This groundbreaking reporting from , , and many others demonstrates what we and others have been saying for years: NSO’s dangerous spyware is used to commit horrible human rights abuses all around the world and it must be stopped.
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We've added the option to undo 'Delete for me' for those times when you mean to delete for everyone but accidentally deleted for just yourself.
I read the information Apple put out yesterday and I'm concerned. I think this is the wrong approach and a setback for people's privacy all over the world.
People have asked if we'll adopt this system for WhatsApp. The answer is no.
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With end-to-end encryption, we cannot see your private chats or calls and neither can Facebook. We’re committed to this technology and committed to defending it globally. You can read more here: whatsapp.com/security/
📞 Excited to introduce Call Links on so you can easily start or join a call using just a link. Available for both audio and video calls starting this week.
I've been watching a bunch of discussion this week about the privacy policy update we’re in the process of making and wanted to share some thoughts.
Thread 👇
Today is taking a stand against the dangerous use of spyware. NSO Group claims they responsibly serve governments, but we found more than 100 human rights defenders and journalists targeted in an attack last May. This abuse must be stopped.
Happy New Year!
While many of us celebrated by texting our loved ones on WA, there are millions of people in Iran and elsewhere who continue to be denied the right to communicate freely and privately.
So today we’re making it easier for anyone to connect to WA using a proxy.
Very excited to be launching a beta of our new multi-device capability for . Now you can use our desktop or web experiences even when your phone isn't active and connected to the internet. All secured with end-to-end encryption.
Learn more:
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We’ve had personal computers for decades and there has never been a mandate to scan the private content of all desktops, laptops or phones globally for unlawful content. It’s not how technology built in free countries works.
Communities on is starting to roll out globally! With Communities admins can connect related groups for their organizations, neighborhoods, and workplaces. To get started tap on the brand new Communities tab. Check it out:
We're releasing our first marketing campaign in the U.S. today. It's entirely focused on the importance of end-to-end encryption.
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Instead of focusing on making it easy for people to report content that's shared with them, Apple has built software that can scan all the private photos on your phone -- even photos you haven't shared with anyone. That's not privacy.
🎉 Reactions on are now even better. We've added support for you to use any emoji you want (in any skin tone) as a reaction, so you can 👏 or 🤷 or 🤦 or 🤯 or 💚 or ...
Today has launched a hub for health workers, educators, small businesses, and others that are using WhatsApp to support one another during this extraordinary crisis. You can check it out here whatsapp.com/coronavirus
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We’re excited to announce that reactions are coming to WhatsApp starting with 👍❤️😂😮😢🙏 and with all emojis and skin-tones to come.
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Human rights defenders, tech companies and governments must work together to increase security and hold the abusers of spyware accountable. Microsoft was bold in their actions last week
We're excited about this big upgrade to calling on . Now you can join a group call even after it has started, so you’ll never miss a group call again.
blog.whatsapp.com/never-miss-a-g
Reminder to users that downloading a fake or modified version of WhatsApp is never a good idea. These apps sound harmless but they may work around WhatsApp privacy and security guarantees. A thread:
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This is an Apple built and operated surveillance system that could very easily be used to scan private content for anything they or a government decides it wants to control. Countries where iPhones are sold will have different definitions on what is acceptable.
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In 2019, discovered and defeated an attack from NSO. They rely on unknown vulnerabilities in mobile OSes, which is one of the reasons why we felt it was so important to raise awareness of what we'd found. washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/
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…”it would be wrong for the government to force us to build a backdoor into our products. And ultimately, we fear that this demand would undermine the very freedoms and liberty our government is meant to protect.” Those words were wise then, and worth heeding here now.
For people in 🇧🇷🇨🇴🇮🇩🇲🇽🇬🇧: you can now search for businesses using our WhatsApp Business Platform right on , either by browsing a list of categories – like travel or banking – or by typing the name.
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People in Bengaluru can now buy their metro ticket directly on . Excited to see many more everyday transactions available on our platform!
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Namma Metro is happy to give additional facility for commuters- QR Code based Single Journey Metro Travel Tickets can be downloaded from WhatsApp from 1st Nov 2022. Commuters are requested to make use of this facility
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We need more companies, and, critically, governments, to take steps to hold NSO Group accountable. Once again, we urge a global moratorium on the use of unaccountable surveillance technology now. It’s past time.
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That's why we continue to defend end-to-end encryption so tirelessly. To those who have proposed weakening end-to-end encryption: deliberately weakening security will have terrifying consequences for us all.
