WhatsApp has launched a new campaign designed to highlight one of its best features: end-to-end encryption that is always on by default. This global marketing push comes after months of backlash against the chat app, triggered by updates to its privacy policy, which many perceived as a means to gather more details about WhatsApp users to sell to advertisers on its parent company, Facebook. WhatsApp threatened users who did not sign up for the new version with the loss of access to basic features, including the ability to respond to text messages and incoming calls. The Facebook-owned app warned users that their accounts would be deleted unless they agreed to the new policy. However, after a mass exodus of users to competing apps, WhatsApp decided to soften its threats.
The new privacy policy does not grant access to Facebook as many feared, while it allows viewing some chat details, but this is limited to conversations with business accounts and is entirely optional. In an attempt to reassure users after months of uncertainty, WhatsApp states that its new campaign is designed to reiterate its commitment to privacy, which still distinguishes WhatsApp from many competitors, most notably Facebook Messenger, which offers end-to-end encryption but only when enabled for each conversation. If you forget to turn on this setting, another person on your private Wi-Fi network can intercept any messages, stickers, or videos sent within the chat window. It also means that the content of messages is visible to Facebook. Additionally, the encrypted secret chat mode does not support group chats, voice or video calls, or GIF files. By default, WhatsApp encrypts everything sent within the app, blocking its employees, internet service providers, and any malicious actors who manage to intercept your conversations from decrypting what is sent, according to the British newspaper Express.
