WhatsApp is testing a new feature that will allow users to verify the authenticity and scope of images they receive through the service. The tool aims to avoid scams through a verification system based on Google Search.
The feature will appear in the WhatsApp interface as a new button with the legend “Search the web”. It will be part of the actions menu that is displayed when a recipient clicks on an image they have received. By selecting the option, the material will be shared with the Google search service. The system will automatically track the content within the publications available on the network. It will communicate the origin of the piece and if it has been manipulated. It will provide additional data regarding its dissemination on other social networks and details of the elements that appear.
The resource was detected in the latest beta version of the WhatsApp application for Android, according to the specialized site WABetaInfo. It is available only to members of the Meta platform testing program. The information indicates that it will be rolled out to more subscribers in the coming weeks.
The report notes that this tool “offers a new layer of security and convenience. Data subjects will be able to identify, for example, whether an image has been taken out of context, which is especially valuable in combating fake news. This guarantees greater control and transparency over the content that subscribers share and receive in their conversations.”
The feature will be optional. Subscribers will have the power to decide whether or not to share their messages with Google. The report highlights that while images are uploaded to the Mountain View company’s servers when the feature is activated, “they are never shared or processed” by Meta. It is also not shared with third-party services.
Scams are growing on WhatsApp
The novelty does not have an exact date to be enabled in the stable version of WhatsApp. Despite this, it is a necessary resource in the face of the growing cases of scams that have been detected in the messaging service. Cybersecurity experts have warned that, in Mexico alone, cases of hacking and deception in the platform profiles grew 672% in the first two months of 2024 compared to the same period of the previous year. Meta is working on various mechanisms to counteract the phenomenon.
In July it was announced that WhatsApp is developing a mechanism that will allow people to hide their phone number and be identified by a username (username). This would represent one of the most radical operational changes in its history. The app Since its birth it has been closely linked to the subscribers’ mobile line. Until now, this reference is the only identification method available. The update would involve drastic changes to the technical infrastructure of the service.
He username It would also prevent users from becoming victims of fraud or cyberbullying practices. The National Institute of Statistics and Geography indicates that Facebook (37.8%) and WhatsApp (41.8%) are the platforms most used to carry out digital harassment techniques.
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