WhatsApp has initiated a three-month long safety campaign, titled ‘Stay Safe with WhatsApp,’ with the objective of enlightening users on online safety best practices. The Meta-owned messaging platform will educate users about the product features within WhatsApp that enable them to control their online safety. The campaign emphasizes the importance of user awareness and how to use these features to protect their WhatsApp accounts against various online scams, frauds, and other security risks.
According to Shivnath Thukral, Director of Public Policy India at Meta, user safety is WhatsApp’s top priority, and the new campaign intends to instill positive consumer behavior that makes utilizing the app’s key safety features automatic for users. The campaign focuses on highlighting several essential safety features, including two-step verification to enhance account security, blocking and reporting suspicious accounts, privacy settings to manage personal information visibility, and group privacy settings that ensure a secure messaging experience.
Products and features that WhatsApp plans to showcase and emphasize.
Two-step verification: WhatsApp provides users with an additional layer of protection for their accounts by offering the Two-Step Verification feature, which demands a six-digit PIN for resetting and verifying the account. This feature proves beneficial in scenarios where the phone gets compromised or if a SIM card gets stolen.
Block and report accounts: WhatsApp allows its users to respond to troublesome messages from unfamiliar numbers using the ‘block and report’ feature. This feature helps to block unwanted contact or numbers from sending messages or making calls. Once you have blocked a contact or number, they will no longer be able to reach out to you on WhatsApp.
Privacy settings: WhatsApp users can manage their personal information, such as profile photos, last seen status, online presence, status, and about section. Users have the option to choose who can view their details, including everyone, contacts only, select contacts, or no one. Additionally, users can manage their online presence by specifying who can and cannot see their online status.
Group privacy settings: WhatsApp’s privacy settings and group invite system give users the power to determine who can add them to groups, thereby boosting user privacy by preventing unauthorized group additions. In case a user ends up in a group that doesn’t interest them, they can silently exit the group without notifying other members. This feature offers a discreet way of leaving the group chat.
