Tag: WHATSAPP

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WhatsApp rolls out picture-in-picture mode for video calls on iOS

WhatsApp. (Photo: IANS)

In December last year, it was reported that the messaging platform had started to roll out picture-in-picture mode for the video calls on iOS beta…reports Asian Lite News

Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp is reportedly rolling out picture-in-picture mode for video calls, for all iOS users.

With this feature in the new update, users can now multitask during a WhatsApp call without their video being paused, reports WABetaInfo.

Other than the picture-in-picture mode, the new update also includes– the ability to attach a caption to the documents, and longer group subjects and descriptions to make it easier to describe the groups.

The ability to use the picture-in-picture mode during a WhatsApp call has been widely rolled out to everyone on the stable release of the iOS application. So users have to update the app from the App Store to check if the feature is already enabled for their WhatsApp account, the report said.

In December last year, it was reported that the messaging platform had started to roll out picture-in-picture mode for the video calls on iOS beta.

Meanwhile, last week, WhatsApp was reportedly rolling out a new feature on iOS beta that will allow users to share up to 100 media within the chats, which was earlier limited to only 30.

This feature is useful as users will finally be able to share entire albums, making it easier to share memories and moments.

ALSO READ-WhatsApp to let users send images in original quality  

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Meta brings new status features to WhatsApp

According to Meta, the options you pick will be the default for the next status you post, but you’ll be able to change it without changing the visibility of past statuses…reports Asian Lite News

Meta has now added several new features to WhatsApp status, which will let users post disappearing pictures and other media.

According to The Verge, an American technology news website, once the features roll out over the coming weeks, you’ll be able to react to people’s posts with an emoji, limit who can see your status, and post voice messages. The announcement post read that the status emoji reactions work similarly to how they do on Instagram; when you swipe up on the post, you get the option to choose from one of eight emojis.

The feature lets you change who can see your statuses, with the option to show it to everyone, hide it from certain contacts, or only show it to specific people, reported The Verge.

According to Meta, the options you pick will be the default for the next status you post, but you’ll be able to change it without changing the visibility of past statuses.

Other features are small quality-of-life improvements. Statuses that include links will also be more visually appealing — Meta says there’ll now be previews for the site or page that the link will take you to.

WhatsApp is also trying to make it clearer when people post status by adding a ring around their profile picture in the chat lists, group participant lists, and contact info screens, as per The Verge. (ANI)

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WhatsApp rolls out ability to create avatars on iOS

Chinese hackers luring Indian WhatsApp users into 'part-time' jobs

The feature is useful as it will allow users to pin important messages to the top of the chat, reports WABetaInfo…reports Asian Lite News

Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp, in its latest update to iOS, has rolled out the ability to create personalised avatars and use them as stickers and profile pictures.

Some users may already be able to configure an avatar on the previous update, but it is rolling out to even more people, according to WABetaInfo.

Users will need to open WhatsApp Settings in order to discover if the feature is already enabled for their account.

Moreover, in the latest update, the messaging platform introduced the ability to record videos hands-free by swiping left inside the WhatsApp camera. Users also get the ability to undo “delete for me” for a few seconds in the latest update.

Further, the report mentioned that some accounts may receive the new feature over the coming weeks. Meanwhile, WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new feature which will allow users to pin messages within chats and groups.

The feature is useful as it will allow users to pin important messages to the top of the chat, reports WABetaInfo.

If a message is pinned and the recipient is using an old version of the application, then the app will show a message in the conversation to ask to upgrade to the latest version available on the store.

ALSO READ-WhatsApp bans over 36 lakh malicious accounts in India in Dec

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WhatsApp bans over 36 lakh malicious accounts in India in Dec

WhatsApp.

Under the upgraded IT Rules 2021, major digital and social media platforms, with in excess of 5 million users, have to publish monthly compliance reports…reports Asian Lite News

Meta-owned WhatsApp on Wednesday said it banned over 36 lakh ‘bad’ accounts in India in the month of December 2022 in compliance with the new IT Rules 2021, which are being amended to put more responsibilities on social media platforms.

Between December 1 and December 31, 3,677,000 WhatsApp accounts were banned, and 1,389,000 of these accounts were proactively banned before any reports from users, said the company.

The messaging platform, which has more than 400 million users in the country, received 1,607 complaint reports in December in the country, and the records ‘actioned’ were 166.

