On Tech It Out, we keep warning you about online scams and other cybercrimes that can rob you of your hard-earned money. A new WhatsApp scam is trying to dupe people. We get you more details about the fraud in this story.

Explained: WhatsApp international call scam

<p>The Indian government on Wednesday stated that it will investigate the charges pressed against Whatsapp of allegedly getting access to the microphones of the devices used by the users without their prior consent.</p>

<p>A few days back, a Twitter engineer had accused WhatsApp of accessing his microphone in the background when he was sleeping.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reacting to the incident, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar tweeted that an investigation into the case will be carried out by the government to find out if WhatsApp was actually accessing the smartphone's microphone while the phone was not in use.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"This is an unacceptable breach n violation of #Privacy We will be examining this immdtly and will act on any violation of privacy even as new Digital Personal Data protection bill #DPDP is being readied. @GoI_MeitY @_DigitalIndia," Chandrasekhar tweeted.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is an unacceptable breach n violation of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Privacy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Privacy</a><br />
<br />
We will be examinig this immdtly and will act on any violation of privacy even as new Digital Personal Data protection bill <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DPDP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DPDP</a> is being readied.<a href="https://twitter.com/GoI_MeitY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GoI_MeitY</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/_DigitalIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_DigitalIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/vtFrST4bKP">https://t.co/vtFrST4bKP</a></p>
— Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@Rajeev_GoI) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rajeev_GoI/status/1656148548621320202?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>Chandrasekhar's tweet came after the engineer shared a post which raised questions over the data privacy of Whatsapp users.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/now-you-can-link-your-whatsapp-account-to-4-phones-at-once-heres-how-586528">Now you can link your WhatsApp account to 4 phones at once. Here's how</a></p>

<p>"WhatsApp has been using the microphone in the background, while I was asleep and since I woke up at 6 AM. What's going on?," tweeted Foad Dabiri, who works as an engineering director at Twitter.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">WhatsApp has been using the microphone in the background, while I was asleep and since I woke up at 6AM (and that's just a part of the timeline!) What's going on? <a href="https://t.co/pNIfe4VlHV">pic.twitter.com/pNIfe4VlHV</a></p>
— Foad Dabiri (@foaddabiri) <a href="https://twitter.com/foaddabiri/status/1654856617723301888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>Dabiri, in his tweet, shared screenshots of his phone which showed WhatsApp accessing and using the microphone of the device multiple times.&nbsp;The tweet went viral and received more than 71.5 million views.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>WhatsApp's response to allegations &nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Responding to the allegations, WhatsApp said that its&nbsp;officials got in touch with the Twitter engineer.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The company claimed that the problem is likely to have occurred because of a bug in the Android.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"We believe this is a bug on Android that misattributes information in their Privacy Dashboard and have asked Google to investigate and remediate," said WhatsApp in a tweet.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Over the last 24 hours we’ve been in touch with a Twitter engineer who posted an issue with his Pixel phone and WhatsApp.<br />
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We believe this is a bug on Android that mis-attributes information in their Privacy Dashboard and have asked Google to investigate and remediate. <a href="https://t.co/MnBi3qE6Gp">https://t.co/MnBi3qE6Gp</a></p>
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhatsApp/status/1655989766431862785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>The company further claimed that the users have been given full control over their mic settings in the application.</p>

<p>"Once granted permission, WhatsApp only accesses the mic when a user is making a call or recording a voice note or video - and even then, these communications are protected by end-to-end encryption so WhatsApp cannot hear them," it stated.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;WhatsApp takes action against Indian accounts; 2,804 complaints received in February 2023</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/whatsapp-takes-action-against-indian-accounts-2804-complaints-received-in-february-2023-578282/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<h2><strong>Trust nothing, not even nothing: Musk&nbsp;</strong></h2>

<p>Twitter CEO Elon Musk also responded to Dabiri's viral tweet and slammed WhatsApp for a privacy breach.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Trust nothing, not even nothing," tweeted Musk on the screenshot shared by Dabiri.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Trust nothing, not even nothing</p>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1655974471101042690?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>"WhatsApp cannot be trusted," he later tweeted.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">WhatsApp cannot be trusted <a href="https://t.co/3gdNxZOLLy">https://t.co/3gdNxZOLLy</a></p>
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1655967673107337216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>"Or that WhatsApp founders left Meta/Facebook in disgust, started #deletefacebook campaign &amp; made major contributions to building Signal. What they learned about Facebook &amp; changes to WhatsApp obviously disturbed them greatly," he further stated.</p>

