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The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has made one thing clear: End-to-end encrypted WhatsApp chats can be dug into and analysed by government agencies with the help of forensic specialists. Photo for representation only Saurabh Malik Tribune News Service Chandigarh, June 9 Investigating a drugs case, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) has made one thing clear: End-to-end encrypted WhatsApp chats can be dug into and analysed by government agencies with the help of forensic specialists. As a petition filed by an 18-year-old for regular bail in a drugs case came up for hearing before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the NCB submitted that the entire WhatsApp chat was end-to-end encrypted. As such, it could not be opened by the NCB officers. They were, therefore, constrained to send it to forensic specialists for “opening and analysis”. The prosecution’s case was that the petitioner and his co-accused-father were found in possession of 520 grams of heroin without permit or licence. They were arrested on February 14, 2020. Justice Sudip Ahluwalia’s Bench was told the complacency/involvement of the accused in trafficking was established from his talks over phone and WhatsApp communications with a Nigerian handler/supplier of contraband. Screenshots from the petitioner’s phone regarding…

With a new wave of COVID-19, a new surge of fake news also washed over India. A scientific study carried out by doctors from Rochester, New York, and Pune, India, and published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Medical Internet Research gives some insights into the behaviour of Indian internet users during the pandemic on one of the prime sources of COVID-19 misinformation in the country, WhatsApp. The survey found that around 30% of Indians used WhatsApp for COVID-19 information, and just about as many fact-checked less than 50% of messages before forwarding them. 13% of respondents even said that they never fact-checked messages before forwarding on WhatsApp. According to the report, a minority of users were responsible for the bulk of forwarding, however. Only 14% forwarded three or more messages a day, and only 5% forwarded nine or more. Also Read: Social Media Companies Fail to Deal With Rampant COVID-19 Misinformation in Hindi The survey also looked at age groups and found that those over the age of 65 were more likely to receive misinformation and were also more likely to believe and act on it, while this was least likely for those under the age of 25. As a…

If there is one messaging app Indians love is WhatsApp. And despite the privacy-policy conundrum, many individuals still prefer using WhatsApp over other alternatives due to the convenience and the unique experience that it brings to the table. PAAnd now, WhatsApp has introduced another feature with voice messages that offer more control in recording and playback of these messages. WhatsApp Voice Message Playback Speed TweakThe new update (version 2.21.101) has just started rolling out in India and the feature allows playback of the voice message at different speeds, so in case a message is too long, or if the person is speaking really slowly, one can simply increase its playback speed and not waste time in understanding what the speaker is trying to convey. Also Read: WhatsApp Will Allow You To Move Chats Between iPhone And Android: Here's How The update brings the ability to increase the playback speed by two levels -- 1.5x and 2x offering the ability to playback at 50 or 100 percent faster speeds than the original file. There is a small pill-shaped button to the right that shows the playback speed. Tapping on it would allow users to toggle between different speeds to suit their liking.  IndiatimesWhile this…

If you’re the owner of a small, medium or large business, you have probably been exploring the option of faster and more direct ways to market and power your communication with your customers and clients. Beyond the classic WhatsApp platform, the business sector is already seeing the use of WhatsApp Business among financial advisors, asset managers, wealth managers, bankers and traders.Due to the growing popularity of WhatsApp Business, you may have already heard about the WhatsApp Business API, which seems like the next step to connect globally, securely and reliably. But is WhatsApp Business API free like other WhatsApp platforms? While the short answer is “no”, there is so much more to consider.WhatsApp Business vs WhatsApp Business APIIf you’re looking for the right WhatsApp connection tailored to your business application, it’s important to understand that there are two WhatsApp Business versions available, each with its own advantages and specialised features. Choosing the right WhatsApp service for your business will give you the best reach when connecting with customers and clients.WhatsApp Business, a free-to-download app, was released in 2018 and was specifically designed with small and local businesses in mind to allow a business owner to use two accounts on the…

Telkom has launched a Mastercard virtual card for use on WhatsApp, enabling Telkom Pay customers to make e-commerce payments. Launched in 2020, Telkom Pay is a digital payments wallet that enables its users to make and receive payments using WhatsApp on their mobile phone. With the addition of the Mastercard virtual card to the wallet, users can now make payments to local and global online merchants that accept Mastercard, including Uber and Netflix. Telkom’s move to bring virtual cards into its Telkom Pay WhatsApp service is a result of close collaboration with Mastercard, Nedbank, and leading fintech enablement partner, Ukheshe Technologies. Telkom’s Mastercard virtual card for WhatsApp gives customers the flexibility to shop using just their smartphone and the Telkom Pay app. Customers simply create a virtual card on their profile, link it to their digital wallet and transfer funds from their wallet to the card. To pay for purchases, users receive a virtual prepaid card – including a 16-digit card number, security code and expiry date, which they use to complete an online purchase much like they would with a physical card. The virtual card solution is safely stored on the Telkom Pay app and customers can temporarily block,…

