Washington: Meta’s WhatsApp messaging service is offering users an advanced security mode, joining a growing number of U.S. tech firms that are letting users opt into stronger protections against hackers in exchange for a more restrictive experience. The new option, rolling out on Tuesday and called “Strict Account Settings,” is a one-click button in WhatsApp’s settings that activates a series of defenses.
These include blocking media and attachments from unknown senders, disabling link previews, opens new tab – the thumbnails that appear when a URL is entered into a chat – and silencing calls from unknown contacts, opens new tab. All three have been identified as potential vectors for surveillance and advanced hackers. In a blog post, opens new tab, WhatsApp said that while all its users’ conversations were protected by end-to-end encryption, “we also know that a few of our users – like journalists or public-facing figures – may need extreme safeguards against rare and highly sophisticated cyberattacks.” Meta Platforms is the third major tech firm to offer a security boost for high-risk users.
In 2022, Apple launched “Lockdown Mode,” which it describes, opens new tab as “an optional, extreme protection” designed for the “very few individuals” who might be targeted by advanced digital threats. Available on iPhone and macOS, the feature disables most message attachment types and link previews and includes restrictions on FaceTime calls and web browsing. Last year, Alphabet’s Android began offering “Advanced Protection Mode,” for users with “heightened security awareness.”Like “Lockdown Mode”, Alphabet’s more secure option trades some functionality for enhanced security, including restricting users from downloading potentially risky apps, opens new tab from outside its in-house Play Store.
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