WhatsApp Messenger is a mobile messaging app. It can be used to send photos and videos.
There was a report of WhatsApp being used by doctors at a heathcare provider in Mauritius to exchange information. The following patient information is shared: e.g scan reports, radiology images, blood tests, ECG and video of echography.
The WhatsApp policy has a special note for international users: "The WhatsApp Site and Service are hosted in the United States and are intended for and directed to users in the United States".
According to the Data Protection Act, "a data controller shall take appropriate security and organisational measures for the prevention of unauthorised access to, alteration of, disclosure of, accidental loss, and destruction of the data in his control" and "shall take all reasonable steps to ensure that any person employed by him is aware of and complies with the relevant security measures".
WhatsApp is not intended to be used outside the United States to transfer healthcare information. It is not clear whether the doctors at the healthcare provider in Mauritius are aware of that. It is doubtful whether there has been an analysis of the privacy considerations and the security risk before WhatsApp was used to transmit sensitive patient information.