Who is more inhumane, the ones selling those eggs or those who are buying them? Just two weeks ago, we were devastated by the news of a green turtle found dead at Pulau Kapas that was allegedly suffocated to death. Locals and a sea turtle research group believe that perpetrators cut open the turtle in an attempt to retrieve its eggs. In a further devastating turn of events, Kapas Conservation Society reached out to WORLD OF BUZZ to alert us that they were informed of an illegal syndicate on WhatsApp and Facebook that sold sea turtle eggs. One of the sellers wrote that the turtle eggs she is selling come from Pulau Perhentian, which is a gazetted marine park. Collecting and selling any marine resources found within the park is a prohibited practice. “We are deeply concerned sea turtle eggs that were illegally collected by poachers here in Taman Laut Pulau Kapas will share a similar fate of being sold through online methods when markets are closed because of MCO.” The Department of Fisheries issued a statement last year informing that every state in Malaysia has prohibited the selling of every turtle species and turtle eggs EXCEPT for…

Reliance's hyperlocal commerce platform JioMart now gets more than half its orders from India's Tier II and III cities. The platform, which launched in May 2020, has seen an accelerated rollout in the pandemic to help people 'shop from home'. Interestingly, at launch JioMart was more focused on metros and Tier I cities. However, with digital commerce gaining traction across the country, JioMart's audience demographic also went through a shift. From grocery and essentials, the platform expanded to selling apparels and electronics as well. JioMart Kirana partnerships also expanded, reaching over 33 cities by the end of March 2021, Reliance stated in its FY20-21 annual report. At a media event in December, Jio Platforms CEO Kiran Thomas had revealed that JioMart was averaging over half a million orders per day. Much of this growth was being driven by WhatsApp, which connected merchants and customers."Customers are transacting seamlessly on JioMart and the conversational nature of the service enabled by WhatsApp has made people adapt to it intuitively," Thomas said. JioMart also fulfils Reliance Digital and Reliance Trends orders, with the latter's assortment shipped to over 3,000 pin codes across the country. "New Commerce partnerships have over a million merchants across consumption baskets," RIL shared.Reliance wrote…

WhatsApp is reportedly developing a Flash Call feature that helps users to log into their accounts quickly. When a user tries to log in to WhatsApp, a 6-digit code is sent on their phone for verification. A new alternate method is reportedly being developed, wherein WhatsApp will make a flash call to the user for the purpose of verification. This will enable users to log in quicker than the SMS verification process and should prove to be useful once multi-device support is rolled out and users can log in to multiple devices simultaneously.More details were shared by WhatsApp features tracker WABetaInfo about the flash call feature that was first spotted in WhatsApp beta version 2.21.11.7. Through this method, “WhatsApp will call your phone number and then automatically end the call, verifying that the last phone number in your phone's log is equal to the number that gives you the 6-digit code. This phone number is always different, so there is no way to trick this method, ensuring a safe experience,” WABetaInfo says.For this feature to work, WhatsApp will reportedly ask the user for permission to make and manage calls and access the phone's log. WhatsApp is reportedly working on an…

Here are today’s top news, analysis and opinion. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times.'Why were Covid hospital beds reduced despite warning?': Priyanka attacks CentreCongress leader Priyanka Gandhi on Sunday questioned the Centre over its decision to reduce the number of oxygen, ICU and ventilator beds in hospitals, which she said came despite reports indicating the need for a large number of beds during the second wave of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) across the country. Read moreFarmers demand release of arrested fellow protesters, camp outside police station in HaryanaBharatiya Kisan Union leader Rakesh Tikait and several farmers continued with their demonstration in the Fatehabad district of Haryana on Sunday, demanding the release of their fellow protesters. Read moreOnly 7 countries have over 1 lakh Covid deaths. Maharashtra is close to the markMaharashtra, the state worst-affected by the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic in India, is close to crossing a grim milestone. The number of fatalities related to the disease are very close to the 1 lakh-mark in the state. Read moreCentre busts myths around Central Vista, says 'claims mischievously exaggerated'The Centre on Saturday released a document to bust the myths around the Central Vista project,…

Its billions of users might not be aware of these rules but a quick dig into WhatsApp's terms and conditions reveals that the Facebook-owned firm can delete accounts if they lay dormant for a set amount of time.WhatsApp says that anyone who doesn't use their account for 120 days could find that things get deleted.In a post on its website, the chat app says: "To maintain security, limit data retention, and protect the privacy of our users, WhatsApp accounts are generally deleted after 120 days of inactivity. Inactivity means the user hasn’t connected to WhatsApp."It's worth noting that even if you launch WhatsApp but your device isn't connected to the web, the company still assumes that you are inactive."An internet connection is required for an account to be active. If a user has WhatsApp open on their device, but they don't have an internet connection, then the account will be inactive," explained WhatsApp.