<p>You can&nbsp;<strong>now write for wionews.com</strong>&nbsp;and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us&nbsp;<strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


The Indian government on Wednesday stated that it will investigate the charges pressed against Whatsapp of allegedly getting access to the microphones of the devices used by the users without their prior consent.

The Indian government on Wednesday stated that it will investigate the charges pressed against Whatsapp of allegedly getting access to the microphones of the devices used by the users without their prior consent. A few days back, a Twitter engineer had accused WhatsApp of accessing his microphone in the background when he was sleeping. Reacting to the incident, Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar tweeted that an investigation into the case will be carried out by the government to find out if WhatsApp was actually accessing the smartphone's microphone while the phone was not in use. "This is an unacceptable breach n violation of #Privacy We will be examining this immdtly and will act on any violation of privacy even as new Digital Personal Data protection bill #DPDP is being readied. @GoI_MeitY @_DigitalIndia," Chandrasekhar tweeted. This is an unacceptable breach n violation of #Privacy We will be examinig this immdtly and will act on any violation of privacy even as new Digital Personal Data protection bill #DPDP is being readied.@GoI_MeitY @_DigitalIndia https://t.co/vtFrST4bKP — Rajeev Chandrasekhar 🇮🇳 (@Rajeev_GoI) May 10, 2023 × Chandrasekhar's tweet came after the engineer shared a post which raised questions over the data privacy of Whatsapp users. ALSO READ | Now you can link your WhatsApp account to 4 phones at once. Here's how "WhatsApp has been using the microphone in the background, while I was asleep and since I woke up at 6 AM. What's going on?," tweeted Foad Dabiri, who works as an engineering director at Twitter. WhatsApp has been using the microphone in the background, while I was asleep and since I woke up at 6AM (and that's just a part of the timeline!) What's going on? pic.twitter.com/pNIfe4VlHV — Foad Dabiri (@foaddabiri) May 6, 2023 × Dabiri, in his tweet, shared screenshots of his phone which showed WhatsApp accessing and using the microphone of the device multiple times. The tweet went viral and received more than 71.5 million views. WhatsApp's response to allegations Responding to the allegations, WhatsApp said that its officials got in touch with the Twitter engineer. The company claimed that the problem is likely to have occurred because of a bug in the Android. "We believe this is a bug on Android that misattributes information in their Privacy Dashboard and have asked Google to investigate and remediate," said WhatsApp in a tweet. Over the last 24 hours we’ve been in touch with a Twitter engineer who posted an issue with his Pixel phone and WhatsApp. We believe this is a bug on Android that mis-attributes information in their Privacy Dashboard and have asked Google to investigate and remediate. https://t.co/MnBi3qE6Gp — WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) May 9, 2023 × The company further claimed that the users have been given full control over their mic settings in the application. "Once granted permission, WhatsApp only accesses the mic when a user is making a call or recording a voice note or video - and even then, these communications are protected by end-to-end encryption so WhatsApp cannot hear them," it stated. WATCH | WhatsApp takes action against Indian accounts; 2,804 complaints received in February 2023 Trust nothing, not even nothing: Musk Twitter CEO Elon Musk also responded to Dabiri's viral tweet and slammed WhatsApp for a privacy breach. "Trust nothing, not even nothing," tweeted Musk on the screenshot shared by Dabiri. Trust nothing, not even nothing — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 9, 2023 × "WhatsApp cannot be trusted," he later tweeted. WhatsApp cannot be trusted https://t.co/3gdNxZOLLy — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 9, 2023 × "Or that WhatsApp founders left Meta/Facebook in disgust, started #deletefacebook campaign & made major contributions to building Signal. What they learned about Facebook & changes to WhatsApp obviously disturbed them greatly," he further stated. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

India to probe WhatsApp 'phone snooping', calls it unacceptable violation of privacy

If you are getting missed calls, messages, or calls on WhatsApp from numbers starting with +254, +84, +63, or other international numbers out of the blue, then beware of the most recent scam that is making headlines. The experts, working closely with the Indian government to curb the cybercrime menace, cautioned users of a new Whatsapp cyber fraud and urged people to not respond if they are getting calls from such unknown numbers.

