WhatsApp is taking significant steps to curb misinformation by launching a reverse image search feature, now available for users on WhatsApp Web Beta. This new tool, developed in collaboration with Google, aims to help users verify the authenticity of images they receive within the app. The feature is designed to help detect whether an image has been manipulated or taken out of context, making it easier for users to identify fake content.
How the Reverse Image Search Works
The reverse image search can be accessed directly through WhatsApp without requiring users to download the image. By simply selecting an option to search the image on the web, WhatsApp will upload it to Google’s reverse image search, with the user’s permission. The search will then be conducted through the user’s default web browser. WhatsApp ensures that it does not have access to the content of the image during this process, with all actions managed by Google.
This new feature comes amid WhatsApp’s ongoing efforts to enhance privacy and security for its users. The company recently launched several updates for iOS users, including new augmented reality (AR) effects and filters for video calls and photos. The latest update, version 24.25.93, introduces AR effects such as confetti, star windows, and underwater scenes, which can be accessed through the camera’s image wand icon. Users can also enjoy new document scanning tools, which include colour, grayscale, and black-and-white filters, along with an auto-shutter feature for improved scanning. WhatsApp has also shared a significant update regarding its safety efforts in India. The platform banned 73.6 million accounts throughout the year, with 13.7 million of those accounts being removed proactively between January and October. WhatsApp has long prioritised privacy and security, with major features like end-to-end encryption (2016), Face ID and Touch ID unlock (2019), disappearing messages (2020), and the Private Audience Selector (2023).
Tag: WhatsApp
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WhatsApp Web to soon help users detect misleading info with ‘Reverse Image Search’ feature
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WhatsApp will soon allow users to choose a default theme for the app
WhatsApp is working on a new feature for the app that will allow users to select a default theme for the app. This theme will be independent of the theme setting of the phone. Till now, the WhatsApp theme is in sync with the default theme of the phone. So if the device is on dark theme, the app also turns dark, and if the phone’s setting is on a light theme, then WhatsApp also runs the same theme. However, with the upcoming features, users will be able to customise the theme for the app individually.
The feature is still in beta and was spotted by WABetaInfo. It is part of the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.24.18.6 update. There is no timeline when this feature will roll out to the stable version. However, users running WhatsApp on the beta version should now be able to see the feature in settings.
WABetaInfo has also shared a screenshot of the upcoming features. With the feature rolling out, WhatsApp will likely get a fresh look by updating its signature green colour across two distinct themes. In the light theme, the familiar green will be replaced with black, lending the app a sleek, modern, and minimalist appearance. On the other hand, in the dark theme, the primary colour will switch to white, creating a bold contrast that not only enhances readability but also adds a contemporary edge to the app’s overall aesthetic.
A similar feature was also spotted last month. WhatsApp was reported to be developing chat themes that allow iPhone users to choose from five preset colours for their chat bubbles and wallpaper, including classic green, white, blue, pink, and purple.. Additionally, WhatsApp is reportedly working on a feature to change the app’s accent colour, offering the same color choices as the chat themes, allowing for customisable in-app buttons. While these features aren’t publicly available yet, their presence in beta indicates a potential upcoming release.
In April this year, WhatsApp started to go green. No, not in the environmental preservation kind of a way. The text, bubbles and accent on the app all turned green. For iPhone users, in particular, this just happened overnight. It was not a change users asked for, and there was quite a bit of conversation around it on social media.
These new customisation options could position WhatsApp more favourably against competitors like Telegram, which already offers a variety of personalisation features. By providing users with greater control over the app’s appearance, WhatsApp seems to be aiming to attract and retain those who prioritise a personalised messaging experience.
WhatsApp is introducing a significant privacy feature designed to address one of the platform’s most persistent issues–spam. The new feature, available in the beta version 2.24.18.2 for Android, introduces a Username PIN system aimed at improving user security and curbing unwanted messages, according to GSM Arena. This new functionality allows WhatsApp users to set a four-digit PIN in addition to their username.
The PIN serves as an extra layer of security, ensuring that users who have not interacted with you previously cannot send you messages solely by knowing your username.
This measure is expected to significantly reduce spam and enhance privacy for WhatsApp users, according to GSM Arena. “Once implemented, this feature should greatly cut down on spam, which has been a prevalent issue on WhatsApp,” said a spokesperson for the company, according to GSM Arena. -
WhatsApp soon lets you dial numbers to place calls directly from app
Meta-owned WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new in-app dialer feature that will allow users to make calls directly from the app. According to WABetaInfo, they will not need to add contacts to their address book to make calls from the app. According to WABetaInfo, they will not need to add contacts to their address book to make calls from the app.
People will find a new floating action button located within the calls tab that will enable access to the in-app dialer. In addition, the report mentioned that after entering a phone number, users will also have the option to save the number to the address book as a new contact or add it to an existing contact card.
A messaging shortcut will also be available within the dialer screen that will allow them to quickly send a message to a phone number they initially planned to dial but chose to message instead, the report added.
The feature is presently available to some beta testers who install the latest updates of WhatsApp beta for Android from the Google Play Store, and will roll out to even more people over the coming days, the report said.
Meanwhile, WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new feature that will allow users to see all media shared in community group chats. This feature will let community members see an overview of all images, videos and other media files shared within the community, which will make it easier for them to locate and access shared content.
Source: IANS -
WhatsApp testing new feature, will let users know which contacts were online recently
WhatsApp has been working on a number of features in the last few months and they have all made headlines. Be it encouraging new conversations with the suggested contacts feature or letting Indian users make international payments, the instant messaging platform is trying to enhance customer experience. As per latest news, WhatsApp has another feature in store that might help you decide whom you should text first.
