Meta have announced new privacy features for WhatsApp aimed at improving the security and experience of its users.
The company that owns WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram made this announcement on Tuesday.
The new features include being able to leave groups without a notification of your exit visible for others to see; being able to choose who can see your last seen and when you are online; and screenshot blocking for view once messages.
“New 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. We’ll keep building new ways to protect your messages and keep them as private and secure as face-to-face conversations,” Mark Zuckerberg, Founder and CEO, Meta said.
“Seeing when friends or family are online helps users feel connected to one another, but everyone has had times when they wanted to check their WhatsApp privately. For the times you want to keep your online presence private, WhatsApp is introducing the ability to select who can and can’t see when you’re online,” WhatsApp said in a statement.
Additionally, “Now WhatsApp is enabling screenshot blocking for View Once messages for an added layer of protection. This feature is being tested and will be rolled out to users soon.”
WhatsApp added that these changes are based on a privacy study which found that 72% of people value being able to speak in an honest, unfiltered way, but more than 47% are only comfortable doing this in a safe, private space.
The statement further said, “For the times when you need more privacy, 51% prefer to stay hidden online to choose who they want to talk to. 91% of people who are aware of blocking features believe they are important. That is why WhatsApp is introducing new layers of protection that enable users to speak freely and have private conversations.”