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This is a wake up call for security on the internet. The mobile phone is the primary computer for billions of people. Governments and companies must do everything they can to make it as secure as possible. Our security and freedom depend on it.
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At the time, we worked with , who identified 100+ cases of abusive targeting of human rights defenders and journalists in 20+ countries. But today's reporting shows that the true scale of abuse is even larger, and with terrifying national security implications.
We're very excited to be launching end-to-end encrypted backups on WhatsApp.
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Thank you to , , , , the @InternetAssn and others who have spoken up against the perils of giving spyware firms like NSO immunity.
New features for Status!
You can now share voice messages on status, use the audience selector for added privacy, and quickly respond to updates from others with reactions. We've also added profile rings so it's easier to spot new updates, and improved link previews.
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Will this system be used in China? What content will they consider illegal there and how will we ever know? How will they manage requests from governments all around the world to add other types of content to the list for scanning?
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I want to share how committed everyone is to providing private communication for two billion people around the world. At our core, that’s the ability to message or call loved ones freely protected by end-to-end encryption and that’s not changing.
We're entirely back up and running now. We know that people were unable to use to connect with their friends, family, businesses, community groups, and more today -- a humbling reminder of how much people and organizations rely on our app every day.
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It's important for us to be clear this update describes business communication and does not change WhatsApp’s data sharing practices with Facebook. It does not impact how people communicate privately with friends or family wherever they are in the world.
2022 was our biggest year yet. Our team was so excited to build Communities, Reactions, Polls, Avatars, 32-person video calling and so much more.
A huge thank you to everyone who gave us feedback on how to make even better. There’s a lot more coming in 2023!
We're adding new features to make voice messages on even better.
Updates include draft preview, ability to pause/resume recording, out of chat playback, resume playback where you were, and waveform visualization.
Excited for people to try these soon!
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Can this scanning software running on your phone be error proof? Researchers have not been allowed to find out. Why not? How will we know how often mistakes are violating people’s privacy?
NEW: Use on more than one phone!
Thanks to some improvements in our multi-device technology, we are rolling out the ability to link a second phone (or third, or fourth) to your WA account. And, of course, it’s all still protected by end-to-end encryption.
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Payments is live on in Brazil! 🇧🇷
Send money to your friends and family. It's free, secure, and as easy as sending a photo. Thanks to all our partners who helped make this possible!
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Apple has long needed to do more to fight CSAM, but the approach they are taking introduces something very concerning into the world.
A huge 🙏 to the team at for letting us see them in action, and for trusting as the means to communicate privately within their organization to get this important work done.
This is amazing. In Buenos Aires, people can now send an audio clip of their cough using a WhatsApp voice memo to the Boti chatbot and it'll check the audio pattern for COVID. Accuracy is apparently 88%.😮
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Estamos desarrollando un sistema con Inteligencia Artificial para detectar patrones de Covid19 a través de audios de tos 
. Sí leíste bien, con AUDIOS DE TOS. Por eso si hace poco te hiciste un test en la Ciudad podés colaborar con el proyecto. Mirá el video y enterate cómo 
. Sí leíste bien, con AUDIOS DE TOS. Por eso si hace poco te hiciste un test en la Ciudad podés colaborar con el proyecto. Mirá el video y enterate cómo 
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Today we’re very excited to share our vision for a feature we’re calling WhatsApp Communities. This is new functionality we’re building to support the many organizations that use WhatsApp to communicate in a private and secure way.
Payments, as easy as sending a message. Available to people across India starting today.
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What will happen when spyware companies find a way to exploit this software? Recent reporting showed the cost of vulnerabilities in iOS software as is. What happens if someone figures out how to exploit this new system?
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We've worked hard to ban and report people who traffic in it based on appropriate measures, like making it easy for people to report when it's shared. We reported more than 400,000 cases to NCMEC last year from , all without breaking encryption. faq.whatsapp.com/general/how-wh
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Child sexual abuse material and the abusers who traffic in it are repugnant, and everyone wants to see those abusers caught.
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That’s why we are so committed to end-to-end encryption, and why we keep improving the privacy of WhatsApp, such as with our launch of disappearing messages in November. Our innovation on privacy will continue.
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Apple once said “We believe it would be in the best interest of everyone to step back and consider the implications …”
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There are so many problems with this approach, and it’s troubling to see them act without engaging experts that have long documented their technical and broader concerns with this.
Avatars are now available on WhatsApp! Create your personalized avatar and share it as one of 36 stickers from your custom sticker pack, or use it as your profile picture as a way of representing yourself that feels more private than using a real photo.