A report in WA Beta Info says that WhatsApp is working on a feature that will show you a list of contacts that were online recently. A screenshot shared by the portal shows a list of contacts who were active on the instant messaging platform recently. It is to be noted that only a few selected contacts, who were recently online, will be shown in this list. This feature could prove to be useful if you want to check who was recently active on the messaging platform and is most likely to answer your texts or pick up your calls first. This feature could also enhance users’ the messaging experience by removing the need to individually check the activity status of each contact. Keeping users’ privacy in mind, WA Beta Info report adds that the feature won’t show users’ last seen and online status in these lists. -
No more stalking, WhatsApp might soon stop you from taking screenshots of other profile photos
In the last few months, Meta-owned WhatsApp has been taking steps to improve its overall experience. Be it working on a chat lock for the web version of WhatsApp or to let users connect with others without sharing their phone numbers, the messaging platform is taking steps to ensure enhanced privacy for users. And now, a report by WABetaInfo says that WhatsApp will soon ban users from taking screenshots of profile photos of other users.
Until now, WhatsApp had the option of hiding profile pictures from strangers, but there was no option to stop other users from taking a screenshot of your profile photo. But if reports are to go by, this will be changed soon.
WhatsApp working on new privacy feature
As per the WABetaInfo report, WhatsApp is currently experimenting with a novel feature designed to stop users from capturing screenshots of others’ profile pictures, commonly referred to as display pictures. This latest addition to the instant messaging platform aims to enhance user privacy by curbing the unauthorized downloading and sharing of personal photos.
The report further says that the recent WhatsApp beta for Android, accessible on the Google Play Store, introduces a notification when users attempt to screenshot someone else’s profile picture. The notification reads ‘Can’t take a screenshot due to app restrictions,’ as in an image shared by the publication.
However, it’s important to note that users may still capture a photo of another person’s profile picture using a secondary device, such as a phone or camera. Hence, users must still be cautious about their display photos, even after the update rolls out.
With that being said, the intention behind limiting screenshot capabilities for profile pictures is clear – WhatsApp aims to mitigate the risks of impersonation and harassment. Although the screenshot block feature is currently available to a select group of beta testers, it is expected that this feature will be rolled out to all users in the upcoming weeks.
This move aligns with WhatsApp’s earlier decision in 2019 to prevent users from downloading profile pictures of others. Additionally, the Meta-owned messaging app is actively developing a specialised fact-checking chatbot to address the challenges posed by deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation.
Chat lock feature by WhatsApp
Earlier, WABetaInfo had reported that WhatsApp was working on a new feature for web users that will enable them to lock certain chats. Until now, WhatsApp web users had no option to lock certain chats and all the chats of the messaging platform would be open whenever a user logged in from a desktop or laptop.
However, users will soon be able to lock away certain chats that can only be accessed by a specific pin. This means that users will have a secure place for storing all their WhatsApp conversations. Source: India Today -
WhatsApp’s new feature to let users share music audio during video call
Meta-owned WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature that will let users share music audio during a video call on Android. According to WABetaInfo, the ability to listen to video and music audio together is now available to some beta testers. “Specifically, when someone in the call shares their screen, audio they play on their device will also be shared with other people in the call. It’s important to note that this feature also works in individual calls, allowing users to enjoy a synchronised audio experience even in one-on-one video conversations,” the report noted.
According to the report, the new feature not only promotes a sense of togetherness in group interactions but also brings an added layer of intimacy to one-on-one conversations.
Moreover, users in a call can also watch videos together, experimenting with shared audio during their video calls, allowing participants to synchronise their video playback experiences, creating a virtual movie-watching or content-sharing session.
The feature will be rolling out to even more people over the coming weeks, the report mentioned. Meanwhile, WhatsApp is reportedly developing a feature that will allow users to search for others through their username. Users will now be able to search for others by entering their username into the search bar, in a future update of the web client. -
WhatsApp rolling out new voice chat feature with large groups
Meta-owned WhatsApp is introducing a new voice chat feature that will be a less disruptive method to connect with large groups on the platform. Voice chats allow you to instantly talk live with members of a group chat while still being able to message in the group. Now, once you start the voice chat, group members will receive a push notification to join instead of a call. There will also be an in-chat bubble they can tap to join.
You can see who has joined the voice chat in a banner on the bottom of the screen.
“Voice chats will end automatically once everyone has left the chat. They’ll also end if no one joins the first or last person in the chat for 60 minutes,” the messaging platform said in an update.
Voice chats are available for groups of 33 to 128 people and this feature is only available on primary devices, said the company. “Group members not in the voice chat can see the profiles of those in the voice chat from the chat header and the Calls tab,” said WhatsApp. Currently, the voice call on WhatsApp is available with up to 32 participants. Once a voice chat is underway, call controls will be accessible from the top of a chat without hindering your ability to send text messages at the same time. Voice chats will be rolling out on iOS and Android in the coming weeks. -
WhatsApp rolls out passwordless logins with passkeys on Android
Meta-owned WhatsApp has announced to roll out support for a password-less passkey feature to all Android users. The move will help WhatsApp users on Android bid goodbye to insecure and even annoying two-factor SMS authentication. “Android users can easily and securely log back in with passkeys. Only your face, finger print, or pin unlocks your WhatsApp account,” the company posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Passkeys were previously being tested by WhatsApp in its beta channel, but it’s now coming to regular users. There is still no information on support for WhatsApp passkeys on iPhones.
