Keep a close eye on this new symbol in WhatsApp – it’s very important

A strange little icon appears in some WhatsApp conversations for a few seconds before disappearing. It is in your best interest to monitor it as it indicates important information about the privacy of your exchanges…

WhatsApp is known for the security it provides to its users, especially since 2016 with end-to-end encryption. This means that no one other than recipients – not even Meta – can read the content of the messages you send. This provides an excellent level of protection, while maintaining the accessibility of email – there is nothing special to configure to take advantage of encryption. In short, you can discuss sensitive and intimate topics without worrying about prying eyes! But, before long, WhatsApp will welcome your conversations from other messaging services.

Indeed, we have found interoperability among many of the measures imposed on digital companies by the Digital Markets Act (DMA) – which has just come into force. Thus, just as we can chat with a correspondent using a different telephone operator, we will soon be able to exchange messages with any other user, regardless of the messaging services used (WhatsApp, Signal, Messenger, Telegram or iMessage). .

For those who fear for the security of their discussions, Meta aims to provide reassurance and ensure that end-to-end encryption remains in place. “As far as possible”. But the company is also considering cases where the protocol it uses — called Signal — isn’t used by other messaging services. She thus acknowledges that this system does not offer the same level of security and privacy protection as originally offered by the application, although each messaging system uses its own data encryption method. Meta wants all other services to use the same encryption protocol as Signal – which is also used by Google Messages and Skype – although the firm is not closed to other options, provided these apps can prove they meet the security standards desired by WhatsApp. doing.

Also, to reassure everyone, WhatsApp now includes a symbol in the shape of a small lock, which may be surprising at first glance. As discovered by niche site WABetaInfo, the beta version of the Android app is available to only a handful of users. This symbol is found in a conversation, under a contact or group name, in place of a status. It is followed by the words “end-to-end encrypted”. Please note, it is only displayed for a few seconds before being replaced by the normal status – for example “online”.

This symbol allows you to know at a glance whether the current chat is end-to-end encrypted with the Signal protocol, and therefore ensures that no third party can read messages or listen to your conversations. Of course, your chats were already end-to-end encrypted. This symbol is just a visual reminder, perfectly understandable to the less tech-savvy among us. This makes users a little more aware of the security measures put in place by WhatsApp and makes them aware of the efforts being made at this level.