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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

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

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

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

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

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

WhatsApp to hold off EU ads rollout until 2026 amid privacy discussions [U]

Earlier this week, Meta officially flipped the switch on in-app advertising for WhatsApp users worldwide, marking the first time ads have appeared inside the messaging platform. But if you’re in the European Union, there’s now an important update: the rollout won’t be happening for you… yet. Europe’s privacy guardrails hold yet again In comments to reporters today (via Politico), Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) said WhatsApp has informed them that the new ad model won’t go live in t

Topics: ad eu meta new whatsapp

WhatsApp delays ad rollout in the EU amid privacy concerns

Earlier this week, Meta officially flipped the switch on in-app advertising for WhatsApp users worldwide, marking the first time ads have appeared inside the messaging platform. But if you’re in the European Union, there’s now an important update: the rollout won’t be happening for you… yet. Europe’s privacy guardrails hold yet again In comments to reporters today (via Politico), Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) said WhatsApp has informed them that the new ad model won’t go live in t

Topics: ad just meta new whatsapp

ChatGPT can now generate images in WhatsApp

Back in December, OpenAI launched its ChatGPT WhatsApp contact as part of its “12 Days of OpenAI” holiday announcements. And while this version of the chatbot is still more limited than what you get on the web or desktop, it is rolling out a useful new trick: image generation. Yep, people actually do this While the idea of texting ChatGPT over WhatsApp might seem a little odd, several WhatsApp-heavy users I’ve talked to say they love the convenience of having ChatGPT right there, without needi

WhatsApp’s rollout of ads will change the app forever

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. This week, WhatsApp did something its founders said it would never do: it’s putting advertisements inside the app. It ends WhatsApp’s decade-plus run of offering an ad-free messaging and calling experience. Meta, which acquired WhatsApp in 2014, attempted to justify the decision by saying ads will be sequestered to its “Update” tab, where you’ll se

Iran asks its people to delete WhatsApp from their devices

Iranian state television on Tuesday afternoon urged the country’s public to remove the messaging platform WhatsApp from their smartphones, alleging the app — without offering specific evidence — gathered user information to send to Israel. In a statement, WhatsApp said it was “concerned these false reports will be an excuse for our services to be blocked at a time when people need them the most.” WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption, meaning a service provider in the middle can’t read a message.

PSA: WhatsApp for iPhone now also lets you copy part of a message

If you got excited by yesterday’s news that iOS 26 will let you copy parts of a text message in Messages, but aren’t running the beta and don’t want to feel left out, here’s some good news: you can already do that on WhatsApp. Since version 25.16.81, WhatsApp has offered partial text selection on iPhone, letting you highlight and copy just the specific section of a message you want. To use it, long-press the message bubble, then press and hold again on the text itself. This brings up the famil

WhatsApp will start showing ads to users

What just happened? WhatsApp promised a few years ago that advertising would eventually become part of its app experience. Now, the company is starting to deliver on that promise. Privacy, encryption, and safety, however, are still guaranteed, the Meta-owned messaging service states. WhatsApp recently confirmed that advertising is gradually rolling out to a significant portion of its users. According to a new help page, people using the app solely for personal messaging will not see any ads for

WhatsApp just launched ads for all users, here are the details

WhatsApp has been talking about launching in-app advertising for many years, but today the change has finally arrived. Ads in WhatsApp are now official, here are the details of what to expect—including the finer points of how your privacy is impacted. Two types of ads are launching in WhatsApp today Today Meta announced via the official WhatsApp blog that ads are rolling out to all users now. Ads are launching as part of the Updates tab inside the app. This means they won’t be part of your p

Your WhatsApp Status view is about to get ads

Rita El Khoury / Android Authority TL;DR WhatsApp is testing ads in the Status section of the Updates tab. New paid subscriptions and promoted Channels are also rolling out. Private messages remain untouched and end-to-end encrypted. Ads have crept into every corner of Meta’s ecosystem. Facebook, Instagram, and Reels are filled with them. For years, WhatsApp stood apart as the company’s only major platform without advertising. Now, that’s changing: ads are coming to WhatsApp, too. Meta reve

WhatsApp introduces ads in its app

When Facebook bought WhatsApp for $19 billion in 2014, the messaging app had a clear focus. No ads, no games and no gimmicks. For years, that is what WhatsApp’s two billion users — many of them in Brazil, India and other countries around the world — got. They chatted with friends and family unencumbered by advertising and other features found on social media. Now that is set to change. On Monday, WhatsApp said it would start showing ads inside its app for the first time. The promotions will a

Meta's AI-Powered Ad Machine Is Coming for WhatsApp Next

WhatsApp, the Meta-owned messaging app used by close to 2 billion people worldwide, is ramping up its advertising efforts. While the app has long promised a privacy-first experience free from traditional ads, recent updates suggest that's changing, and changing fast. In a blog post published Monday, WhatsApp announced an expansion of its "Channels" discovery and business tools, designed to help you find more content and shops directly within the app. Alongside this rollout, Meta is preparing to