According to parent firm; Meta, WhatsApp users will be able to preserve their “most intimate conversations” with a new password-protected capability to hide messages.
By shifting private exchanges from the default inbox into a folder that can only be accessed with a password or biometric protection, such as a fingerprint, Chat Lock will enable users to “lock and hide” private communications.
On Monday, Meta made the announcement as the global launch got underway.
Chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post: “New locked chats in WhatsApp make your conversations more private.
“They’re hidden in a password-protected folder and notifications won’t show sender or message content.”
The conflict between Meta and the UK government over the Online Safety Bill, however, might get worse as a result of the additional privacy regulations.
In April, Meta voiced opposition to the law, claiming that it would compromise WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption, which prevents anybody except the sender and intended receiver from reading messages.
The Bill is not intended to restrict encrypted texting, according to the UK government, which claims it only targets child abuse content while maintaining internet privacy.
Tech companies who fail to delete such content from their platforms in accordance with the government’s requests risk receiving hefty fines.
Meta responded by threatening to stop using WhatsApp in the UK if the proposed regulations were adopted last March.
