Here’s all you need to know about WhatsApp’s new security checks

What’s the news: WhatsApp announced three new security features—automatic security codes, device verification and account protect—on April 13, 2023, to safeguard devices against malwares, attackers, etc. Why it matters: Recently, Microsoft Corps and The Citizen Lab identified a new spyware that enters people’s devices without their knowledge. It’s also no secret that governments like India and Mexico are known to monitor dissenters using such technologies. In such a scenario, it is a welcome move from social media platforms to come up with new methods to protect people’s right to privacy. 1. Automatic Security Codes: To strengthen security code verification feature, the key transparency protocol maintains a record of ‘public key’ changes. WhatsApp also established “a third-party public repository of auditable change logs to the directory that updates whenever there’s additions to the directory.” “This confirms that the same public keys a user uses to contact a recipient are the same ones that everybody else also uses to communicate with the recipient," said the platform in its blog. This means that when a user clicks on the encryption tab, the person can verify that the personal conversation is secure. 2. Device Verification:“To prevent malware, WhatsApp has added checks to help authenticate your account - with no action needed from you - and better protect you if your device is compromised. This lets you continue using WhatsApp uninterrupted,” said the blog. Device Verification works by introducing three parameters: A security-token that’s stored on the users’ device. It is updated every time someone retrieves an…