Some WhatsApp accounts are getting hacked, here’s how to make sure it doesn’t happen to you
Reports emerged yesterday that some Israeli WhatsApp users’ accounts have been hacked, and that the problem is sufficiently widespread that the Israeli government has seen fit to send out a warning about it. Leave a message The hack exploits the fact that many consumers never change their voicemail PIN from […]
Facebook appoints Adam Mosseri as the new head of Instagram
The company renowned for making headlines for all the wrong reasons these days, Facebook, has named Adam Mosseri the new head of Instagram. He succeeds founders Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, who announced their departure earlier this month, amid rumours that ongoing clashes with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg were largely […]
Facebook on track to start adding ads to WhatsApp – starting with iOS
There’s a lot going on over at the Facebook-owned outfits. Instagram’s founders have bounced, there’s been another (huge) data breach, and Facebook is starting to use phone numbers for advertising — let’s add another item to the pile, this one concerned with WhatsApp. Facebook’s WhatsApp is set to start getting […]
WhatsApp could be getting Dark Mode, swipe-to-reply features for Android
WhatsApp has had itself a fairly busy year. When its user numbers aren’t climbing to Facebook-like levels it has been getting new features, like groups with an administrator and a whole lot less reply-spam to group video calling, like we’re in some 1990s tech future. And we could be in […]
Three alternative messaging apps to WhatsApp
WhatsApp is the go-to messaging app for most South Africans. The Facebook-owned service is undoubtedly the most popular messaging platform on the planet, second only to WeChat in terms of total daily users, but far surpassing it in geographical reach. Is it too big to fail? What would we do […]
WhatsApp now lets you start a group chat where you’re in control
Have you ever been in a WhatsApp group chat that is used for exactly the opposite of its initial purpose? Or one where the people involved just won’t… stop… talking… about things that are not relevant to the matter at hand. If you’re a parent with a kid in primary […]
How to download your personal data from Facebook, Instagram and Twitter
The personal data debacle has been going strong since Facebook ‘accidentally’ decided a few users’ personal information wasn’t important enough to secure, and they kinda sold access to it to someone. This has prompted other social media platforms (a few of which are also owned by Facebook) to roll out […]
Facebook’s 1.2bn strong WhatsApp service likely to be the centre of the next big privacy debacle
There’s a profound irony that one of the people leading the #DeleteFacebook charge is Brian Acton, the co-founder of WhatsApp, which was bought by Facebook for $22bn. If you think the amount (of which Acton received $3bn in 2014) was eye-watering, last month’s tweet by Acton – “It is time. […]
WhatsApp has launched WhatsApp Business – Find out if you need it
Next time you have to chat to your insurance broker or hair salon via WhatsApp their profiles will most probably pop up as a ‘ WhatsApp Business Account’. Yup, they just made WhatsApp more professional. The instant messaging company has launched WhatsApp Business, a service aimed at verifying business accounts […]
Sent a WhatsApp by mistake? Now you can delete it
We’ve all done it. You get a WhatsApp message from someone, open the app, rapidly fire off a response… and then realise you’ve sent the wrong message to the wrong person or group. More often that not the result is a bemused recipient who at worst finds out the embarrassing […]
Share your real-time location with WhatsApp Live Location
The Facebook-owned instant messaging service WhatsApp has added a feature that allows users to share their location in real-time with individual or group chats. Called Live Location, the new feature includes end-to-end encryption and lets you decide how long the person or people you’re sharing your location with can view it. […]
End-to-end encryption isn’t enough security for ‘real people’
Government officials continue to seek technology companies’ help fighting terrorism and crime. But the most commonly proposed solution would severely limit regular people’s ability to communicate securely online. And it ignores the fact that governments have other ways to keep an electronic eye on targets of investigations. In June, government […]