WhatsApp's refusal to hide online statuses is a major problem and has been condemned by sites that profit from this feature. Tracking sites that monitor users' activities for the purpose of catching cheaters have pointed the finger at Facebook for its existence.

According to Motherboard, the administrators of such sites have expressed support for allowing WhatsApp users to change their online status. The site allows users to view a target's WhatsApp online history, receive notifications when they are online, and track activity to see if two users are staying in touch.

The site costs $3 per week, with a $10 per month option offered after a free trial period. An administrator told Motherboard that the site is currently "not profitable" and that "certainly Facebook shuts down accounts. And they usually win."

The administrators said that rather than address their choice to offer such a service, which they say has been shut down many times, the site puts the onus on Facebook.

"I feel that WhatsApp should remove access to online statuses from numbers that are not mutual contacts; I think WhatsApp should not allow access to online statuses from numbers that are not mutual contacts; I feel that WhatsApp should remove access to online statuses from numbers that are not mutual contacts; I feel that the site is not responsible for the service that it provides.

Digging into the details of the service the site offers, the administrator explained that it "tracks sleep patterns and uses regression analysis to come up with probabilities of chats between two people, and for us it is a fun (if challenging) way to shed light on privacy issues."

This is definitely not much fun for those who are tracked and whose paranoia is monetized. And there are ways to highlight privacy issues that have no victims at all. The site clearly pushes the idea that it is a way to track users suspected of wrongdoing, but anyone can use it to spy on users if they are willing to pay a fee.

An administrator Motherboard spoke with said they are "considering shutting it down" and referred to their stalking service as a "game."

They added:" We feel we have been pointed out many times and respect [Facebook]'s ability to fight back effectively."

It would be so much easier if they would remove access to online statuses from non-reciprocal contacts, not for us, but for the privacy of their users.

WhatsApp's FAQ makes it clear that users cannot hide the fact that they are online or typing. The company told Motherboard that user feedback "knowing when someone in your contacts is 'online' gives you a sense of closeness when friends and family are chatting with each other."

Apparently, that feedback applies universally to all users, regardless of whether they want to appear online or not.