“In accordance with the IT Rules 2021, we’ve published our report for the month of December 2022. As captured in the latest Monthly Report, WhatsApp banned over 3.6 million accounts in the month of December,” according to a WhatsApp spokesperson.

Under the upgraded IT Rules 2021, major digital and social media platforms, with in excess of 5 million users, have to publish monthly compliance reports.

Meanwhile, in a major push towards an open, safe, trusted and accountable Internet, the Ministry of Electronics and IT has notified some amendments aimed at protecting the rights of ‘Digital Nagriks’.

The amendments impose a legal obligation on intermediaries to take reasonable efforts to prevent users from uploading such content.

ALSO READ-WhatsApp’s Pegasus lawsuit gets go ahead from Supreme Court

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SC directs WhatsApp to give publicity to its undertaking to Centre  

Apex court passed an interim direction in a batch of petitions challenging the privacy policy of WhatsApp and scheduled the matter for further hearing on April 11…reports Asian Lite News

The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed WhatsApp to give wide publicity in the media that users aren’t bound to accept its 2021 privacy policy and also WhatsApp’s functionality would not be affected till the new data protection bill comes into effect.

In May 2021, WhatsApp, in a response to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s letter, had assured that the messaging service will not limit functionality for its users if they do not accept the new privacy policy update.

A five-judge constitution bench headed by Justice K.M. Joseph observed that giving wide publicity to the WhatsApp undertaking would benefit those who have not agreed to the terms of its 2021 privacy policy. The top court asked WhatsApp to give advertisements in five newspapers regarding its undertaking given to the government.

The bench – also comprising Justices Ajay Rastogi, Aniruddha Bose, Hrishikesh Roy, and C T Ravikumar – said: “We further direct that WhatsApp will give publicity to this aspect to the customers of WhatsApp in five national newspapers on two occasions.”

The bench said it has recorded the stand taken in the response to the government and “we record the submission of the senior counsel for WhatsApp that they will abide by the terms of the letter till next date of hearing”.

The apex court noted that it Centre’s counsel has brought to its notice that a digital personal data protection bill 2022 is about to be placed before the Parliament, and it is there contention that bill would cover most of the aspects which are subject matter of petitions before this court and the matter may be taken up at a later stage. This request was echoed by WhatsApp counsel too.

However, the petitioners’ counsel vehemently contested this aspect and submitted that law should not come in the way of addressing issues raised in the petitions before the apex court. The petitioners’ counsel said the stand by WhatsApp for its customers in Europe stands in stark contrast with its stand taken here, and urged the court to hear the matter. The petitioners’ counsel stressed that the privacy policy should have an option to opt out from data sharing.

After hearing day-long arguments, the apex court passed an interim direction in a batch of petitions challenging the privacy policy of WhatsApp and scheduled the matter for further hearing on April 11.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal represented WhatsApp and senior advocate Arvind Datar represented Meta. Senior advocates Shyam Divan and K.V. Viswanathan represented the petitioners’ along with other counsel.

The top court was hearing petitions, which included a plea filed by two students, Karmanya Singh Sareen and Shreya Sethi, against the contract entered into between WhatsApp and its parent Facebook to provide access to calls, photographs, texts, videos, and documents shared by users. The petitioners claimed it is a violation of their privacy and free speech.

ALSO READ-WhatsApp working on ‘Block’ shortcut

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WhatsApp working on ‘Block’ shortcut

WhatsApp.

The new shortcut will be released in the upcoming update of the application…reports Asian Lite News

Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new ‘Block’ shortcut feature that will provide users a block shortcut right within the notifications.

The platform is planning to introduce this new block shortcut within notifications but not always — the block shortcut will be visible only when users receive a message from unknown and untrusted contacts, reports WABetaInfo.

This limitation is needed as users might tap on the block action by accident when replying to notifications to their trusted contacts.

The new shortcut will be released in the upcoming update of the application.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, it was reported that the messaging platform was working on a new shortcut right within the chat option in the chat list to quickly block a contact.

This feature is likely to save time without opening the conversation, and blocking unwanted contacts will be easier and faster than before.

ALSO READ-WhatsApp’s Pegasus lawsuit gets go ahead from Supreme Court

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WhatsApp’s Pegasus lawsuit gets go ahead from Supreme Court

WhatsApp.

