WhatsApp’s rolling out some new security features to help protect users from impersonation and malware, while also providing more assurance about who you’re communicating with in the app.
First off, WhatsApp’s adding a new registration check process when moving to another device.
As you can see in this example, now, when you go to use WhatsApp on a new device, this new pop-up will provide an extra level of confirmation that it is actually you who’s logging in.
As per WhatsApp:
“If you need to switch your WhatsApp account to a new device – we want to double check that it’s really you. From now on, we may ask you on your old device to verify that you want to take this step as an extra security check. This feature can help alert you to an unauthorized attempt to move your account to another device.”
Of course, that also necessitates having access to your old device, which won’t always be possible - but it’s another option to keep your account safe, and ensure that you’re not being hacked.
WhatsApp’s also adding a new measure to protect users from malware, without you having to take any direct action, while it’s also expanding access to its Security Codes feature, which provides another avenue for verifying your identity in the app.
“Our most security conscious users have always been able to take advantage of our security code verification feature, which helps ensure you are chatting with the intended recipient. You can check this manually by going to the encryption tab under a contact’s info. To make this process easier and more accessible to everyone, we’re rolling out a security feature based on a process called “Key Transparency” that allows you to automatically verify that you have a secure connection.”
The new measures will provide additional assurance for users that their messaging activity is safe, which is a key element of WhatsApp, which has always offered end-to-end encryption by default.
Which will soon become the norm across all of Meta’s messaging platforms, a move that continues to raise the hackles of law enforcement groups around the world, who are concerned that the expanded usage of encryption will help to conceal and facilitate criminal activity.
Which it probably will, but it’ll also ensure that users maintain full control over their messaging activity, without the fear of their private conversations being leaked or shared with others.
I mean, there are always screenshots, but encryption, and other privacy measures, give users a greater sense of assurance, while these new measures will also protect people from scammers and hackers who may seek to misuse their WhatsApp accounts.
