WhatsApp Launches Advanced Security Feature to Stop Unknown Calls and Suspicious Files

WhatsApp’s new security feature: Meta’s WhatsApp messaging service now offers users a sophisticated security mode. It joins a growing list of US-based IT companies that provide users with better hacker protection while offering significantly reduced features.

Starting Tuesday, this new feature, termed “Strict Account Settings,” will be a one-click button in WhatsApp’s settings that, when activated, will automatically enable various security features.

These include blocking images, videos, and files from unknown numbers, turning off link previews (thumbnails that appear when a URL is input into a chat), and blocking calls from unknown numbers. All three have been highlighted as potential points of surveillance and hacking.

WhatsApp claimed in a blog post that, while end-to-end encryption protects all of its users’ conversations, “we also know that some of our users—like journalists or public figures—may need enhanced security measures to protect against rare and sophisticated cyberattacks.”

Meta Platforms is the third major technology business to provide improved security features for high-risk individuals.

In 2022, Apple introduced “Lockdown Mode,” which it defines as “an optional but very robust security feature” aimed for the “very few people” who may be targeted by advanced digital threats. This option, which is available on iPhone and macOS, blocks most message attachments and link previews while also restricting FaceTime calls and online browsing.

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Last year, Alphabet Inc.’s Android division unveiled “Advanced Protection Mode,” a feature designed for customers who are more concerned about their online safety.

Like “Lockdown Mode,” Alphabet’s more secure option disables some capabilities to improve security. This includes blocking consumers from installing potentially harmful programs from sources other than the Google Play Store.

A researcher who works with civil society to safeguard individuals from hacking called WhatsApp’s move “a very good step.”

According to John Scott-Railton, a researcher at the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab, the feature will assist protect dissidents and social activists while also inspiring other digital businesses to raise their standards.

“I hope other companies will take similar steps,” he joked.

WhatsApp’s New Security Feature

WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, has added a new Advanced Security Mode to further guard against unwanted calls, suspicious files, and other cyber attacks. The tool is designed specifically at people who may face increased security risks, such as journalists, activists, and public personalities.