Scam Alert: Getting random calls on WhatsApp from international numbers? Don`t respond!

<p>If you are getting missed calls, messages or calls on WhatsApp from numbers starting with +254, +84, +63 or other international numbers out of the blue, then beware of the most recent scam that is making headlines. The experts, working closely with the Indian government to curb the cybercrime menace, cautioned users of a new Whatsapp cyber fraud and urged people to not respond if they are getting calls from such unknown numbers.</p>

<p>Home Ministry's Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre has issued an alert in order to save users from becoming victims of the scam.</p>

<h2><strong>Experts warn of new cybercrime trend</strong></h2>

<p>The experts in data analysis and forensics told ANI that such international numbers have 'Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia' origin and that unscrupulous elements could steal the financial data of people.</p>

<p>"This is a new cybercrime trend. People across India irrespective of their profession have been receiving calls and missed calls on WhatsApp from +254, +84, +63, +1(218) or other international numbers, and some of them have become victims of cybercrime. It has become more frequent," said an expert in cyber intelligence and digital forensics, on condition of anonymity, while speaking to news agency ANI.</p>

<h2><strong>Multiple users report the scam on Twitter</strong></h2>

<p>Recently, multiple users have taken to Twitter and complained about receiving random calls and messages from unknown international numbers on WhatsApp.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Are you also getting suspicious missed calls on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhatsApp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhatsApp</a> from international numbers? Beware, it's a fraud! <a href="https://twitter.com/Cyberdost?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cyberdost</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/WhatsApp?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WhatsApp</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Meta?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Meta</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Apple?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Apple</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhatsApp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhatsApp</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/scam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#scam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/whatsappcallscam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#whatsappcallscam</a> <a href="https://t.co/I2BsnuGrQK">pic.twitter.com/I2BsnuGrQK</a></p>
— Vivek Singh (@Bigdreamer_vk) <a href="https://twitter.com/Bigdreamer_vk/status/1655607265163104256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Same here..Our data is being sold either from banks or from offices?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Scam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Scam</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhatsAppCallScam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhatsAppCallScam</a> <a href="https://t.co/GJ4fFZuakU">https://t.co/GJ4fFZuakU</a></p>
— Ankit (@_BeingWitty) <a href="https://twitter.com/_BeingWitty/status/1653659313418948608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>Cyberabad Police of India's southern state of Telangana also asked WhatsApp users to not respond to such calls. "Many Indian users are receiving international calls on their WhatsApp numbers. We request everyone to remain vigilant and not respond to such calls. Please report and block them immediately, as it is a scam designed to lure people," they tweeted.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Many Indian users are receiving international calls on their WhatsApp numbers. We request everyone to remain vigilant and not respond to such calls. Please report and block them immediately, as it is a scam designed to lure people.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhatsappScam?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhatsappScam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StayAlert?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StayAlert</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CyberabadPolice?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CyberabadPolice</a> <a href="https://t.co/KqObDh2yKT">https://t.co/KqObDh2yKT</a> <a href="https://t.co/6eitscOESW">pic.twitter.com/6eitscOESW</a></p>
— Cyberabad Police (@cyberabadpolice) <a href="https://twitter.com/cyberabadpolice/status/1655800472261873664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<h2><strong>WhatsApp responds to complaints and grievances, issues statement</strong></h2>

<p>"At WhatsApp, the safety of our users is at the core of everything we do and we have devoted efforts to empower users with resources and tools that equip them to safeguard themselves from scams. WhatsApp is an industry leader in preventing abuse, among end-to-end encrypted messaging services and over the years we have made significant product investments and launched user awareness campaigns that empower users to stay safe. Blocking and Reporting suspicious messages/ calls is an important step to effectively combat scams and when users receive calls from unknown international or domestic phone numbers," it said in a statement to the media.</p>

