by India Times, police in Mumbai have also issued a public warning about Pink WhatsApp.

Members of the public were urged to refer to an advisory, titled WhatsApp Pink: A Red Alert For Android Users, released by the Information Security Education and Awareness agency under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology in India.

The advisory detailed how Pink WhatsApp will bombard the affected user’s device with numerous ads and cause them to lose control of their device as personal data such as one-time passwords and contacts can be accessed by fraudsters. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK