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WhatsApp streamlines in-app support process

If you’ve ever tried to get in-app support on WhatsApp, you know the process used to start with filling out a form, possibly attaching a few files, and waiting for a support rep to eventually get in touch. Now, that form is on its way out, and the screening process is, you guessed it, becoming AI-based. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Out with the form, in with AI Unless you’re Stephen Hackett, support knowledge bases are never fun to navigate, especially if you are in a hurry and alr

WhatsApp should prepare to stop operating in Russia, official says

A Russian lawmaker who regulates the IT industry said WhatsApp should prepare to stop offering its services in the country. Anton Gorelkin, the deputy head of the lower house of parliament's IT committee, said that it's very likely that WhatsApp will be placed on a list of restricted software, as Reuters reports. WhatsApp owner Meta is designated as an extremist organisation in Russia, which has banned Facebook and Instagram since 2022. This week, President Vladimir Putin issued a directive for

TSA to finally end its dumb shoe removal policy for airport security

is transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. His work has appeared in The New York Daily News and City & State. A key pillar of post-9/11 airport security theater may finally be going away. Multiple outlets are reporting that the Transportation Security Administration will start allowing passengers at a few select airports to keep their shoes on while going through security checkpoints. No longer will we have to gaze upon our fellow

Android malware Anatsa infiltrates Google Play to target US banks

The Anatsa banking trojan has sneaked into Google Play once more via an app posing as a PDF viewer that counted more than 50,000 downloads. The malware becomes active on the device immediately after installing the app, tracking users launching North American banking apps and serving them an overlay that allows accessing the account, keylogging, or automating transactions. According to Threat Fabric researchers who spotted the latest campaign and reported it to Google, Anatsa shows users a fake

TSA May Soon Let You Keep Your Shoes On During Security Screening

One of the most annoying parts of the airport security routine -- taking off your shoes -- might soon come to an end for flyers. The US Transportation Security Administration is quietly testing a new policy that allows passengers to keep their shoes on during standard security screening, The Wall Street Journal reports. The change hasn't been formally announced by the agency, but was first reported by Gate Access, a travel newsletter written by a former TSA officer. The TSA did not immediately

I Tried Signal, Telegram and WhatsApp, and This Is the One I'd Recommend

Key points: Most widely used messaging app Uses the same encryption protocol as Signal Collects heaps of your data Free, but owned and operated by Meta WhatsApp is the most popular private messaging app on this list, with about 2 billion monthly users, according to Exploding Topics. Because it's so popular, there's a higher chance that other people you might be chatting with have WhatsApp, and therefore your chats can be encrypted. And if the person you're chatting with doesn't have WhatsAp

I prefer Signal but use WhatsApp for this simple reason

Robert Triggs / Android Authority When WhatsApp changed its terms in 2021, I was one of the many users who looked for alternative messaging apps for Android. While I had heard about Signal before, the controversial move by WhatsApp prompted me to actually try the app out. I loved it then and I still love it now. But over all these years, I barely use Signal even though I prefer it greatly over WhatsApp. And that’s because of a major advantage WhatsApp has over the privacy-focused messaging app

Europe's first geostationary sounder satellite is launched

Extreme weather events like storms, flooding, and heatwaves have caused hundreds of billions of euros in damage and claimed tens of thousands of lives across Europe in the past decades. Launched on 1 July 2025, MTG-S1 will provide Europe’s national meteorological services with high-frequency data on temperature, humidity and trace gases throughout the atmosphere – enabling forecasters to detect the earliest signs of severe weather, extend the lead times of weather warnings, improve forecasting,

Meta adds business voice calling to WhatsApp, explores AI-powered product recommendations

WhatsApp is adding more AI features to its business suite. The company on Tuesday announced it’s introducing the ability for large businesses to reach customers through voice calls, which will allow the app to explore the use of AI-powered voice agents. The company is also looking into using AI to recommend products to users. WhatsApp Business, which has over 200 million monthly users, has been a notable revenue driver for Meta, as its executives noted in the last few quarterly earnings calls.

