WhatsApp is releasing new privacy controls for Profile Photos, About sections, and “Last Seen” status, according to a company tweet. While the beta was out a couple months ago, the feature is now rolling out to all users.
Previously, users only had the option to block those settings for Everyone, My Contacts, or Nobody. The new privacy updates puts WhatsApp users in control, letting them choose to block settings with a new option called, “My Contacts Except.” With this, your contacts can see your last seen, profile photo, or status, except the people you exclude.
“Last Seen” Status updated with new WhatsApp privacy controls
If you have the Last Seen status on, contacts can see when you last checked the app. Engadget mentions this feature could be a potential privacy hazard as contacts could have an idea of if you’ve read their message; even if read receipts are off.
However, Last Seen can be turned off for certain contacts if you so choose. Additionally, if you exempt specific users from seeing your Last Seen status, you won’t be able to see theirs. These privacy control settings can be configured in the Account Privacy menu within WhatsApp.
Furthermore, if you have any problems with the new privacy controls, WhatsApp is on your side:
We encourage you to report problematic content and contacts to us. You can control who you interact with by blocking specific contacts or reporting messages or contacts on WhatsApp.
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