<p>"Additionally, we have consistently invested in Artificial Intelligence and other state-of-the-art technology, data scientists and experts, and in processes, in order to keep our users safe on our platform. Our monthly user safety report that we publish in accordance with the IT Rules 2021, contains details of the user complaints received and the corresponding action taken by WhatsApp, as well as WhatsApp's own preventive actions to combat abuse on our platform. As captured in the latest Monthly Report, WhatsApp banned over 4.7 million accounts in the month of March alone,'' the statement added.</p>

<h2><strong>What should WhatsApp users do?</strong></h2>

<p>Experts suggest that the users, on receiving such random calls and messages, should not respond.&nbsp;Simply ignore or reject them and further 'report and block' those numbers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Users should report and block numbers starting with &nbsp;+254, +84, 63 or other international numbers if there are calls or missed call alerts on WhatsApp," said another cyber intelligence and digital forensics expert as quoted by news agency ANI.</p>

<p>These calls and alerts are made or sent by fraudsters at any given time, according to the experts.</p>

<p>"From early morning between 6 am to 7 am or late in the night, such calls are being received by people from all groups whether he or she is a private employee, businessman, retired government officer or even school and college boy or girl. We need to be just aware of such calls."</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

<p><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="350" loading="”lazy”" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed?autoplay=1&amp;mute=1" width="100%"></iframe></p>


If you are getting missed calls, messages or calls on WhatsApp from numbers starting with +254, +84, +63 or other international numbers out of the blue, then beware of the most recent scam that is making headlines.

If you are getting missed calls, messages or calls on WhatsApp from numbers starting with +254, +84, +63 or other international numbers out of the blue, then beware of the most recent scam that is making headlines. The experts, working closely with the Indian government to curb the cybercrime menace, cautioned users of a new Whatsapp cyber fraud and urged people to not respond if they are getting calls from such unknown numbers. Home Ministry's Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre has issued an alert in order to save users from becoming victims of the scam. Experts warn of new cybercrime trend The experts in data analysis and forensics told ANI that such international numbers have 'Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia' origin and that unscrupulous elements could steal the financial data of people. "This is a new cybercrime trend. People across India irrespective of their profession have been receiving calls and missed calls on WhatsApp from +254, +84, +63, +1(218) or other international numbers, and some of them have become victims of cybercrime. It has become more frequent," said an expert in cyber intelligence and digital forensics, on condition of anonymity, while speaking to news agency ANI. Multiple users report the scam on Twitter Recently, multiple users have taken to Twitter and complained about receiving random calls and messages from unknown international numbers on WhatsApp. Are you also getting suspicious missed calls on #WhatsApp from international numbers? Beware, it's a fraud! @Cyberdost @WhatsApp @Meta @Apple #WhatsApp #scam #whatsappcallscam pic.twitter.com/I2BsnuGrQK — Vivek Singh (@Bigdreamer_vk) May 8, 2023 × Same here..Our data is being sold either from banks or from offices?#Scam#WhatsAppCallScam https://t.co/GJ4fFZuakU — Ankit (@_BeingWitty) May 3, 2023 × Cyberabad Police of India's southern state of Telangana also asked WhatsApp users to not respond to such calls. "Many Indian users are receiving international calls on their WhatsApp numbers. We request everyone to remain vigilant and not respond to such calls. Please report and block them immediately, as it is a scam designed to lure people," they tweeted. Many Indian users are receiving international calls on their WhatsApp numbers. We request everyone to remain vigilant and not respond to such calls. Please report and block them immediately, as it is a scam designed to lure people.#WhatsappScam #StayAlert #CyberabadPolice https://t.co/KqObDh2yKT pic.twitter.com/6eitscOESW — Cyberabad Police (@cyberabadpolice) May 9, 2023 × WhatsApp responds to complaints and grievances, issues statement "At WhatsApp, the safety of our users is at the core of everything we do and we have devoted efforts to empower users with resources and tools that equip them to safeguard themselves from scams. WhatsApp is an industry leader in preventing abuse, among end-to-end encrypted messaging services and over the years we have made significant product investments and launched user awareness campaigns that empower users to stay safe. Blocking and Reporting suspicious messages/ calls is an important step to effectively combat scams and when users receive calls from unknown international or domestic phone numbers," it said in a statement to the media. "Additionally, we have consistently invested in Artificial Intelligence and other state-of-the-art technology, data scientists and experts, and in processes, in order to keep our users safe on our platform. Our monthly user safety report that we publish in accordance with the IT Rules 2021, contains details of the user complaints received and the corresponding action taken by WhatsApp, as well as WhatsApp's own preventive actions to combat abuse on our platform. As captured in the latest Monthly Report, WhatsApp banned over 4.7 million accounts in the month of March alone,'' the statement added. What should WhatsApp users do? Experts suggest that the users, on receiving such random calls and messages, should not respond. Simply ignore or reject them and further 'report and block' those numbers. "Users should report and block numbers starting with +254, +84, 63 or other international numbers if there are calls or missed call alerts on WhatsApp," said another cyber intelligence and digital forensics expert as quoted by news agency ANI. These calls and alerts are made or sent by fraudsters at any given time, according to the experts. "From early morning between 6 am to 7 am or late in the night, such calls are being received by people from all groups whether he or she is a private employee, businessman, retired government officer or even school and college boy or girl. We need to be just aware of such calls." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Beware! Getting random calls on WhatsApp from international numbers? Don't respond

