WhatsApp is launching new “Strict Account Settings” that add even more protections against cyberattacks. The feature is built for people at a high-risk of attacks — such as journalists or public figures — and automatically blocks attachments and media from senders you don’t know, while silencing calls from unknown contacts.
The new setting limits other functionality inside WhatsApp, including turning off link previews, limiting who can add you to a group, and blocking non-contacts from seeing your profile photo, “about” details, and online status. “You should only turn this on if you think you may be a target of a sophisticated cyber campaign,” WhatsApp says. “Most people are not targeted by such attacks.”
WhatsApp has long offered end-to-end encryption, and bolstered its security even more after users were targeted with the NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, which allowed bad actors to gain access to someone’s device through a phone call. Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, later sued the NSO Group and received $167.25 million in damages. WhatsApp also shut down a spyware campaign targeting journalists and civil society members last year.
Meta is currently facing a lawsuit that claims the company and WhatsApp can access private WhatsApp chats. Andy Stone, Meta’s head of communications, has pushed back on these claims, telling Bloomberg that the lawsuit is “a frivolous work of fiction,” as WhatsApp uses the Signal protocol for encryption.
Strict Account Settings will roll out in the coming weeks, and you can turn it on by opening WhatsApp settings, selecting “Privacy,” tapping “Advanced,” and then selecting the option. WhatsApp notes that you can only turn on this feature from your primary device — not on WhatsApp for the web.