Android support will roll out over the coming weeks and months, according to the company. Passkeys can replace traditional passwords with your device’s own authentication methods.
Apple and Google already support passkeys for their users. Google last week prompted users to shun passwords on their accounts in favour of passkeys. To use passkeys, you just use a fingerprint, face scan or pin to unlock your device, and they are 40 per cent faster than passwords, and rely on a type of cryptography that makes them more secure.
“But while they’re a big step forward, we know that new technologies take time to catch on, so passwords may be around for a little while,” Google had said in a statement.
Google earlier this year rolled out support for passkeys, a simpler and more secure way to sign into your accounts online, and received positive feedback.
WhatsApp’s New Audio and Video Menu Feature
The messaging and calling platform WhatsApp has recently rolled out a new feature for beta testers called ‘Audio and Video Menu.’ Currently, WhatsApp beta for iOS 23.21.1.71 has been marked compatible for this new update, however, soon more people would be able to employ this feature.
Recently, it was announced that WhatsApp would soon include improved control for quick video messages. Through this option, WhatsApp gave users more control over this function by enabling them to turn off video messaging. Due to multiple complaints from customers who felt that the instant video messaging functionality didn’t work efficiently, it looks like WhatsApp is abandoning this feature. One of the main reasons behind this is that users had to manually enable this option, and everyone was not aware about this. However, with new Audio and Video Menu feature, users can instantly switch between the audio and video mode without doing any manual setting in the application. The WhatsApp New Audio and Video Menu allows users to instantly use audio or video message option depending on the requirement. This is more user-friendly and provides more control and flexibility. -
Corrupt political funding makes all capitalists crony
Indian democracy runs on the proceeds of corruption
“Why does dirty political funding enter the picture while discussing subjects such as corporate governance and lending decisions of banks? Both take place far removed from the mire that is politics as practiced in India, where the wholesale price of legislators rises faster than the summer price of tomatoes, distinct from politics as described in classrooms.
This is because most Indians do not contribute a paisa to support any political party. They think their contribution to democracy is made when they vote, forward WhatsApp messages and feel proud to be a part of the world’s largest democracy. This leaves political parties to mobilize their funding from moneybags with the capacity to contribute in cash.”
Political funding remains unreformed in India. This makes all capitalists crony, to a lesser or greater degree. It also makes corruption in India systemic, rather than opportunistic as in most other parts of the world. Indian democracy runs on the proceeds of corruption.
By TK Arun It might seem a stretch to argue that corporate governance and bank asset quality depend on cleaning up India’s political funding. But it is not. It is simply the cold, hard truth. And since that reform is yet to happen, all talk of a robust financial sector and SEBI’s incremental success in reforming corporate governance is as hollow as the claim that India, long driven by caste hierarchy and grossly unequal distribution of social and cultural power, has democracy in its DNA.
Why does dirty political funding enter the picture while discussing subjects such as corporate governance and lending decisions of banks? Both take place far removed from the mire that is politics as practiced in India, where the wholesale price of legislators rises faster than the summer price of tomatoes, distinct from politics as described in classrooms.
This is because most Indians do not contribute a paisa to support any political party. They think their contribution to democracy is made when they vote, forward WhatsApp messages and feel proud to be a part of the world’s largest democracy. This leaves political parties to mobilize their funding from moneybags with the capacity to contribute in cash.
Why talk about cash in these times of electoral bonds, you might ask. This is because politics is dirty in practice and that calls for payment in cash. If everyone, say nine candidates in a constituency, distributes booze to voters during elections, some even handing out wads of currency notes, can this expenditure be sourced from chaste donations entered into the party’s books, whether received by cheque or electoral bonds? If every MLA is paid, say Rs 20 crore, for crossing over to support the leader he or she had railed against during the election campaign, and you need to buy a couple of dozen MLAs, and repeat this operation in multiple states, that adds up to a tidy sum. Imagine an expenditure item in the party’s accounts submitted to the Election Commission, which says ‘Annual expenditure on buying Opposition MLAs’ with a footnote pointing to an annexure that gives details. Well, that money has to come from unaccounted sources.
The fee paid to worshipful supporters who attend mammoth rallies of mass leaders varies from state to state. In prosperous states, it could be upward of Rs 1,500 per precious capita. Catch a party admitting that it paid to mobilize a crowd at a rally. The money has to be sourced in cash.
Who pays this cash? Mostly owners of companies, big and small. The big guys do it expecting favors in return; the small ones pay up the way they pay protection racketeers in their town. Some consider it a part of their business transactions, if the business involves executing large state-funded projects and securing the contract means agreeing to share a part of the project cost with the minister in charge of the department implementing the project.
How do companies get this unaccounted money in the first place, in this age of digital payments and wannabe Hindenburg’s sniffing around for a corporate scandal? When they raise loans from a bank for a new project, they exaggerate the project cost and secure a loan far in excess of what is actually required. The project is implemented by an assortment of companies, some of which are linked to the promoter. The money is siphoned out through these. Or else, when companies acquire other companies, the seller generously routes a part of the payment into a foreign bank account indicated by the promoter of the acquiring company. The acquiring firm, in effect, overpays.
When inflated project costs are sanctioned and larger-than-warranted loans are disbursed, the groundwork is laid for potential default. To service that excessive loan before the project for which it was secured starts generating cash, the promoter starts a series of additional projects and secures loans for each one of them, using a portion of the loan proceeds to service the original loan.
If everything goes according to plan, all projects come through and all loans are serviced. If, on the other hand, these plans are like the best laid plans of mice and men, the loans go awry and end up adding to the banks’ non-performing asset (NPA) burden.
