WASHINGTON, Jan 27 - WhatsApp, the messaging service operated by Meta, is introducing an enhanced protection mode for users who may be at higher risk of targeted cyberattacks. The feature, labeled "Strict Account Settings," will appear as a single toggle in the apps settings and, when enabled, activates a bundle of restrictions designed to reduce exposure to potential surveillance and advanced hacking techniques.
WhatsApp said the controls included in the new mode will block media files and attachments sent from unknown contacts, disable link previews - the thumbnail and summary that typically appear when a URL is posted in a chat - and silence incoming calls from people who are not saved in a users contacts list. WhatsApp noted that all conversations on its service are end-to-end encrypted, while acknowledging that some users, such as journalists or public-facing figures, might need extra safeguards against rare and highly sophisticated cyberattacks.
Productizing multiple defensive settings into a single, easy-to-activate option allows users who consider themselves at greater risk to trade some convenience for additional protection. By removing automatic display of attachments and previews and muting unknown callers, the setting aims to reduce three vectors that have been identified as potential means for surveillance or intrusion by advanced actors.
Meta Platforms is not the only major technology company to make this kind of trade-off available. Apple in 2022 introduced "Lockdown Mode," an opt-in, heightened protection that Apple described as intended for a very small group of users likely to face exceptional digital threats. That feature restricts many types of message attachments and link previews and imposes limitations on FaceTime calls and web browsing.
Alphabet has also moved to offer heightened defenses. Android added an "Advanced Protection Mode" last year for users with heightened security awareness, which similarly sacrifices some device functionality in return for tighter controls. Alphabets approach includes limitations on installing apps from outside its Play Store to reduce exposure to potentially risky software.
"A very welcome development," said John Scott-Railton of The Citizen Lab, a research group at the University of Toronto that defends civil society figures from hacking. He added, "My hope is that others follow suit."
The addition of WhatsApps new setting expands the roster of mainstream platforms offering explicit, opt-in protections for users who face specialized threats. The move is presented as an incremental measure designed to strengthen safety for a subset of users while keeping WhatsApps baseline end-to-end encryption in place for all users.
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