Explained: WhatsApp's New High-Security Mode For High-Risk Users
The meta-owned popular messaging platform WhatsApp has offered users an advanced security mode. The advanced security feature would allow users to opt into added protection against potential hackers in exchange for a more restrictive experience.
The platform rolled out the new option on Tuesday, titled ‘Strict Account Settings’ in WhatsApp’s settings button, which the users can activate a series of defense options.
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The feature includes blocking media and attachments from unknown senders, disabling link previews — the thumbnails that appear when a URL is entered into a chat. It also consists of silencing calls from unknown contacts.
In a blog post, the social platform said that while all its users’ conversations were protected by end-to-end encryption, adding that WhatsApp also know that a few of their users – like journalists or public-facing figures – may need extreme safeguards against rare and highly sophisticated cyberattacks.
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Notably, WhatsApp is the third big tech company that offers a security boost for high-risk users. Apple had launched “Lockdown Mode,” in 2022 giving option for extreme protection especially designed for the very few individuals who might be targeted by advanced digital threats. However, the features disables most message attachment types and link previews and includes restrictions on FaceTime calls and web browsing.
A group of WhatsApp users from multiple countries had recently filed a class action lawsuit accusing WhatsApp of falsely claiming that ’ messages are protected by end-to-end encryption, while suing the Meta platform in US court for allegedly accessing users’ end-to-end encrypted messages.