Political funding remains unreformed in India. This makes all capitalists crony, to a lesser or greater degree. It also makes corruption in India systemic, rather than opportunistic as in most other parts of the world. Indian democracy runs on the proceeds of corruption.
The RBI’s recently released Financial Stability Report notes that gross and net NPAs have come down sharply, that the capital-to-risk-weighted asset ratio is in excess of 17 per cent, that provisioning against bad loans has risen sharply, and concludes, rather smugly, that the Indian financial system is relatively robust, with its principal threat coming from financial instability outside India.
This ignores the fact that the formal financial sector does not lend to small and medium enterprises, which obtain at the most 25 per cent of their credit requirement from the banks. The rest comes from non-banking finance companies or informal channels such as chartered accountants who look after hordes of politicians and their financiers.
Private infrastructure investment has collapsed since the pandemic because there are no lenders to private infrastructure developers. After the IL&FS, Dewan Housing and related frauds came to light, the RBI has cracked down on non-banking financial institutions (NBFCs) that lend for infrastructure projects. Now, minus infrastructure lenders, there is hardly any private infrastructure investment either. A vibrant market for corporate debt could fund infrastructure and MSMEs directly or via NBFCs that lend to these sectors. We have stunted the corporate debt market as well.
The current state of wellness of the banking system is, in other words, a passing phase. When banks start lending aggressively again, given the absence of political funding reform, systemic forces would compel the creation of bad loans.
(The author is a senior journalist)
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Signaling potential life, phosphorous detected in Saturn’s moon’s ocean
Phosphate, a key building block of life, has been detected in one of Saturn’s moon’s, Enceladus’s, ocean, and in what scientists call the “first finding of phosphorus on an extraterrestrial ocean world”.
The phosphates were detected in particles ejected from the ice-covered global ocean of Saturn’s moon Enceladus, the international team of scientists led by the Freie Universitat Berlin, Germany, found using data from NASA’s Cassini space mission.
The team also found phosphate to be present in Enceladus’ ocean at levels at least 100 times higher than in Earth’s oceans.
Phosphorous, in the form of phosphates, is known to be vital for life on Earth. It forms the backbone of DNA and is part of cell membranes and bones.
“By determining such high phosphate concentrations readily available in Enceladus’s ocean, we have now satisfied what is generally considered one of the strictest requirements in establishing whether celestial bodies are habitable,” said Fabian Klenner, a postdoctoral researcher in Earth and space sciences at the University of Washington, US, and third author of the study published in the journal Nature.
Worlds with oceans beneath a surface layer of ice is common in our solar system and occur on the icy moons of Jupiter (Ganymede) and Saturn (Titan and Enceladus), as well as even more distant celestial bodies, like Pluto.
Cassini, the spacecraft, first discovered that Enceladus’ harboured an ice-covered watery ocean, and analysed material erupting through cracks in the moon’s south pole region using its Cosmic Dust Analyzer. NASA’s Cassini mission explored Saturn, its rings and moons from 2004 to 2017.
The analyser studied individual ice grains emitted from Enceladus and sent those measurements back to Earth. To try and match their unknown signatures in Cassini’s observations, Klenner tried different chemical compositions and concentrations in his samples.
“I prepared different phosphate solutions, and did the measurements, and we hit the bullseye. This was in perfect match with the data from space,” Klenner said.
Source: PTI -
WhatsApp users can now silence incoming calls from unknown contacts
Meta Founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg has announced a new privacy feature ‘Silence Unknown Callers’ to provide users more control over their incoming calls on WhatsApp. This new feature helps to automatically screen out spam, scams and calls from unknown people for increased protection, the company said in a statement.
When the feature is enabled, unknown calls will not ring on the users’ phone, but will be visible in their call list. Additionally, the company has introduced ‘Privacy Checkup’ to help make sure that everyone knows about the options of protection on the messaging platform. This step-by-step feature guides users through important privacy settings to help them choose the right level of protection, all in one place.
“Protecting the privacy of your messages remains the driving force behind what we’re building at WhatsApp,” the company said. “While end-to-end encryption is the foundation to ensure your calls and messages are secure, we continue to add more layers of privacy on top including the recently launched Chat Lock to protect sensitive chats behind a password, Disappearing Messages that vanish, screenshot blocking for View Once, and the ability to keep your online presence private,” it added. -
WhatsApp’s new feature to add, edit contacts within app on Android
Meta-owned Whatsapp has introduced a new feature – “manage contacts within the app”, allowing users to add and edit contacts without leaving the app on Android.
The ability to add and edit contacts within WhatsApp for Android is now available for some beta testers using the latest beta version, and it will roll out to even more users in the coming days, according to WABetaInfo.
Users can check the availability of the feature on their devices by opening the contact list within WhatsApp and selecting the “New Contact” option. If the “New contact” option is available, it means the feature is available and they can add contacts without leaving WhatsApp.
Moreover, users can also add unknown numbers to their contacts list when they reach others on WhatsApp, without switching to the contacts app, said the report.
Meanwhile, WhatsApp is reportedly developing a new feature, which will allow users to share their status updates to Facebook stories without leaving the app.
Earlier, users could share status updates to Facebook stories, but they had to go through the extra step of manually sharing the update each time they posted something new.
But now, due to this new feature, the process may be automatic for certain status updates users choose, when the option is enabled.
YouTube rolls out ‘sleep timer’ in Music app
Google-owned YouTube has started to roll out a ‘sleep timer’ feature to its music streaming service YouTube Music. The feature is now appearing for songs at the bottom of the Now Playing overflow menu in the app, according to 9to5Google.
