Even when the message content material is encrypted, apps like WhatsApp and Sign nonetheless gather metadata. This contains who you messaged, how usually, when, and for a way lengthy. Metadata may appear boring, but it surely reveals greater than the content material itself—it reveals your social patterns, your every day rhythm, even your emotional highs and lows. Corporations use this to refine algorithms or feed machine studying fashions. In lots of instances, metadata is shared with companions for safety analytics, advert placement, or UX tweaks.