WhatsApp announces new privacy features, including leaving groups silently

WhatsApp is announcing new privacy features, including leaving groups silently, that will launch later this month

WhatsApp on Tuesday announced new privacy features that will now allow users of the instant messaging service to silently leave groups, as well as choose who sees when they’re online. WhatsApp will also block screenshots for “view once” messages.

“New privacy features are coming to WhatsApp: end group chats without notifying everyone, control who can see when you’re online, and prevent screenshots from appearing after messages. We will continue to create new ways to protect your messages and keep them as private and secure as in-person conversations,” said Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Meta.

Meta owns products like WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook.

Thanks to the “Leave Groups Silently” features, WhatsApp users will be able to leave the group privately without informing everyone. Now, instead of notifying the entire group when leaving, only administrators will be notified. This feature will start rolling out to all users this month.

“Seeing when friends or family are online helps users feel connected to each other, but everyone has had a time when they want to check their WhatsApp in private. At a time when you want to keep your online presence private, WhatsApp is introducing the ability to choose who can and can’t see when you’re online,” WhatsApp said in a statement, adding that the feature will roll out to all users. this month.

In addition, the instant messaging app now blocks screenshots for “Show messages once”. He noted that “View Once” is already an incredibly popular way to share photos or media that may not have a permanent digital record. “WhatsApp now allows you to block screenshots for View Once messages for an extra layer of protection. This feature is being tested and will be made available to users soon,” he said.

The company added that the rollout of these new features is supported by WhatsApp’s new privacy study, which found that 72% of people appreciate being able to talk in an honest and unfiltered way, but more than 47% are comfortable doing so only in safety. , private space.

“At a time when you need more privacy, 51% prefer to stay hidden online to choose who they want to talk to. 91% of people who know about blocking features believe they are important. That’s why WhatsApp is introducing new layers of protection that allow users to speak freely and have private conversations,” he said.

To spread awareness about the new features, Whatsapp will also launch a new campaign to educate people, starting with the UK and India.

“At WhatsApp, we’re focused on building product features that give people more control and privacy over their messages. Over the years, we’ve added interconnected layers of protection to help keep their conversations safe, and the new features are one way we continue to deliver on our commitment to keeping messages private,” said Ami Vora, WhatsApp’s chief product officer.

Ms. Vora added that no other global messaging service on this scale provides this level of security for messages, media, voice messages, video calls and chat backups. “We believe WhatsApp is the safest place for private conversation. And to spread awareness of these new features, we’re also launching a global campaign, starting in the UK and India, to educate people about how we’re working to protect their private conversations on WhatsApp,” she said.