WhatsApp Deploys AI, for Those Incapable of Comprehending Straightforward Messages From Their Friends and Family

WhatsApp Deploys AI, for Those Incapable of Comprehending Straightforward Messages From Their Friends and Family We are once again asking: who asked for this? Summary Judgment WhatsApp is now offering AI summaries of text threads for those too lazy to read through their messages themselves. In a press release, the Meta-owned messaging app framed the new AI summarizing function as an optional feature that can help busy users keep up with their texts. "We've all been there — rushing between m

Meta AI can summarize your unread WhatsApp messages now - how to try it

J Studios/Getty Images Meta is introducing a new AI-powered feature into WhatsApp designed to summarize unread messages. The feature, called Message Summaries, was announced Wednesday in a WhatsApp company blog post. Message Summaries leverages Meta AI to provide brief, bulleted lists outlining key points from a message chain on the social messaging app. It's built upon Meta's Private Processing technology, which means the summaries are conveyed privately to users without any of the informatio

These Three Messaging Apps Are Encrypted, but One Stands Above the Rest

Key points: Most widely used messaging app Uses the same encryption protocol as Signal Collects heaps of your data Free, but owned and operated by Meta WhatsApp is the most popular private messaging app on this list, with about 2 billion monthly users, according to Exploding Topics. Because it's so popular, there's a higher chance that other people you might be chatting with have WhatsApp, and therefore your chats can be encrypted. And if the person you're chatting with doesn't have WhatsAp

WhatsApp rolls out AI-generated summaries for private messages

is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. WhatsApp can now call on Meta AI to summarize your personal chats. As shown in a GIF, you can access it by tapping the button to unfurl all of your unread messages in a chat. But instead of showing your messages, WhatsApp uses Meta AI to generate a bulleted summary of what you missed. The feature is rolling out in English in the US, with plans to l

AI-powered chat summaries are coming to WhatsApp

Meta is adding a new Message Summaries feature to WhatsApp that uses AI to summarize unread messages in a few bullet points. The feature is built on the Private Processing technique Meta announced at Llamacon in April, and claims to let AI work with content in WhatsApp without exposing any of it to Meta itself. Once the feature appears in your app, you just tap on the onscreen banner over your unread messages with that says "Summarize privately" to receive a summary from Meta AI. The Message Su

WhatsApp rolls out Meta AI-powered message summaries in the U.S.

A couple of weeks ago, WABetaInfo spotted signs that Meta was gearing up to bring AI-generated summaries for WhatsApp messages. Today, the feature is officially live for users in the U.S. Here’s how to use it. Summarization is perhaps one of the most useful applications of generative AI, especially when it comes to quickly catching up on transactional information. Which is why, provided it’s well-implemented, using AI to condense notifications and group chats can genuinely save time. Which is

Government Alarmed by Videos of Tesla Robotaxis Immediately Breaking Road Laws

Tesla is already in hot water over its Robotaxi rollout in Austin. As Bloomberg reports, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) contacted Tesla just a single day after its Robotaxi launch over apparent traffic violations captured on video and posted to social media. Since Sunday, the Elon Musk-owned electric carmaker has been offering autonomous rides, albeit with a human safety monitor, to a select few individuals willing to pay for the novelty. As videos taken in the wake

Tesla’s robotaxis are operating in a regulatory vacuum

is transportation editor with 10+ years of experience who covers EVs, public transportation, and aviation. His work has appeared in The New York Daily News and City & State. This week, Tesla launched its long-promised robotaxi service in Austin, and almost immediately its vehicles were caught fucking up. In a YouTube video, a Tesla robotaxi briefly drives on the wrong side of the road. Another video shared by Ed Niedermeyer, the author of a book about Tesla’s origins, shows a robotaxi braking

US safety regulators contact Tesla over erratic robotaxis

US safety regulators contact Tesla over erratic robotaxis The BBC has contacted Tesla for comment. In a statement, the NHTSA said it was "aware of the referenced incidents and is in contact with the manufacturer to gather additional information." Videos posted online seem to show instances where the vehicles, which had a safety driver in the passenger seat, drive erratically. The firm's long-awaited robotaxis - which boss Elon Musk says are central to Tesla's future - were tried out on publi

Feds question Ford in hands-free driving investigation

The top federal vehicle safety regulator has sent Ford an exhaustive list of questions about its hands-free driver-assistance system known as BlueCruise. It’s the latest development in an investigation that started more than one year ago following two fatal crashes involving the software. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) sent a letter to Ford on June 18 that contains 25 questions. Many of them are basic, such as asking Ford for a

US House bans WhatsApp on staff devices over security concerns

The U.S. House of Representatives has banned the installation and use of WhatsApp on government-issued devices belonging to congressional staff, citing concerns over how the app encrypts and secures data. The ban covers mobile phones, laptops, desktop computers, and any web browsers used on those devices. Congressional staff are still free to use WhatsApp on their personal devices, which existing policies dictate are not allowed in sensitive areas such as classified briefings or secure facilit

