The developers of the popular WhatsApp messenger continue to add new features that can be useful in certain situations. This time, users have the option to send disappearing images that the recipient can only view once.
The new feature is called "view once" and it means that after viewing an image, it will be automatically deleted from the chat. Also, such images will not be shown in the chat as a preview, and the recipient will not be able to download them to their device. To use the new tool, a button with a timer image has been added to the message settings panel before sending, which, when clicked, marks the image for automatic deletion after viewing.
The developers believe that the "view once" feature will be useful if users need to share some personal or potentially sensitive information, such as a Wi-Fi password written down on paper. As always, users should be careful with such tools and remember that they do not guarantee complete privacy. The recipient can take a screenshot while opening the image for one view and the service will not notify the sender if this is done.
Facebook is working on a technology to analyze WhatsApp chats for advertising purposes
Facebook is studying ways to analyze encrypted data, such as WhatsApp messages, without actually decrypting the information, according to a new report from The Information. Thus, the company wants to create new data collection channels to show targeted ads to users.
According to the information, Facebook is creating a group of artificial intelligence researchers to "explore ways to analyze encrypted data without decrypting it." These methods will be based on homomorphic encryption algorithms and will allow companies to read information from encrypted data packets while preserving the privacy of users' correspondence.
According to a job listing on the website, Facebook continues to recruit a new group of researchers with expertise in technologies related to privacy, homomorphic encryption, secure computing and online anonymity. Facebook says the team will work to "enhance Facebook's market-leading advertising systems."
The information suggests that homomorphic encryption may be Facebook's response to growing concerns among lawmakers and regulators about the platform's user privacy and its relationship to Facebook's advertising business model. We believe that they can avoid problems by gathering information from messages without fully decrypting them.
However, netizens are furious with Facebook's plans. They share fears that the social network will gain access to even more of their personal data. In addition, some argue that analyzing encrypted messages for the purpose of serving ads is completely at odds with Facebook's claims that it will never have access to users' conversations. The announcement comes amid growing discontent over WhatsApp's new privacy policy earlier this year.