The case will now move forward in the US District Court for the Northern District of California…reports Asian Lite News

The US Supreme Court has declined to block a WhatsApp lawsuit that alleged that Israeli spyware maker NSO Group unlawfully accessed WhatsApp servers when installing Pegasus on users’ devices.

NBC News reported that the SC turned away NSO Group’s appeal arguing that “it was immune from the lawsuit because it was acting on behalf of unidentified foreign governments”.

The case will now move forward in the US District Court for the Northern District of California.

The lawsuit was filed in October 2019 that alleged that NSO unlawfully accessed WhatsApp servers, enabling it to conduct surveillance of 1,400 people, including journalists and human rights activists.



News organisations and watchdogs have exposed how NSO’s flagship product, Pegasus, was sold with the permission of the Israeli Defence Ministry to authoritarian governments who used it to hack the phones of foreign activists, lawyers and politicians.

The NSO Group has been blacklisted by the US government on doing business with tech companies based in the country.

Tech giant Apple in November 2021 also filed a lawsuit against the NSO Group, seeking a permanent injunction to ban the Israeli company from using any Apple software, services or devices.

Apple admitted that a small number of its users may have been targeted by a NSO Group’s exploit to install Pegasus on Apple devices.

Apple also sent threat notification alerts to victims of state-sponsored hackers, beginning with Thailand, El Salvador and Uganda.

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WhatsApp’s new feature to allow transfer data on Android

With this feature, users will be able to transfer chat history to a new device by scanning the QR code…reports Asian Lite News

Meta-owned WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new feature called — ‘Chat Transfer’, which will allow users to transfer their data from one Android device to another using a local network.

According to WABetaInfo, the company will bring the new feature to a future update of the app as it is in the developing stage.

With this feature, users will be able to transfer chat history to a new device by scanning the QR code.

It will eliminate the need for Google Drive, so users will no longer have to back up their chat data to the cloud service if they want to transfer the chats from one device to another, said the report.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp also launched a proxy support for users all over the world, like millions of people in Iran and elsewhere who continue to be denied the right to communicate freely and privately.

Choosing a proxy will enable them to connect to WhatsApp through servers set up by volunteers and organisations around the world dedicated to helping people communicate freely.

“We are making it easier for anyone to connect to WhatsApp using a proxy. So when a connection to WhatsApp is blocked, people have the power to restore access,” said Will Cathcart, Head of WhatsApp.

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Social Media

WhatsApp banned 3.7 mn accounts in India in Nov

WhatsApp.

WhatsApp is an industry leader in preventing abuse, among end-to-end encrypted messaging services…reports Asian Lite News

WhatsApp banned over 3.7 million accounts in India in November, its ‘User Safety Report’ showed on Wednesday. Of the total, 990,000 of these accounts were proactively banned, before any reports from users. The reports are published in accordance with Rule 4(1)(d) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 (IT Rules, 2021) and contain information on actions taken by WhatsApp in response.

In addition to responding to and actioning on user complaints through the grievance channel, WhatsApp also deploys tools and resources to prevent harmful behaviour on the platform.

“We are particularly focused on prevention because we believe it is much better to stop harmful activity from happening in the first place than to detect it after harm has occurred,” a Whatsapp spokesperson said.

WhatsApp is an industry leader in preventing abuse, among end-to-end encrypted messaging services.

“Over the years, we have consistently invested in Artificial Intelligence and other state of the art technology, data scientists and experts, and in processes, in order to keep our users safe on our platform,” the spokesperson said. (ANI)

ALSO READ-WhatsApp rolls out feature to turn off call alerts

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WhatsApp rolls out feature to turn off call alerts

Meanwhile, last month, the messaging platform started to roll out the option to share contact cards on Windows beta…reports Asian Lite News

Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp has started to roll out a new feature that gives users the ability to disable notifications for calls on Windows beta.

The ability to disable notifications for WhatsApp calls has been rolled out to beta testers after installing the WhatsApp beta for Windows 2.2250.4.0 update available on the Microsoft Store, reports WABetaInfo.

Users need to open WhatsApp Settings > Notifications to find out if this feature is available to them. If they see a toggle for this feature, they can choose to disable notifications for incoming WhatsApp calls.

This feature is useful because notifications for calls might show up even when the do not disturb mode is enabled due to an unexpected issue, so now users can manually fix this bug by disabling those notifications.

Meanwhile, last month, the messaging platform started to roll out the option to share contact cards on Windows beta.

The feature allowed users to share contact cards within the same chat share sheet.

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