“WhatsApp users will now have the option to turn on disappearing messages by default for all new chats. When enabled, all new one-on-one chats you or another person start will be set to disappear at your chosen duration, and we’ve added a new option when creating a group chat that lets you turn it on for groups you create. This new feature is optional and does not change or delete any of your existing chats.”
Based on their statement, the new ‘Default Message Timer’ option enables you to set select chats or conversations to disappear after a certain time-period. When enabled, a message prompt appears within selected chats, informing chat members about the newly chosen ‘default’.
WhatsApp expounds:
“This makes clear it’s nothing personal – it’s a choice you’ve made about how you want to communicate with everyone on WhatsApp moving forward. Though of course, if you need a particular conversation to remain permanent, it’s easy to switch a chat back.”
Hey, WhatsApp Dude?
WhatsApp has always been known for its message privacy features, and this new update is surely something to be welcomed by many, despite WhatsApp’s parent company, Meta, facing various obstacles and challenges in various regions over its broader E2E encryption push.
The bigger picture for Meta here is the merging of all its messaging tools, allowing for greater cross-platform connection and higher levels of interoperability – chatting on Instagram from WhatsApp would be possible. However, to achieve this, Meta will be forced to either bring WhatsApp’s encryption levels down, or bring up all other messaging encryption to WhatsApp’s level. With pushback that WhatsApp saw even with just a relatively minor policy update last year, it’s highly likely that the latter option wins out. While it does increase utility across all messaging platforms, it also makes Meta harder to split up, to the detriment of antitrust analysts.
Other concerns revolve around the idea that more encryption actually also opens up Meta’s channels to criminal activity and the danger of exploitation. In the same way that it safeguards user privacy, it also makes illegal actions harder to track. Theoretically, with encryption added, not even Meta has access to private chats, which, in turn, does eventually make it harder for law enforcement to track down and determine potentially malicious actors across all of Meta’s platforms.
The Wrap
Amid rising concerns and a mountain of questioning, Meta has decided to pushback the rollout of its E2E encryption to 2023. As it attempts to calm the tide or restlessness, Meta has sought to provide reassurance that it will maintain only the highest level of security as it works to arrive at a junction that sees all sides be comfortable.
This new launch comes at a very interesting time, with Meta taking its privacy settings to yet another level , which does offer more user control, yes, but also reveals gaps in such an approach that would only worsen already existing issues.
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