The sleep timer feature could be useful for those who like to fall asleep while listening to music. The benefit of the sleep timer feature is that the music player can automatically stop playing after a while so that users do not have to worry about the continuous playback of music on the earphones or speakers when falling asleep.
The report said that the feature has not been rolled out widely and is currently available only to a limited number of users. Meanwhile, YouTube has started to roll out the ‘real-time lyrics’ feature to its music streaming service YouTube Music on Android and iOS.
The feature is currently available to some YouTube Music subscribers who have reported, however, it’s not widely available to every user. It is similar to the real-time lyrics feature that is available on other music streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music. -
Whatsapp rolling out ‘Groups in common’ section within search bar on beta
Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature for some beta testers on Android and iOS, which allows users to see a list of groups they have in common with the contact they are searching for.
Beta users will see a new ‘Groups in common’ section when searching for contacts within the search bar, reports WABetaInfo. The new feature gives users more information when searching for contacts within the search bar.
It is currently available for some testers, and is expected to be rolled out to more users over the coming days, the report said.
This feature is the same as the one rolled out on WhatsApp Desktop, which allows users to see the groups they have in common with their contacts without opening their chat information to see the list of groups in common.
Meanwhile, last week, it was reported that the messaging platform was rolling out a new “approve new participants” feature in group settings for some beta testers on Android and iOS. -
WhatsApp’s new ‘text detection’ feature on iOS lets users extract text from images
Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp is widely rolling out the ‘Text detection’ feature on iOS which allows users to extract text right out of an image. The company is rolling out this feature to everyone after installing the latest WhatsApp for iOS 23.5.77 update, reports WABetaInfo. When users open an image which contains text, they will see a new button that allows them to copy text from the image.
For privacy reasons, this feature is not compatible with the view once images.
Last month, it was reported that the messaging platform was rolling out a sticker maker tool on iOS, which allows users to convert images into stickers.
Earlier this week, WhatsApp was widely rolling out the ‘voice status updates’ feature on iOS, with which users can record a voice note and share it through Status.
The maximum recording time for a voice note is 30 seconds, and users can also forward voice notes from their chats to status.
WhatsApp to replace phone number with username in groups chat list
WhatsApp is rolling out a new update for group participants which replaces phone numbers with username names within the chat list. After the new update, users will see push names instead of phone numbers if they receive a message from any unknown contact in the WhatsApp group.
In December last year WhatsApp started introducing a new feature which swapped phone numbers with push names within the message bubble of group chats. The feature made it easier for users to recognize the messages from unknown contacts in the group chat window. Now according to WAbetainfp, WhatsApp is bringing this feature to its chat list too so that users get to know from whom they received messages in the group chat. The new update is not that big but will make it easier for recipients to know who the unknown contact is without saving the number in their contact list. The feature might also replace phone number with username even in different sections of the app like the group participants list.
This update will make it easier for users to understand who the sender is in the group especially in the large groups, where it is not possible to save contacts of each and every group member.
Notably, the update will show the username of only the group participants in the preview of messages within the chatlist and not for any personal chats from unsaved contacts. -
WhatsApp rolling out ‘Push name within chat list’ feature on iOS beta
Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp is rolling out a new “Push name within the chat list” feature on iOS beta. Beta testers will now see push names within the chat list instead of the phone numbers every time they receive a message from an unknown group member, reports WABetainfo.
This feature will make it easier for the users to understand who the unknown contact is without any need to save the number as a new contact.
It will be useful for participants in large group chats where it is difficult to keep track of who is who.
This feature is currently available for some beta testers that install the latest version of WhatsApp beta for iOS from the TestFlight app, and is expected to roll out to more users over the coming days, the report said.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, it was reported that the messaging platform was working on a new feature for iOS beta which will allow users to set an expiration date for groups.
When this feature will be released, users will be able to choose from various expiration options such as one day, one week or a custom date.
Microsoft increases Bing AI’s chat limits to 120 per day
Tech giant Microsoft has increased conversation limits on Bing AI to 10 chats per session and 120 total chats per day. Earlier, these conversations were limited to 6 chat turns per session and a total of 100 per day.
Corporate Vice President & Consumer Chief Marketing Officer at Microsoft, Yusuf Mehdi, tweeted on Wednesday: “Bing Chat moving today to 10 chats per session / 120 total per day.”
“Engineering making steady progress with quality of experience giving us confidence to expand the testing. Let us know how it’s working for you!”
Last month, the tech giant had implemented limits of 5 chat turns per session and a total of 50 per day on Bing AI.
This decision came as Bing AI went haywire for some users during the chat sessions.
ChatGPT-driven Bing search engine triggered a shockwave after it told a reporter of The New York Times that it loved him, confessed its destructive desires and said it “wanted to be alive”, leaving the reporter “deeply unsettled.” However, later, the company had increased the limitations to 6 chats per session and a total of 60 per day. After a few days of the announcement, Mikhail Parakhin, the head of web services at Microsoft, announced that total chats have been increased to a total of 100 per day. Source: IANS -
WhatsApp rolling out ‘Report status updates’ feature on Android beta
Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature, which will allow users to report status updates, on Android beta. Beta testers will see a new “report” action within the status options, reports WABetaInfo.
With the new feature, users can report any status update that might violate the Terms of Service, which will then be sent to the company’s moderation team.
Also, the feature makes sure that the messages, media, location sharing, calls and status updates are all protected by end-to-end encryption on all devices.
This means that no one else, not even WhatsApp, Meta and a proxy provider, can read the users’ personal messages and listen to their private calls.
The new feature is useful as it will make the platform safe and secure for all users.
