This is something new that the Meta development team has been working on since at least last January, but it will soon see the light in the next updates: an icon in the shape of a padlock which will locate all those chats protected by end-to-end encryption. We are now in the final stages, as the roll out has already started.
This element is also part of the interoperability project that should concern the millions of European users, and through it the most widespread instant messaging app in the world will align with the directives outlined by the Digital Markets Act, which recently became reality for the the entire continent. The experts of the WABetaInfo portal once again anticipated the news, who detected it within the update package of the Beta version 2.24.6.11 of the application Whatsapp for Android. According to what was reported by the site’s editorial staff, among other things, the same functionality should soon also be introduced for users who have releases 2.24.6.7, 2.24.6.8 and 2.24.6.10 at their disposal.
The padlock icon and the written indication that accompanies it do not remain on the mobile screen for long, but make a fleeting appearance immediately after opening the chat. A few seconds which are sufficient to inform users of the Meta instant messaging app that the messages written or calls made cannot be intercepted by anyone, not even by the WhatsApp team, and this thanks to the use of the Signal protocol and the end-to-end encryption.
Once the roll out has started, it will be necessary to wait for the collection of comments and feedback on the service from users who are testing the Beta versions, before thinking about distributing the innovation in the next program updates. This is therefore an important new element to guarantee users of the famous app the protection of privacy, today more than ever at the center of the attention and needs of users all over the world. Next month, among other things, the new terms of service provided for WhatsApp will come into force, as already announced some time ago by the development team through the main social networks.