US House bans WhatsApp from staff devices

In Brief The U.S. House of Representatives’ top official has banned WhatsApp from government-issued devices used by its staff, saying the app poses potential security risks, Reuters reported, citing a memo sent to House staff. “The Office of Cybersecurity has deemed WhatsApp a high risk to users due to the lack of transparency in how it protects user data, absence of stored data encryption, and potential security risks involved with its use,” Reuters reported the memo as saying. The memo inst

US safety regulators contact Tesla over erratic robotaxis

US safety regulators contact Tesla over erratic robotaxis The BBC has contacted Tesla for comment. In a statement, the NHTSA said it was "aware of the referenced incidents and is in contact with the manufacturer to gather additional information." Videos posted online seem to show instances where the vehicles, which had a safety driver in the passenger seat, drive erratically. The firm's long-awaited robotaxis - which boss Elon Musk says are central to Tesla's future - were tried out on publi

WhatsApp security concerns see app banned in Congress; iMessage recommended

Congressional staffers working in the House of Representatives have been told that WhatsApp security risks means they must no longer use the app on government devices. The ban was imposed by the Office of Cybersecurity, which has previously barred the use of TikTok and a number of AI apps … Axios first reported the ban. The Office of Cybersecurity has deemed WhatsApp a high-risk to users due to the lack of transparency in how it protects user data, absence of stored data encryption, and poten

US bans WhatsApp from House of Representatives staff devices

The U.S. government has banned WhatsApp from devices used by U.S. House of Representatives staff, saying the app poses potential security risks, Reuters reported, citing a memo sent to House staff. “The Office of Cybersecurity has deemed WhatsApp a high risk to users due to the lack of transparency in how it protects user data, absence of stored data encryption, and potential security risks involved with its use,” Reuters reported the memo as saying. The memo instead recommends staff use apps

Tesla’s robotaxis have already caught the attention of federal safety regulators

Federal safety regulators have reached out to Tesla a day after the automaker began providing rides in its branded robotaxis in Austin. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration contacted Tesla after numerous videos posted online appear to show Tesla robotaxis violating traffic laws in South Austin, where the company is providing rides to invited customers. Bloomberg was the first to report that NHTSA reached out to Tesla. NHTSA confirmed to TechCrunch that is has contacted the au

Iranian and U.S. Officials Agree: WhatsApp Is the New Security Boogeyman

Iran and the U.S. may not agree on much (and may technically be at war with each other right now) but there is, apparently, one thing that officials from both countries seem to be on the same page about: WhatsApp, Meta’s ubiquitous chat app, is a data hazard and not to be trusted. Since Facebook bought WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014, Mark Zuckberg’s company has attempted to position the app as the world’s premier privacy-focused communication tool. “End-to-end encryption keeps your personal m

U.S. House tells staffers not to use Meta’s WhatsApp

Meta is pushing back against a ban on WhatsApp from government devices. The chief administrative officer, or CAO, of the U.S. House of Representatives told staffers on Monday that they are not allowed to use Meta's popular messaging app. The CAO cited a lack of transparency about WhatsApp's data privacy and security practices as the reason for the ban, according to a report by Axios that cited an internal email from the government office. The CAO told House staff members in the email that they

House staffers can’t have WhatsApp on their devices

is a news writer who covers the streaming wars, consumer tech, crypto, social media, and much more. Previously, she was a writer and editor at MUO. The House of Representatives has banned staff members from using WhatsApp on government devices, according to a report from Axios. In an email viewed by the outlet, the House’s chief administrative officer (CAO) tells staffers that the Office of Cybersecurity “has deemed WhatsApp a high-risk” because of a “lack of transparency in how it protects use

US House reportedly bans WhatsApp on government devices

US congressional staffers have reportedly been told that they're no longer allowed to use WhatsApp on government devices. The House of Representatives' chief administrative officer (CAO) is said to have informed workers on Monday that the app — including the mobile, desktop and web-based versions — is not permitted on House-managed devices. "The Office of Cybersecurity has deemed WhatsApp a high risk to users due to the lack of transparency in how it protects user data, absence of stored data e

Meta is ruining WhatsApp with ads, but I still can’t leave it

Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority When WhatsApp was acquired by Meta (then Facebook) over a decade ago, people immediately began to fairly speculate that ads would eventually seep into what had, until then, been a refreshingly ad-free messaging experience. And yet, quite surprisingly, WhatsApp managed to stay mostly unspoiled, even though bits of Instagram and Facebook (like Stories and Communities) kept sneaking in. That sunny stretch is starting to fade at last. If you’ve been following th