The ability to report status updates is available for some beta testers after installing the latest update of WhatsApp beta for Android on the Play Store, and is expected to roll out to more users over the coming days, the report said.
In January, it was reported that the messaging platform was working on this feature for Android beta.
Source: IANS
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Twitter users can soon earn money from micro-blogging platform, says Musk
Twitter CEO Elon Musk said that the micro-blogging platform is “spinning up subscriptions” so that users can “charge” their followers for specific content.
When one user posted a long tweet with the new Blue feature that allows subscribers to create tweets of up to 4,000 characters. Musk replied, “Good use of long tweet! Next update will allow much longer tweets with basic formatting, so you can post any content on Twitter.” “We’re also spinning up subscriptions, so you can charge people for some content and they can easily pay with one click.” Many users expressed their thoughts on Musk’s post. While one user asked, “Charging to read a tweet? Or paywall?”, another commented, “Great idea. Now an author can publish his entire book on Twitter perhaps one chapter at a time. Leave the first few tweets as free and rest paid.” The upcoming feature will be a great opportunity for the users to earn money from their followers on the micro-blogging platform. Meanwhile, last week, the micro-blogging platform announced that it will no longer allow non-Twitter Blue users to use text messages as a two-factor authentication (2FA) method, after March 20.
Earlier this month, Twitter had confirmed that it will charge Rs 650 per month for its Blue service with verification on the web and Rs 900 on Android and iOS mobile devices in India.
Moreover, Blue subscribers in the US can create long tweets of up to 4,000 characters.
Blue users will also see 50 per cent fewer ads in their home timeline.
From social media to ChatGPT, cyber
criminals quick to adopt new tech
Forget Jamtara that has kept on inspiring cyber thugs to steal your data or money via traditional, OTP-based methods to date. Brace yourself for a new age of hacking via artificial intelligence (AI)-based tools.
A new crop of con artists is now thriving that is utilising newer means — from social media platforms to UPI-based frauds and from operating fake gambling websites to now working on AI chatbot ChatGPT — to rob you of your hard-earned money. A woman was duped of Rs 27 lakh last week by a woman fraudster who promised her handsome returns on investment in digital marketing on WhatsApp.
“The task was to like and subscribe to YouTube accounts,” the victim said in the FIR.
The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch last week busted a racket involved in forging documents including Aadhaar cards, PAN card, and driving license for obtaining SIM cards, opening bank accounts and taking loans. On interrogation, police found that the con group used ordinary persons who don’t have any ID documents for preparing these documents and further misusing them. Cyber-security researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia has unearthed a new type of fraud online. Every day from 5 p.m., several satta (gambling) websites start trending on Google, which offer quick money upon playing the satta that starts from as little as Rs 100 and goes into thousands.
“These websites start appearing in the evening and every website guarantees profits. These gambling websites are being run with tier 1 and 2 city names like Delhi Satta King, Disawar gali Satta, Shri Ganesh Chart, Satta King Delhi Bazar and more,” Rajaharia told IANS.
Those who place satta, using various UPI payment platforms, get nothing in return as the winning prize always goes to people these websites had already selected.
Source: IANS
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WhatsApp brings ‘Voice Status’, ‘Status Reactions’ features
Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp on Tuesday announced new features coming to its status, including ‘Voice Status’, ‘Status Reactions’ and much more. The new features have started rolling out to users globally and will be available to everyone in the coming weeks, the company said in a statement. The ‘Voice Status’ feature allows users to record and share voice messages for up to 30 seconds on WhatsApp status.
On the other hand, ‘Status Reactions’ allows users to give a quick and easy way to respond to status updates from their friends and close contacts.
“This was the #1 feature users wanted, following the launch of Reactions last year. You can now quickly reply to any status by swiping up and tapping on one of eight emojis. You can of course still reply to a status with text, voice message, stickers and more,” the platform said.
The company also introduced other features including ‘Private Audience Selector’, ‘Status Profile Rings for New Updates’ and ‘Link Previews on Status’.
With the ‘Private Audience Selector’, users can update their privacy settings per status so that they can choose who views their status each time they update it. Moreover, the most recent audience selection will be used as the default for the users’ next status. “With the new status profile ring you’ll never miss a status from a loved one. This ring will be present around your contact’s profile picture whenever they share a status update. It will be visible in the chat lists, group participant lists, and contact info,” the platform said.
Now when users post a link on their status, they will see a visual preview of the link content, similar to when users send a message, thanks to the ‘Link Previews on Status’ feature. “Status is a popular way to share ephemeral updates with friends and close contacts on WhatsApp. They disappear in 24 hours and may include photos, videos, GIFs, text, and more,” the company said. “Just like your personal chats and calls, your WhatsApp status is protected by end-to-end encryption so you can share privately and securely,” it added.
WhatsApp rolling out feature to let users share up to 100 media on Android beta
WhatsApp is reportedly rolling out a new feature which will allow users to share up to 100 media within the chats, on Android beta.
With the new feature, beta users can now select up to 100 media in the media picker within the application, which was earlier limited to only 30, reports WABetaInfo.
This feature is useful as users will finally be able to share entire albums, making it easier to share memories and moments. Moreover, it will help users to avoid selecting the same photo or video more than once when they have to send a lot of media files.
The ability to share up to 100 media within the chats is available for some beta testers and is expected to roll out to more people over the coming days, the report said.
Last week, it was reported that the messaging platform was rolling out longer group subjects and descriptions on Android beta.