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We’ve updated our policy to be transparent and to better describe optional people-to-business features. We wrote about it in October -- this includes commerce on WhatsApp and the ability for people to message a business. Pls see: blog.whatsapp.com/shopping-payme
Today is the 6th anniversary of completing the roll-out of end-to-end encryption. This foundational security technology protects people’s ability to communicate privately and securely.
Private messages are private. We oppose proposals to scan people's private messages, and we’re proud to stand with other apps to defend encryption and your right to privacy. blog.whatsapp.com/an-open-letter
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We’re in a competition on privacy with others and that’s very good for the world. People should have choices in how they communicate and feel confident that no one else can see their chats. There are people who disagree with this, including some governments.
Grateful that the Brazilian Central Bank has approved our payments license. Looking forward to launching safe, secure, and convenient digital payments on WhatsApp soon.
bcb.gov.br/en/pressdetail
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We’re proud of the service we offer, and we’ll continue to develop technology and practices to provide private, secure communications for as many people as we can.
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Not everyone may realize how common it is to WhatsApp message businesses in many countries. In fact, about 175 million people message a business account each day on WhatsApp and more want to do so.
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New: Ukraine's State Emergency Services has launched a helpline on to send people information and critical news about the local situation and advice on how to stay safe 💙💛
To access, message: wa.me/380676785917?tпочати
Want to securely take your WhatsApp history from one platform to another? We’re working to make this possible starting with devices, and it’s coming to and iOS phones soon.
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For those interested in helping, you can find a step by step guide on how to set up a proxy here faq.whatsapp.com/help/whatsapp/.
A direct link to Github is here: github.com/WhatsApp/proxy/
I wouldn't use Telegram for anything private. Unlike WhatsApp, Telegram doesn't have default end-to-end encryption and no way to turn it on for groups. That means Telegram has a copy of your messages, and that worries me.
said it best here: twitter.com/moxie/status/1
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Telegram Founder Warns People To 'Stay Away From WhatsApp'
Should people stay away from Telegram?, @wcathcart
independent.co.uk/tech/whatsapp-
I'm excited we’re starting to pilot a local business directory within . This will help you find and contact local businesses, like your neighborhood coffee shop, florist, clothing store and more.
Today we're answering some common questions we've received . Our policy update describes business communication and adds transparency. It does not impact how people communicate privately with friends or family.
Learn more and share please: faq.whatsapp.com/general/securi
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Also businesses want tools to quickly and effectively respond to those messages. It’s too hard today and features like Shops and Pay can help people buy things they want from businesses on WhatsApp.
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The world has never been more connected yet there are still internet disruptions that threaten people’s access. We hope that making it easier to use a proxy will make it that much harder to violate people’s right to communicate privately.
Some new features for group calls on : You can now mute or message specific people on a call (great if someone forgets to mute themselves!), and we've added a helpful indicator so you can more easily see when more people join large calls.
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We’ll also support larger file sharing up to 2GB at a time and 32 person group conference calls you can start with just one tap.
This morning the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the "EARN IT" Act. While not directly mandating a backdoor, as written, this act would form a commission that could have the power to require services like to stop offering end-to-end encryption. 1/
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This will enable anyone to connect through servers set up by volunteers and organizations dedicated to helping people communicate freely. So when a connection to WhatsApp is blocked, people have the power to restore access.
blog.whatsapp.com/connecting-to-
Excited that the Central Bank of Brazil has authorized the launch of WhatsApp's new payment feature!
Soon, Brazilians will be able to browse products, add them to a cart and make secure payments to small businesses right from a chat with your credit or debit card.
Vambora!
We are making fast progress on shipping some Communities features 🙏
Reactions 👍❤️😂😮😢🙏 , 2GB file sharing and the ability to add more people to your groups are rolling out!
Should be available to everyone over the coming weeks: blog.whatsapp.com/reactions-2gb-
Another step forward in accessing essential government services in India through !
You can now easily access your PAN Card, Drivers License and more here: wa.me/919013151515
Thanks !
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Fetching your important documents is now as easy as chatting with your friend on WhatsApp!
Enjoy #DigiLocker services through the #MyGovHelpdesk. Send 'Hi' to 9013151515 on WhatsApp to access your Insurance Documents, PAN Card, Driving License, etc.
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We’re kicking this off in São Paulo which is home to millions of small businesses. For those who aren't in São Paulo to try it out, here's what it looks like:
Thank you for highlighting this important effort as #IndiaFightsCorona - is helping people stay connected in this difficult time and this important information can help keep people safe.
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Now receive authentic information about #CoronaOutbreakIndia through WhatsApp.
Save 9013151515 on your phone as MyGov Corona Helpdesk.