World's leading communication app, WhatsApp could soon be banned in UK. Concerns have been raised over company's privacy rules and they're enabling transfer of illegal communications including terror and child abuse. For details, watch the video.

UK government concerns over WhatsApp's privacy rule

The majority of us use WhatsApp on a daily basis. The instant messaging service is known for releasing new features and updates at regular interviews, so it should come as no surprise that the app is getting ready to launch a new privacy feature. The company is reportedly testing an update that could stop bothersome calls from random numbers.

Reports: No more spam calls on Whatsapp

A new scam has been circulating in WhatsApp in the name of Fake YouTube Likes. Beware not to fall for the same. Watch the video to know more:

Beware! This fake Youtube likes scam circulating on Whatsapp can steal your money

In this story, we tell you about a new WhatsApp feature that could make your messaging experience better.

WhatsApp's latest feature: Use messaging app on multiple phones

<p>A new update in WhatsApp will now allow you to operate the messaging app on four phones or devices at once. The Meta-owned messaging application is rolling out across the world and will begin operating soon. Earlier, only one account could be operated from one mobile. Although, one could still open WhatsApp web on a web browser or your laptop/computer. The announcement for the new feature was shared in a blog post by the company mentioning that this feature will allow users to seamlessly continue message threads and access all their photos and other media details from multiple devices without compromising on security or privacy. It said, "We're improving our multi-device offering further by introducing the ability to use the same WhatsApp account on multiple phones." This means that at a given time, you'll be able to link four devices to one WhatsApp account, however, the primary phone would retain&nbsp;the power to authorise the login credentials.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Messaging for the app has also been simplified&nbsp;by connecting phones as companion devices, implying&nbsp;a user can choose to swap between smartphones without signing out from his/her primary device and continue chatting from where they left his/her previously.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">🥁 Drumroll please...<br />
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Now you can use the same WhatsApp account on multiple phones 📱📞 ☎️ 📲<br />
<br />
Link up to 4 other devices to your account so you can easily switch between phones without signing out and pick your chats up right where you left off. <a href="https://t.co/Loqa30EgHk">pic.twitter.com/Loqa30EgHk</a></p>
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) <a href="https://twitter.com/WhatsApp/status/1650901059093639168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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<p>WhatsApp Business in a tweet said, "A new way to better serve your customers just dropped Now you can enable up to 4 employees to connect to the same WhatsApp Business account, directly through their smartphones."</p>

<p><strong>Here's your ultimate guide on how you can use WhatsApp on 4 different devices:</strong></p>

<p>First, download the messaging app on your secondary phone. Open WhatsApp on the phone.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After opening the app, go to 'Settings.'</p>

<p>Select 'Linked Devices.'</p>

<p>After selecting this option, you'll see a bunch of instructions to verify your details. Follow those.</p>

