Whisper CEO says staffer’s head will roll over lobbyist tracking remarks

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Michael del Castillo

Whisper CEO Michael Heyward, shown here on stage in New York City at TechCrunch Dirsupt 2014, is defending his company against allegations that its app is not as anonymous as it declares itself to be.

Teresa Novellino

Upstart Business Journal Entrepreneurs & Enterprises Editor

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W hisper chief executive officer Michael Heyward, who has already suspended his editorial staff over a report in The Guardian that his app is not so anonymous, is now vowing to fire the person who told the U.K.-based publication that the company will track for life the location of a Washington, D.C. lobbyist who uses Whisper.

"My stomach churned when I heard that. This does not reflect our values and what we're all about," Heyward said during an appearance Tuesday at the WSJD Live conference in Laguna Beach, according to an account in the Wall Street Journal.

His statements come in reaction to a damning report in the U.K.-based Guardian that was based upon the account of reporters who were visiting to discuss a potential partnership. Those journalists claim Whisper executives showed them the company's internal tools and bragged of practices that violated the app's promise of anonymity, including the ability to track users' locations, including those of users who opt out of tracking.

One employee at the Santa Monica-based startup reportedly told the Guardian that a Whisper user claiming to be a "sex-obsessed" Washington, D.C. lobbyist would be tracked for the rest of his life without his knowledge. If an employee actually said that, Heyward said the person will be fired.

The Whisper chief also said that the app only tracks the whereabouts of users who agree to location tracking, though it does collect IP addresses that it deletes after seven days for what he called public safety issues. The company has, in some cases, tracked users who post suicide notices or otherwise indicate intent to harm themselves or endanger public safety. If a minor is at risk, the company will notify child protective services.

After getting an MA in journalism from Syracuse University, Teresa worked as a general assignment newspaper reporter—general on purpose because besides the usual city hall and police articles, there was the chance to fly an F-18 with the Blue Angels and tag along with bounty hunters on a stakeout—all good preparation for covering entrepreneurs.