Send Namaste or Hi to this number from your WhatsApp. Follow the menu instructions to receive information.
#IndiaFightsCorona twitter.com/narendramodi/s…
Thank you for chatting with us!
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Will Cathcart and Mark Zuckerberg confirm to WABetaInfo 3 features to come on @WhatsApp! 
@wcathcart
wabetainfo.com/will-cathcart-
This is an amazing story. Disappearing mode, view once and multi device features are coming soon for beta users!
@wcathcart
wabetainfo.com/will-cathcart-
This is an amazing story. Disappearing mode, view once and multi device features are coming soon for beta users!We are doing more to explain how WhatsApp continues to protect people's privacy and I wanted to share our plans here first
Some important reminders in here for people communicating privately right now:
As always, your personal messages and calls are protected with end-to-end encryption by default so they cannot be intercepted by any government.
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Meta’s Ongoing Efforts Regarding Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine about.fb.com/news/2022/02/m
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And we're working to make WhatsApp more efficient. Thanks to some of the great work from our friends at we've recently been able to improve our server efficiency by 25%, which means that even as we grow we’ll use less energy to support each person’s use of WhatsApp.
Agora você pode realizar o seu pré-cadastro para a vacina contra a Covid-19 em São Paulo no WhatsApp: WA.me/5511952202923.
Sabemos que este é um momento difícil no Brasil e estamos honrados em poder ajudar com o processo para a vacinação.
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Em São Paulo, agora é possível fazer o pré-cadastro para a vacinação contra a COVID-19 via Whatsapp.
É rápido e fácil! Basta mandar uma mensagem para o número +55 11 95220-2923 ou acessar wa.me/5511952202923? e seguir o passo a passo.
Thank you to everyone who has helped share facts about how protects your privacy. We’re going to do more over the coming weeks to make sure everyone knows how WhatsApp secures your messages. We’re also moving back our business plans to focus on this effort.
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Thank you to everyone who’s reached out. We're still working to counter any confusion by communicating directly with @WhatsApp users. No one will have their account suspended or deleted on Feb 8 and we’ll be moving back our business plans until after May - blog.whatsapp.com/giving-more-ti
Today we’re partnering with and to enable people to make their vaccine appointments via WhatsApp. Spread the word: wa.me/919013151515
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Now book vaccination slot by simply sending ‘Book Slot’ to @MyGovIndia Corona
Helpdesk on @WhatsApp, verify OTP & follow the steps wa.me/919013151515
Grateful to WhatsApp & @haptik for their continued support to build this chatbot @PMOIndia @mansukhmandviya @AshwiniVaishnaw
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The option to join the beta will show up in your 'Linked devices' screen in the near future!
Have a group that's a little noisy and cluttering up your inbox? With the new Archive, you can now keep an active thread out of your inbox, but still have access to it whenever you want!
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Today, we’re excited to be partnering with WhatsApp to provide a system that assures users that the code run when they visit WhatsApp on the web is the code that WhatsApp intended. cfl.re/369ur2I
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Being online may not always mean being available 💬, so you'll now be able to control who can and can't see when you are online.
This is a really important article from about Telegram. If you think Telegram is secure, you should read this article and understand the truth - especially before you use it for anything private.
Some really important points:
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We’re also adding more great features: polls, 32 person video calls, and groups with up to 1024 people. Like reactions, larger file sharing, and admin delete - we think these features will be particularly helpful for Communities but are available in any group!
We take our mission seriously, and I'm grateful to everyone who worked hard to bring our service back with the reliability you expect from . We'll learn and grow from this, and continue working to provide you with a simple, secure, and reliable private messaging app.
We’re expanding the marketing campaign we started back in January to tell people in the U.S. about the importance of end-to-end encryption. 5.5 billion SMS messages are still sent daily in the U.S., but SMS messages aren’t secure.
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You'll be able to leave group chats without having to tell everyone. Only the admins will be notified. Almost like leaving a party quietly and only informing the host 😀.
As Mark just announced, we're introducing Chat Lock to ! instagram.com/j/AbZ19cL4AVph
This privacy feature lets you mark a specific thread as 'locked'. It won't show up in your inbox and can only be opened with your device password/fingerprint.
blog.whatsapp.com/chat-lock-maki
Introducing WhatsApp Channels!
This paper is definitely worth reading. It's from some of the leading minds on computer security and it goes into great detail on why client side scanning (CSS) -- which opposes -- would be very dangerous for us all.
👋 ! I think this new name for Facebook (the company) is an important step that helps people understand the social experiences we’re building for the future. It will also help us communicate more clearly about our services.
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