Tag: WhatsApp

WhatsApp is giving parents more control over how teenagers use the messaging app, while keeping their private conversations off-limits.

The new parental controls, announced on September 30, allow parents to manage selected privacy settings, receive alerts about group activity and set limits around features such as Channels, Status and Meta AI.

The move comes as social media and messaging platforms face growing pressure to make online spaces safer for younger users. WhatsApp says its new tools are designed to give parents useful visibility without turning private conversations into something they can monitor.

What parents can see

Parents can receive notifications when their teenager joins or leaves a WhatsApp group. They can also be alerted when a group the teenager belongs to grows significantly.

However, these alerts do not show what is being discussed in the group.

Parents can also manage who can add their teenager to groups and who can see their profile picture. Certain privacy changes made by teenagers may require approval through a parent-set PIN.

The idea is to help parents understand some aspects of their child’s WhatsApp activity without giving them access to the actual content of conversations.

More control over Status and Channels

The new settings also cover WhatsApp Status and Channels.

Parents can decide which Status updates their teenager can view and who can see the teenager’s own Status updates. They can also restrict access to Channels, giving families greater control over the content teenagers encounter on the platform.

That matters as WhatsApp has expanded beyond private messaging and group conversations. Channels now allow users and organisations to distribute content to large audiences, making the app more than just a communication tool.

Meta AI gets a new setting

WhatsApp is also giving parents more control over their teenager’s use of Meta AI.

Parents can choose the standard 13+ experience or activate a Limited Content setting. The stricter option limits some Meta AI features, including incognito chat and message summaries.

The changes are part of Meta’s wider effort to build additional safeguards around AI tools used by younger people.

Private messages remain private

One of the key points of the update is that parents cannot read their teenager’s private WhatsApp messages or listen to their calls through these controls.

WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption continues to protect personal chats and calls. The new parental tools provide information about selected account activity and allow parents to change certain settings, but they do not provide access to conversation content.

That distinction is important for families trying to balance teen safety and digital privacy.

Parents can have more visibility into how their teenagers are using WhatsApp, while teenagers retain privacy over their personal conversations.

How the controls work

Parents need to link their account with their teenager’s WhatsApp account to use the new controls. Once linked, they can choose the restrictions they want to apply and create a PIN for settings that require approval.

The features are being rolled out gradually, so they may not be available to everyone immediately. Availability can also vary by region and device.

WhatsApp says the controls are optional and can be adjusted as a teenager becomes older and more independent.

Why WhatsApp is making the change

The update reflects a broader shift in how technology companies are approaching online safety for teenagers.

Instead of simply restricting access, platforms are increasingly giving parents tools to set boundaries around groups, contacts, privacy and potentially sensitive content.

For families, that could make everyday conversations about online safety a little easier. Parents can keep an eye on important account activity without having to check every message, while teenagers can continue to use private chats without giving up their basic privacy.

WhatsApp’s latest move ultimately focuses on finding a middle ground: more parental supervision where it matters, but private conversations remain private.

WhatsApp users across several countries were left frustrated after a temporary outage disrupted the sharing of photos, videos, stickers and other media on the messaging platform. The problem surfaced on Monday, August 3, and continued to generate complaints into the following day, with thousands of users reporting that multimedia files would not upload or send.

For many users, the experience was confusing because WhatsApp itself appeared to be working normally. Text messages could still be sent and received, while attempts to share a photo or video simply got stuck. In several cases, the selected image appeared in the chat but remained stuck on a loading screen before eventually showing a “retry” option.

The disruption was reported by users in several countries, including India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico and other regions. Outage-tracking services recorded a sharp increase in complaints, pointing to a wider WhatsApp service disruption rather than an isolated problem affecting individual phones or internet connections.

One of the most relatable aspects of the WhatsApp outage was how users initially assumed the problem was on their end. Some switched between Wi-Fi and mobile data, restarted their phones or tried reinstalling the app, only to find that the problem remained.

One user said they had initially thought their Wi-Fi connection was poor, only to discover that WhatsApp itself was experiencing problems. Others described repeatedly trying to send photos and getting the same “retry” message.

The problem appeared particularly frustrating for users who rely on WhatsApp to share photographs, videos and documents for work, family communication and everyday conversations. For some, stickers were also affected, making even simple chats feel unusually restricted.

Reports shared online suggested that the issue was not necessarily affecting every type of media or every user in exactly the same way. Some users said older photographs could still be sent, while newer photos or screenshots failed to upload. Others reported that text messages continued to work normally even when images and videos would not go through.

The good news for users was that the disruption appeared to ease after several hours. LiveMint reported that outage reports on Downdetector were declining across different countries, suggesting that WhatsApp services were gradually returning to normal. However, at the time of reporting, Meta and WhatsApp had not publicly provided a detailed explanation for what caused the media-sharing problem.

