A little while ago it was reported that WhatsApp has become the most popular social network. Even bigger than Facebook. This is largely due to its nature. As an app dedicated to messaging, its use is now more of a necessity than purely for entertainment purposes.
However, there are no social media without complaints.
One of the biggest complaints, if not the biggest, about the app, is that any user can create a Group and immediately add whoever they wanted, even without knowing the user.
Also, there are many users that are against the mere existance of groups, so these news will make them very happy.
WhatsApp Privacy options are always welcome by all users.
According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is testing out some changes in its privacy settings. The most important change is actually giving more control to the user about who can and cannot add them to a group.
This option would appear in your account options, in the privacy menu.
In this menu we have three options: the default, anyone can add us to a group; only people we know can add us to a group or nobody can.
This last option generates an invite to join a group the moment an admin tries to add you. The invite will stay active for 72 hours and disappear after that.
This way we will now be able to ignore group invites in a more polite way.
The same invite system will work on the “Contacts Only” option if some unknown user tries to add you too.
There might also be an option in “My Contacts” where we will create lists of the only people who can automatically add us to groups.
Privacy, safety or something else?
The main objective for WhatsApp with this new testing is user safety after some reports of bad practices on their platform involving minors being added to groups where the administrator is unknown.
However, we know users will have more mundane uses for this function, including less family and friends groups that clutter the mobile space with unnecessary conversations.
It’s also reported that WhatsApp might be blocking some companies from using Groups altogether for adding many users at the same time for the purpose of spam.
No doubt, privacy and data control issues have taken quite a hit on Facebook this past couple of months, which have led to these kinds of tests that have always been well received by all users.
Since the update that gave us options to change the privacy of our posts, lists of users with restricted access and other privacy options on Facebook, users have agreed that they want to be in absolute control over who can see what they publish.
Also, Facebook has noticed a big growth on private engagement. Messenger and WhatsApp are plagued with private Groups about fitness, sports, music fests, and whatnot.
Then, it’s evident that this year Facebook will bet on this new kind of engagement in all its family of social networks.