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Mark Zuckerberg reveals new WhatsApp privacy features

Meta has announced new privacy features for WhatsApp users.

Users will be able to leave group chats silently, control who can see their online status and block screenshots on View Once messages.

Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said this would help keep WhatsApp messaging “as private and secure as face-to-face conversations”.

It will begin rolling out the features this month, highlighting them in a global campaign, starting in the UK.

Leave silently

The popular messaging app currently alerts all members of a group chat to someone leaving or being removed by default.

And while there are ways to disable this for individual group chats, the option to leave silently is not presented to users when they choose to “exit group” – sometimes causing awkwardness, embarrassment or drama for those trying to leave unnoticed.

But now, they will be able to leave without notifying all other group chat users, only group admins.

Product head Ami Vora said it was part of the platform’s focus on “building product features that empower people to have more control and privacy over their messages”.

“We believe WhatsApp is the most secure place to have a private conversation,” she said.

“No other global messaging service at this scale provides this level of security for their users’ messages, media, voice messages, video calls, and chat back-ups.”

Mark Zuckerberg reveals new WhatsApp privacy features

This will also see users given the option to allow only certain contacts – or no-one – to see when they are active on the platform, bringing online status options into alignment with “last seen” settings.

Janis Wong, research associate at The Alan Turing Institute, told BBC News: “It’s always nice to give users more control – users like and need to have more control.”

But unless users were prompted to use the features or made fully aware of them in the app, their impact could be limited.

“If it’s not default, or if users aren’t prompted to reconsider their options, then it’s not necessarily very useful, if users aren’t aware this is something that they can do,” she added.

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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