That lack of an immediate explanation left users speculating about whether the issue was linked to WhatsApp servers, media-upload systems or another technical fault. There was no indication that users needed to change their phones, internet connections or account settings to resolve the problem.

The incident also served as a reminder of how dependent everyday communication has become on messaging platforms. WhatsApp is no longer used simply for sending text messages. Families share photographs, businesses exchange documents, students send assignments, and people use videos, voice notes, stickers and Status updates as part of routine communication.

When even one part of the service stops working, the impact can quickly become noticeable.

Alongside the media-sharing outage, WhatsApp users in India also reported another issue involving accounts being temporarily placed under review.

A WhatsApp spokesperson said the company continuously works to prevent misuse of its platform and acknowledged that its enforcement systems can sometimes make mistakes. The company said that when such errors occur, it tries to restore affected accounts as quickly as possible.

The account-review reports were separate from the media-sharing disruption and should not automatically be interpreted as evidence that the outage was caused by account restrictions.

For users still experiencing problems sending photos, videos or stickers, the safest approach is to wait and retry once WhatsApp services stabilise rather than repeatedly reinstalling the app. Uninstalling WhatsApp during an outage can create additional problems, particularly if important local data or media has not been backed up.

As WhatsApp services gradually returned to normal, outage reports began to decline across regions. The incident highlighted how heavily users rely on the platform for everyday communication, from sharing family photos and videos to exchanging work documents.

While the exact cause of the media-sharing disruption remained unclear, users were advised to retry uploads once services stabilised. WhatsApp has not indicated that users need to change their devices or internet connections to resolve the issue.

WhatsApp has blocked 9,400 accounts linked to “digital arrest” scams in India since January 2026, according to information shared by the Central government with the Supreme Court. The disclosure came during ongoing proceedings related to the growing threat of cyber fraud in the country.

Digital arrest scams have emerged as one of the most common forms of online fraud in recent months. In these cases, scammers contact victims through calls or messages while pretending to be police officers, CBI officials, customs officers or other government authorities. They often accuse people of crimes such as money laundering or illegal parcels and then threaten arrest unless money is transferred immediately.

According to the government’s status report, WhatsApp launched a focused investigation earlier this year after concerns were raised by Indian enforcement agencies. Instead of removing only accounts reported by users, the platform reportedly used internal systems to detect suspicious activity, identify linked numbers and track organised scam networks. This wider crackdown led to the blocking of 9,400 accounts.

Officials also told the court that earlier takedown requests had identified around 3,800 suspicious accounts, but only a small number were directly linked to digital arrest frauds. However, deeper investigation later revealed a much larger network operating through multiple accounts.

The Centre informed the court that several agencies are now working together to curb such crimes. Telecom companies, financial institutions, regulators and digital platforms have been asked to coordinate more closely to detect fraud quickly and prevent money transfers. Authorities are also focusing on faster blocking of suspicious SIM cards and stronger identity verification measures.

WhatsApp is said to be developing additional tools to detect misuse of police or government logos in profile photos and identify impersonation attempts more effectively.

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The Supreme Court has sharply criticized WhatsApp and Meta over their privacy policies, warning that foreign tech firms must follow Indian laws or exit the country. Chief Justice Surya Kant said: “If you can’t follow our Constitution, then leave India.”

The case relates to WhatsApp’s 2021 privacy update, which required users to share data with Meta. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) fined WhatsApp ₹213 crore for abusing its market dominance, and this decision was partially upheld by the NCLAT. Meta has challenged the penalty in the Supreme Court.

The court raised concerns about informed consent, noting that millions of users may not fully understand complex privacy terms. It stressed that private user data cannot be exploited commercially for targeted ads.

As an interim measure, WhatsApp has been ordered not to share user information with Meta until the case is resolved. The government, through the Ministry of Electronics and IT, has been made a party to the case to ensure compliance with India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act.

The bench emphasised that fundamental privacy rights cannot be compromised for business gains, and the matter will be heard further in the coming weeks.

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Scrolling through WhatsApp, most of us expect a safe space to chat with friends and family. But in today’s world, even messaging apps can expose users to scams, spam, and cyberattacks. To address this, WhatsApp has introduced Strict Account Settings, a new feature that gives users more control over who can contact them and what content reaches their chats. The update is gradually rolling out on Android and iOS.

When enabled, the feature applies the strictest privacy settings automatically. Messages, media, and calls from unknown contacts are restricted, while suspicious links and previews are blocked. This means fewer chances of encountering scams or harmful content. While it’s optional, WhatsApp says the mode is especially useful for high-risk users such as journalists, activists, or public figures, but anyone concerned about privacy can turn it on.

To activate it, users can go to Settings > Privacy > Advanced > Strict Account Settings. WhatsApp reassures users that all chats remain end-to-end encrypted; the feature simply adds an extra layer of protection by limiting interactions with unknown contacts and potentially harmful content.

Experts believe this feature is a step in the right direction. They believe that giving people more control over their accounts helps reduce risks from cyberattacks and harassment.

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