Syed Imran Haider 
WhatsApp will soon enable worldwide users to lock and hide their chats using a new feature. The decision may put the parent company at odds with the administration, which requires tech companies to strengthen online protection, especially for children. However, the tech giant warns of potential changes to the legislation to enhance online safety, weakening the messages’ privacy.
The new feature, Chat Lock, shall eliminate a chat thread from WhatsApp’s regular inbox and keep it inside a new folder. Users will be able to open the conversation through biometrics, including facial recognition, or by entering a password.
The Lock Chat – Added Layer of Security
Meta announced the rollout of Lock Chat, calling it an additional layer of security. It will hide chat notifications from users and protect their most intimate conversations. According to tech analysts, the Lock Chat’s functionality is the least among the growing features on the instant messaging app, which will put it at odds with the UK administration’s rules for online protection. Meta’s privacy package has several elements, one of which enables WhatsApp users to encrypt their chat backups, make their text disappear automatically, and disable the ability to take screenshots.
Mark Zuckerberg says the new chat lock feature will soon be available on WhatsApp. He confirmed the news regarding the new lock-and-hide-chat option by sharing a post on Facebook. Meta’s CEO says intimate conversations can be more private with new locked chats. WhatsApp place them in a password-protected folder and does not show notifications regarding the content or message sender.
Meta and many other tech companies criticized the UK’s Online Safety Bill. The company says changes in the law will undermine security levels. These include end-to-end encryption for conversations, which does not allow anyone else to see your message’s content, not even Meta.
Following the Online Safety Bill, the tech giant responded to the UK government, saying it would see WhatsApp services stopped as it cannot risk compromising its users’ privacy. The British administration says it does not plan to outlaw end-to-end encryption. It claims the Online Safety Bill will improve protection measures for children’s safety and retain privacy for web users. According to the government, charities like the NSPCC are in favor of the bill.
The Online Safety Bill
Online Safety Bill refers to wide-ranging legislation designed to regulate online content to ensure users’ safety. It would also enable Ofcom, the media regulator, to that tech platforms identify and eradicate harmful content Tech companies refusing to adhere to the rules could face huge penalties.
Many surveys suggest many British adults back the Online Safety Bill. On the other hand, Element – a UK-based messaging app, claimed the mentioned bill is outright dangerous and will weaken national security. Matthew Hodgson, the CEO of Element, says no matter how effective legislations are, bad actors do not play by them. Rogue terrorists and nations can target that particular access with available resources.
Hodgson feels shocked to see the United Kingdom announcing routine mass surveillance and fundamentally discouraging encryption. It is a country known for signifying freedom and democracy for its people, and such things do not suit its reputation. He says bad actors could keep using existing unregulated applications, whereas good actors who use acquiescent apps could have their privacy weakened.
