WhatsApp introduces new hi-tech security features

NEW DELHI: The Meta-owned WhatsApp (also owners of Instagram and Facebook) unveiled new security measures to give users greater control over their messages and enhance privacy safeguards. The new updates also address some crucial issues like handset and SIM cloning, etc.

Witb the latest updates the messaging app aims to make conversations as secure as face-to-face discussions, and the updates will roll out gradually in different locations, with some taking place automatically in the background.

According to a press note issued, the company encourages users to share these features with their friends and inform them to help more people stay secure.

The instant messaging platform has unveiled a new security measure called Account Protect, which will provide an extra layer of protection to users when they transfer their WhatsApp account to a new device or even another handset of the same model and make.

WhatsApp has introduced another new feature called Device Verification, which aims to protect users from mobile device malware that can exploit their phone without permission and use their WhatsApp to send unsolicited messages. With no user action required, WhatsApp has added checks to authenticate users’ accounts and safeguard them in case their device is compromised.

In addition to the list of new features, the company is also introducing an Automatic Security Codes feature to verify users’ connections securely, based on a process called “Key Transparency.” Previously, only the app’s most security-conscious users could use the security code verification feature to ensure they were chatting with the right recipient. The new feature aims to make secure messaging more accessible to everyone, verifying the security of the connection without requiring any action from users.

Moreover, WhatsApp also offers two-step verification and end-to-end encrypted backups as security options that users can activate themselves. The company encourages users to share these features with their friends to help more people stay secure. The ultimate goal of the new features is to give users greater privacy and control over their messages, and WhatsApp promises to continue developing new tools to enhance the security of its platform, the company said.