WhatsApp is also considering sharing its users’ data with Facebook to help improve users’ experience on the social media platform.
The issue of encryption has taken a center stage after Apple locked horns with the US agencies over creating a backdoor access to its iOS devices. Of late messaging apps such as Telegram have shot to popularity for their end-to-end encryption features. WhatsApp, world’s largest instant messaging platform, also offers end-to-end encryption, and has plans to expand it to group chats and voice calls as well. But now the messaging platform is looking to make its users more aware about this security feature by adding a new setting called “Show security indicators.” Another major update coming to WhatsApp is a deeper integration between the messaging app and Facebook.
The new features were spotted by Javier Santos, a Spanish mobile developer who has created a Beta Updater for WhatsApp. Santos revealed the new WhatsApp 3.0 comes with the additional security indicator. By activating the indicator, WhatsApp will add a lock icon to your encrypted conversations. The icon is likely to help increase awareness among its users about security capabilities of WhatsApp and perhaps prevent exodus to applications such as Telegram and Cryptochat.
WhatsApp isn’t the only app that is making effort to make its users more informed about encryption. Recently Google’s Gmail added a red unlock icon to inform users about which email could be insecure, or could simply imply that the sender should have better security features. Gmail, on the other hand, also allows users to encrypt their emails. You can learn more about Gmail’s transparency report on encryption here.
Coming back to the new features in WhatsApp, and parent-company Facebook is focusing on deeper integration by adding a new section called “Share my account info.” The section will send WhatsApp users’ data to Facebook servers. The integration is supposedly aimed at improving users’ Facebook experience.
If launched, Facebook is sure to draw major heat from users and security advocates, but at the same time it isn’t really surprising as company owns the platforms. Even as Facebook has aggressively pushed its Messenger platform, WhatsApp hasn’t really changed much other than a few incremental updates. Earlier this year, WhatsApp announced ditching subscription model to make it completely free. But it also revealed plans to soon allow users to also communicate with businesses and organizations.
Image: Softpedia
Source: bgr.in
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