WhatsApp announces new privacy features for WhatsApp

Three new privacy features are being announced by WhatsApp, which will give more control over conversations with users. The platform said that although it has the default end-to- end encryption, it is only one part of privacy protection.

The three new features will allow users to leave groups silently, let them choose who can and can't see them online, and block screenshots of view-once messages.

Privacy features coming to WhatsApp: exit group chats without notifying everyone, control who can see when you're online, and prevent screenshots on view once messages. Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Meta, said that they'll keep building ways to protect their messages and keep them as private and secure as face-to-face conversations.

This feature will allow users to exit a group without notifying anyone. When a person wants to leave the group, only the admins will be notified. This feature will be available this month.

Users can decide who can see and who can't see them online because they want to keep their online presence private. The feature will allow users to check their WhatsApp privately, while staying connected to their friends and family. This feature will be available this month.

This feature is being tested and will be rolled out to users soon.

WhatsApp said 72 per cent of people value being able to speak in an honest and unfiltered way, but more than 42 per cent want to do so in a safe, private space. They are cautious online and give private messages the utmost importance, compared to email, text or social media. It said 51 per cent prefer to stay hidden online, while 91 per cent believe blocking features are important. The platform said these are the reasons it kept in mind while adding the new layers of protection.

Ami Vora, Head of Product at WhatsApp, said at WhatsApp we refocused on building product features that empower people to have more control over their messages. Over the years, we added layers of protection to help keep their conversations secure, and the new features are one way we continue to deliver on our commitment to keep messages private. No other global messaging service at this scale provides this level of security for their users' messages, media, voice messages, video calls, and chat backups.