You can now unlock WhatsApp with your face or your finger
Instagram and Messenger are expected to inherit the end-to-end encryption their stablemate WhatsApp enjoys, but in the meantime if you're using WhatsApp and an iDevice you can enjoy another layer of security: biometric authentication. Peeping significant others will soon need to find other ways to access bae’s messages.
By combining its various messaging services, Facebook is treading on dangerous ground with privacy and anticompetitive monopoly
Facebook intends to combine is messaging apps – WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram – into a single backend so people can message across the various platforms. While Facebook clearly believes it will make it easier for its users to communicate, the rest of the rational world is alarmed at its unprecedented monopoly of communication getting worse, and potentially compromising our data privacy even mo...[Read More]
Zuckerberg plans to integrate Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp chat
Just imagine a single app where you could go for all your messaging needs. Okay, it doesn’t sound so much convenient than it does unnecessary — but it may be coming. Facebook plans to integrate WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger and Instagram messages, according to a new report. Doing so will allow users to send messages between the three networks, even if they’re not on all of them. A report in t...[Read More]
Telegram and Signal are the main alternatives to WhatsApp because they promise greater security
In the last few years while WhatsApp was being sued by privacy watchdogs in Europe for data infringements, Telegram was sued in Russia for refusing to compromise on its users’ privacy. Telegram is a messaging app that prides itself on its encryption and privacy. It was created in 2013 Pavel Durov – often called Russia’s Mark Zuckerberg – specifically to prevent his own government from eavesd...[Read More]
WhatsApp limits forwarding to five instances to curb fake news
That image of your littlest nephew sitting on the couch all chocolate-covered, with a half-eaten banana and a manic grin on his face? WhatsApp will only let you forward that image a maximum of five times, thanks to silly people who believe everything that they read. The messaging app has announced that it will be limiting available forwards from 20 groups or people down to just five. The reasoning...[Read More]
Facebook sued by European regulators for breaching privacy, and it’s only getting worse
I’m not a big believer in New Year’s Resolutions. After years of trying to fulfil these improbable, sometimes impossible, behavioural change tasks, I – like everyone – gave up on this annual tradition. But this year I have a goal, a resolution, if you will. I want to move way from WhatsApp – and to use Telegram. As one of the largest messaging networks in the world – with over 1.5bn us...[Read More]
WhatsApp wants researchers to tackle its fake news problem – here’s an idea
Last February, Cadbury Chocolate fell victim to a hoax. The image below went viral in an Indonesian WhatsApp group called “Viral Media Johor”, and later in a Nigerian group. But the problem that this story and others like it pose is real. Rumours, hoaxes and misinformation find fertile breeding ground on social media. But as Google, Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms increasingly c...[Read More]
WhatsApp skewed Brazilian election, proving social media’s danger to democracy
Misinformation via social media played a troubling role in boosting far-right Congressman Jair Bolsonaro to into the Brazilian presidency. Bolsonaro did not win 55 percent of votes thanks to misinformation alone. A powerful desire for political change in Brazil after a yearslong corruption scandal and a court decision compelling the jailed front-runner Luis Inacio Lula da Silva to withdraw from th...[Read More]
You could soon invite people on WhatsApp with a QR Code
WhatsApp is testing a new feature that will allow users to add contacts using QR codes. Users will be able to scan the code in the app and the other person’s contact information will be imported immediately. Each QR code will be completely unique and shareable. This feature is ideal for businesses that connect with their customers on WhatsApp. This would allow them to distribute printed QR codes o...[Read More]
How to make your own WhatsApp stickers on Android
Creating personalised stickers is by no means a native WhatsApp feature, and like with many things, Facebook has decided to sneakily nab the idea from other messenger apps (like Telegram and WeChat), and add it to its own messaging app. It’s still an awesome feature though. And will likely replace standard stickers altogether one day. WhatsApp stickers have just started to roll out for Android and...[Read More]
Confirmed: WhatsApp will start showing ads
Hopefully you’ve started transitioning to an alternative messaging service, because WhatsApp Vice-president Chris Daniels recently confirmed that the service will start showing ads. After the departure of both founders (who were against the idea of monetisation through ads), the company has decided that it’s time to flood the only safe space you had left with adverts. The ads will only be displaye...[Read More]
Signal messaging app beefing up security for its users
While WhatsApp is reportedly planning ads for users, other messaging apps are beefing up security and encryption to keep user information safe. Signal, the messaging app with arguably the best end-to-end encryption around (no offence Telegram), is rolling out a new feature that will further protect the identities of message senders. Since it began, Signal has not collected or kept any user data (s...[Read More]