WhatsApp update adds ‘extreme’ protection – GB News

WhatsApp has unleashed a lockdown mode for your messages. The chat app, owned by Meta — the same parent company behind Instagram and Facebook, has released a brand-new Strict Account Settings feature to help keep your conversations much more private. WhatsApp described the new addition as an “extreme safeguard”. When enabled, it’s designed to give you the strongest possible defences against hackers, surveillance software, and governments. This lockdown mode will block incoming attachments, photos, and videos from anyone outside of your contacts. In its FAQ about the optional feature , WhatsApp states: “Strict account settings is an optional, lockdown-style security feature that, when enabled, reduces your vulnerability to cyber attack by limiting functionality. Your account is locked to more private settings and your chats with others outside your contacts will have limitations.” Without these protections, if someone was able to access your messages, they could steal your personal information, impersonate you, drain your bank accounts, and more. Fraudsters are becoming increasingly sneaky when it comes to attempting to gain access, too. In fact, hackers have found a way to hijack your WhatsApp account without breaking authentication checks . A recent data breach also caused 149 million online accounts to leak
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