While the characters of the group subject have been increased from 25 to 100 to provide group admins more freedom when naming their groups, the group description increased from 512 characters to 2048 characters. Source: IANS
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WhatsApp rolls out new shortcuts for group admins on iOS San
Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp has reportedly rolled out some new shortcuts for group admins to quickly and easily perform actions for a certain group participant, on iOS.
The new shortcuts simplify interactions with group members as now the platform supports large groups of up to 1024 participants, reports WABetainfo.
The new update will help group admins to quickly manage and communicate with such a large number of participants in private.
The feature is available for all users that install the latest update of WhatsApp for iOS from the App Store.
With the new update, the phone numbers are now highlighted in group events when group participants join or leave a group and group admins can easily interact with them.
If admins tap and hold a phone number, they can use new shortcuts that include the ability to quickly call and chat with participants in private and they can also add group participants to their contacts book and copy their phone numbers.
“This feature can save group admins a significant amount of time as they no longer need to navigate through the group info screen to find contact information,” the report said.
Meanwhile, last week, it was reported that the messaging platform was rolling out a new ‘voice status updates’ feature on iOS beta, which will allow users to share voice notes via status updates.
Microsoft shutting down VR platform AltspaceVR
Microsoft has announced plans to shut down its social virtual reality platform AltspaceVR, which offered immersive social spaces for people to interact with friends and colleagues as 3D avatars.
In 2017, Microsoft stepped in and acquired the platform after AltspaceVR decided to shut it down, and now the company said it will shut down the service on March 10, 2023.
The tech giant will shift its focus to support immersive experiences powered by Microsoft Mesh (a platform which enables presence and shared experiences from anywhere — on any device — through mixed reality applications.
“With Mesh, we aspire to build a platform that offers the widest opportunity to all involved, including creators, partners and customers,” Microsoft said in a blogpost.
“We look forward to what is to come, including our launch of Microsoft Mesh, a new platform for connection and collaboration, starting by enabling workplaces around the world,” it added.
Moreover, the company mentioned, in the near term, it will be focusing its VR efforts on workplace experiences, learning from and alongside its early customers and partners, and ensuring that it delivers a foundation that enables security, trust and compliance.
The news of the shutdown comes after Microsoft confirmed it would lay off 10,000 employees through the end of March.
Higher priced subscription for ad-free Twitter
Twitter Boss Elon Musk has announced that a higher-priced subscription to the microblogging platform with no ads will be available in the coming weeks.
“Ads are too frequent on Twitter and too big. Taking steps to address both in coming weeks,” Musk tweeted.
“Also, there will be a higher-priced subscription that allows zero ads,” he added.
Moreover, a Twitter user known as “The Rabbit Hole” commented on Musk’s tweet, asking, “Can individual users opt to monetise accounts through ads? Currently, advertisers reach out individually to users; creating a solution integrated with the platform will let Twitter take a cut and give creators a pathway to monetising our content”.To which Musk replied: “Maybe there’s a way to do this by placing an ad below tweet details”.
Meanwhile, fighting hard to stay afloat, Twitter offered a new incentive to skeptical advertisers where the micro-blogging platform will match advertisers’ ad spending up to $250,000.
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WhatsApp banned over 37 lakh Indian accounts in November 2022
The instant messaging platform WhatsApp banned lakhs of accounts in the month of November. These WhatsApp accounts have been banned under Rule 4(1)(d) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. The latest report from the messaging platform shows that WhatsApp banned over 37 lakh accounts between November 1 and November 30, which is a couple of lakhs more than the accounts banned in October. The report clearly stated that among the 37+ lakh accounts, 990,000 of these accounts were proactively banned, before any reports from users.
Commenting on banning lakhs of accounts in India, 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 company said that it deploys tools and resources to prevent harmful behavior 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,” the messaging platform said.
WhatsApp’s abuse detection operates at three stages of an account’s lifestyle: at registration, during messaging, and in response to negative feedback, which is received in the form of user reports and blocks.
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WhatsApp group admins to soon have more control over new members
WhatsApp Group links can be really convenient when you want to create large groups quickly. A shareable link allowed admins to simply share it while all relevant users could themselves join the group via the link. However, this convenience also opened a security vulnerability as the link could end up in the wrong hands and anyone could join the group A new WhatsApp update is now looking to rectify this issue. Among the new features, the latest WhatsApp beta update also includes an Admin Approval feature, that when enabled, will allow WhatsApp group admins to accept or deny requests of people who are joining via a link. The news comes from WABetaInfo, and suggests that the feature — currently only limited to beta users– will soon be available for stable versions of the app on Android and iOS both.
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WhatsApp finally rolling out emoji reactions for messages
WhatsApp is finally getting an emoji reaction feature that will let users react to messages with emoji. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the same on Facebook earlier this week. The emoji reactions feature is already seen on popular communication platforms like Instagram, Telegram and even iMessage, but now WhatsApp users will be able to make use of it too. The implementation in WhatsApp will include 6 emoji reactions that users can choose from. These are fixed and cannot be changed for now. However, Zuckerberg did announce that we will get more options later. The six emoji include like, love, surprise, laugh, sad and thanks.
Using the reactions feature will be super simple for users.Similar to how it works on other apps, all users need to do is enter a chat window and long-press on a message to bring up the six reaction emoji. You will be able to long-press on text messages as well as images and videos.
Once you have long-pressed on a message and the reaction options have popped up below it, simply tap on the reaction you want. As per reports, WhatsApp could also bring sticker reactions and GIF reactions to the platform.
