WhatsApp privacy being violated? How to check in easy steps and what to do to block unintended access
Data is the new oil, and its privacy is of paramount importance. Social messaging apps like WhatsApp toil hard to ensure user privacy with their ‘End to End Encryption’ functionality. Despite these safeguards, personal messages can sometimes be compromised and seen by someone other than the intended recipient.
WhatsApp Messages
In some cases, you might not have read a WhatsApp text, yet it gets labelled as ‘Read’, suggesting that your WhatsApp account may be accessed by another device. In that regard, WhatsApp already has a feature that allows users to see the devices linked to their WhatsApp accounts.
Linked Devices
To find the linked devices, go to the ‘Linked Devices’ option by clicking on the three dots at the top right corner. After you navigate to the Linked Device option, this will display the list of devices linked to your WhatsApp account.
Remove the access
If you find any unauthorised device enjoying access, you should remove the access of that particular device to prevent it from fetching messages from your WhatsApp account.
Group messaging
In another development related to WhatsApp, it recently unveiled a new update for its users which will help users stay safe in group messaging. A context card has been introduced which will provide users with all the information about the group.
Added to a group
If you’re added to a group by someone you don’t know, the context card feature will give you all the information about that group. The details will include who added you, how recently the group was created, and who created the group.
Review safety tools
It is up to the user to decide whether to stay or leave the group and review some of the safety tools available to stay safe and secure on WhatsApp.
Helps you decide
This is particularly helpful to confirm whether or not it’s a group you want to be in or if you just met someone and haven’t saved them in your contacts yet.