One of the big claims in terms of privacy is finally available in the world’s most used messaging application: WhatsApp now allows you to choose which contacts can see the time of the last connection; as well as a profile photo, statuses and account information. These options are already in the settings of the mobile applications.
WhatsApp is a messaging application that perfectly fulfills the main task of this type of software: build a bridge of communication between people
Avoid being spied on by choosing which contacts will see your information
WhatsApp lets you choose not to have anyone see your contact information or the last time someone logged into WhatsApp, an overkill when you only have to hide this private data from specific contacts. We learned in late 2021 that WhatsApp was working on customizable privacy settings by schedule. And they are already among us.
just like WhatsApp warned via its social networks, granular privacy permissions now available in mobile apps. This is a universal feature, so they appear in both stable and beta apps. And for all platforms, whether iPhone or Android.
With the privacy improvements, WhatsApp solves one of its biggest privacy issues: uncontrolled access to data that should be in the hands of users. Therefore, the privacy settings related to “Who can see my personal information“are the following:
- last seen time. All; My contacts; My contacts, except…; Nobody.
- Profile picture. All; My contacts; My contacts, except…; Nobody.
- Information. All; My contacts; My contacts, except…; Nobody.
- States. My contacts; My contacts, except…; Nobody.
With the settings it is possible block access to private data to any contact you want. Even everyone except a privileged few: for that, you have to mark the entire agenda except the elected officials. It would be nice if WhatsApp added a fifth option: “Nobody, except…”.
The new settings are now available in WhatsApp mobile apps. They do not need updating as they are server-side enabledalthough you may need to restart the phone (or WhatsApp app) for them to appear.
More information | WhatsApp