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WhatsApp is not as private as you may think despite end-to-end encryption
Social media giant Facebook touts WhatsApp as a safe messaging platform where users chats are end-to-end encrypted. A recent report has now found out that WhatsApp may allow content moderators to access users’ messages in certain cases. According to a report in ProPublica, there are more than 1,000 contract workers in office buildings in Austin, Texas, Dublin, and Singapore. These hourly workers, according to the report, can only view messages that the users have reported. This means that these moderators can only see users messages, images and videos only when the receiver hits the report button to report the message to WhatsApp.
The report in ProPublica says that this messages review is one element in a broader monitoring operation in which the company also reviews material that is not encrypted, including data about the sender and their account. A 49-slide internal marketing presentation from December 2020 accessed by ProPublica emphasizes the “fierce” promotion of WhatsApp’s “privacy narrative.” It compares the brand character to “the Immigrant Mother.” This marketing material doesn’t mention the company’s content moderation efforts.
WhatsApp’s director of communications, Carl Woog acknowledged that teams of contractors in Austin and elsewhere review WhatsApp messages to identify and remove abusers. However, he told the publication that Facebook does not consider this work to be content moderation. “The decisions we make around how we build our app are focused around the privacy of our users, maintaining a high degree of reliability and preventing abuse,” Wong was quoted in the report as saying.
A ProPublica investigation that draws on data, documents, and dozens of interviews reveals how WhatsApp’s security has been compromised since Facebook’s purchase of the platform in 2014.
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Hide last seen and blue ticks on WhatsApp
WhatsApp lets you hide your last seen and blue ticks on the app to give you some privacy. In case you haven’t yet noticed these features, then you can try them now. Both the features are listed in the privacy section of the messaging app.
Both the features are available as an option because there are users who don’t want others to know when they read the message. Here’s how you can enable or disable last seen and blue ticks.
How to hide Last seen on WhatsApp
Step 1: If you want to hide your last seen, then just open the WhatsApp app and head to the Settings section.
Step 2: Now head to the Account section and tap on Privacy. It should be noted that whatever settings you save will apply to both the mobile and web version of the messaging app.
Step 3: Now, tap on the Last Seen option and change the Setting to “Nobody.”
Note: You get three options, including “Everyone” “My Contacts” and “Nobody”. The first one basically means that people who have your WhatsApp number will be able to see your last seen. The second option means that only your contacts will be able to check your last seen on WhatsApp. If you enable the “Nobody” option, then no one will be able to see your WhatsApp last seen. You can select any last seen option any time you want.
How to hide blue tick on WhatsApp
The process to hide blue ticks is similar. You will find this feature in the Privacy section, but you will not find it in the same name. WhatsApp offers a Read Receipts option, which will disable the blue ticks. Read on to know more.
Step 1: First head to the WhatsApp app and open the Settings section.
Step 2: Now, go to “Account” and tap on the Privacy option.
Step 3: Scroll down to “Read Receipts” option and disable it to hide blue ticks on chats.
Users can enable this option anytime they want by following the same process. It should be noted that if you disable the mentioned option, then you won’t be able to see blue ticks when others read messages you sent. Source: The Indian Express
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Section of media gives communal color to news bringing bad name to nation, says Supreme Court
Expresses serious concern over fake news on social media, including web portals and YouTube
NEW DELHI (TIP): Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana on Thursday, September 2, said certain sections of the media communalized everything and this would ultimately result in giving the country a bad name.
The remark from the CJI came while hearing petitions highlighting how some media outlets aired communal content linking the spread of the coronavirus to a Tablighi Jamaat meet held at Nizamuddin in Delhi.
“The problem is, everything in this country is shown with a communal angle by a section of media. … The country is going to get a bad name ultimately,” Chief Justice Ramana, heading a three-judge Bench, observed orally.
The hearing witnessed Chief Justice Ramana upbraid the lack of accountability on the part of social media platforms. The CJI said social media platforms only responded to “powerful people,” while complaints made by ordinary people, institutions and judges over content were ignored.
“These web channels, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube… They never respond. There is no accountability. About the institution they write badly and then they do not respond… This is the condition of institutions, forget individuals… They consider only people who are powerful. Institutions, common man, judges, they do not… This is the reality,” Chief Justice Ramana noted.
The court asked the government whether there was any regulatory mechanism in place for the web.
Solicitor-General Tushar Mehta drew the court’s attention to the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, which provide a redressal mechanism and timely resolution of grievances of users of social media and over-the-top platforms. The Rules require these platforms to appoint a grievance redressal officer who is a resident of India.
The government recently asked the top court to transfer cases challenging the Information Technology Rules of 2021 from the various High Courts to the Supreme Court.
In the case of complaints against broadcasters, Mr. Mehta referred to the Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules of 2021. He submitted that the Rules provide for a three-level grievance redressal mechanism — self-regulation by broadcasters, self-regulation by the self-regulating bodies of the broadcasters, and oversight by an Inter-Departmental Committee at the level of the Central government.
“The real contest is between the freedom of the press and the right of citizens to get unadulterated news… We have tried to regulate, balance,” Mr. Mehta submitted.
On September 24, 2019, hearing a petition filed by Facebook, the top court had shown deep concern at the utilization of social media for committing crime. It said the medium had become a source for pornography. Pedophiles use social media in a “big way”. Criminals exploit it to run weapons, drugs and contraband. Hate and violence were shared and spread through these virtual platforms. The court had even felt that some messages on social media may even threaten national sovereignty.
It was in this context the court had called for a “properly framed regime” to allow the government to get information about first originators of messages from “significant” social media intermediaries with end-to-end encryption technology like WhatsApp.
The IT Rules of 2021 mention this order of the Supreme Court as one of the reasons to justify their existence.
(Agencies)