Amid widespread concern regarding WhatsApp’s new privacy policy, 15-year-old Pakistani app developer Nabeel Haider has developed an alternative instant messaging app that he claims works even better. Haider hails from Karachi and has a keen interest in app development. The application, called FF Meeting (family & friends meeting), is already available on the Google Play Store.
WhatsApp users are receiving an in-app notice regarding the service’s new terms and privacy policy. Among the updates, the messaging service has updated its terms regarding the data of users. These changes will go into effect on February 8th, and users will have no choice but to accept these changes if they wish to continue using WhatsApp.
WhatsApp seems to be planning to increase the number of users in group audio and video calls. WhatsApp Beta watchers claim to have discovered a revealing string of code in the app’s Android beta version 2.2.128. Beta apps are just some trial versions of the actual WhatsApp version. This development is most likely prompted by a sudden, sharp rise in video calling during the pandemic.
WhatsApp has tightened its message forwarding limits to slow the spread of misinformation regarding the novel coronavirus. It has restricted users to share forwarded content to one chat at a time. The pandemic has been accompanied by what the World Health Organisation (WHO) has called an “infodemic” of misinformation, prompting governments to urge social media companies to do more to combat the problem.
WhatsApp users across UAE and abroad reported issues with the messaging app. Users are unable to send multimedia files or voice messages on the popular app. Multiple complaints were logged about the outage on Sunday afternoon on a website DownDetector.com that is used by internet users worldwide to report issues using apps or websites.
The popular messaging app, Whatsapp will stop working for many smartphones around the globe from 2020. It will stop operating on Windows smartphones by the end of this month as well as on Android and iPhone devices in the coming months. Android version 2.3.4 and older users will be unable to continue using using the app whereas iPhone users with iOS 8 will be unable to create new accounts or verify the existing one.
Government officials have been advised by federal Ministry of Information Technology to discard Whatsapp for official correspondence after an Israeli spyware infected millions of users. The spyware, Pegasus, gives access to “hostile intelligence” agencies of users’ activities and sensitive data. According to experts, Pakistani mobile users could be in double jeopardy as Indian government is also reportedly using Pegasus to steal data.
The government is studying a proposal to impose ban on social media sites and communication networks like Twitter, WhatsApp, Facebook and YouTube in the government offices fearing a risk of leakage of important data. Under a proposed plan by the National Information Technology Board (NITB), the government officials would also be banned from bringing storage devices like –USBs – to the offices.
After years of banning Voice over IP (VoIP) calls like Whatsapp, Skype and FaceTime, the UAE government is finally going to consider removing the ban on Whatsapp calls. The country has increased its collaboration with the Facebook-owned WhatsApp and will work keeping in mind the national security initiatives. UAE’s NESA Executive Director, Mohamed Al Kuwaiti revealed the news, saying, “this is going to happen soon.”
A new Whatsapp scam in Pakistan has the users scratching their heads. Users have been receiving fake calls from individuals who claim to be PTA officials and ask for verification codes that have been sent to the users’ numbers. By using these codes, these impostors gain access to Whatsapp accounts of users and use them to their advantage.