<p>Use your primary phone's camera to scan the QR code from the secondary device.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As per media reports, soon instead of scanning a QR code, one can just enter the One Time Password (OTP) on their phone number to enable device linking.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But what if your primary phone is low on battery and switches off? Well, in this case, you don't need to worry as you can still access WhatsApp on a secondary phone. You can even do it if you don't have Internet access on the primary phone.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, if the primary phone is "signed out," then all secondary devices will automatically be signed out.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This new feature will allow users to have a WhatsApp account on both, Android and iOS devices, and then can add a companion device, which can be an Android or an iOS device.&nbsp;</p>


A new update in WhatsApp will now allow you to operate the messaging app on four phones or devices at once. The Meta-owned messaging application is rolling out across the world and will begin operating soon.

A new update in WhatsApp will now allow you to operate the messaging app on four phones or devices at once. The Meta-owned messaging application is rolling out across the world and will begin operating soon. Earlier, only one account could be operated from one mobile. Although, one could still open WhatsApp web on a web browser or your laptop/computer. The announcement for the new feature was shared in a blog post by the company mentioning that this feature will allow users to seamlessly continue message threads and access all their photos and other media details from multiple devices without compromising on security or privacy. It said, "We're improving our multi-device offering further by introducing the ability to use the same WhatsApp account on multiple phones." This means that at a given time, you'll be able to link four devices to one WhatsApp account, however, the primary phone would retain the power to authorise the login credentials. Messaging for the app has also been simplified by connecting phones as companion devices, implying a user can choose to swap between smartphones without signing out from his/her primary device and continue chatting from where they left his/her previously. 🥁 Drumroll please... Now you can use the same WhatsApp account on multiple phones 📱📞 ☎️ 📲 Link up to 4 other devices to your account so you can easily switch between phones without signing out and pick your chats up right where you left off. pic.twitter.com/Loqa30EgHk — WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) April 25, 2023 × WhatsApp Business in a tweet said, "A new way to better serve your customers just dropped Now you can enable up to 4 employees to connect to the same WhatsApp Business account, directly through their smartphones." Here's your ultimate guide on how you can use WhatsApp on 4 different devices: First, download the messaging app on your secondary phone. Open WhatsApp on the phone. After opening the app, go to 'Settings.' Select 'Linked Devices.' After selecting this option, you'll see a bunch of instructions to verify your details. Follow those. Use your primary phone's camera to scan the QR code from the secondary device. As per media reports, soon instead of scanning a QR code, one can just enter the One Time Password (OTP) on their phone number to enable device linking. But what if your primary phone is low on battery and switches off? Well, in this case, you don't need to worry as you can still access WhatsApp on a secondary phone. You can even do it if you don't have Internet access on the primary phone. However, if the primary phone is "signed out," then all secondary devices will automatically be signed out. This new feature will allow users to have a WhatsApp account on both, Android and iOS devices, and then can add a companion device, which can be an Android or an iOS device.

Now you can link your WhatsApp account to 4 phones at once. Here's how

WhatsApp - a popular messaging app - that most of us use daily. The company has announced a new feature that will allow users to use the same WhatsApp account on multiple phones.

Are you a WhatsApp user? New WhatsApp feature coming soon | Tech News | WION Pulse

<p>Today, technology enables us to always stay connected to our loved ones and our peers. While this is largely seen as a positive, an often ignored negative of this incessant connection is that so many of us end up working overtime without even realising it. We end up "staying in touch" and responding to work-related queries not just via email but also through instant messaging applications like WhatsApp. Nevertheless, this doesn't get considered as work, in or outside of work hours;&nbsp;so naturally it isn't accepted as overtime if it's done in your personal time. However, a court in China has passed a ruling that may serve to change this narrative.</p>

<p>The court&nbsp;ruled that the time spent by employees on messaging app for work-related purposes outside of office hours can be counted as overtime.</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/up-up-and-away-elon-musks-spacex-to-try-and-launch-starship-its-most-powerful-rocket-ever-on-monday-582601">Up, Up, and Away!: Elon Musk's SpaceX to try and launch 'Starship,' its most powerful rocket 'ever' on Monday</a></strong></p>

<p>In a&nbsp;case&nbsp;brought by an employee who claimed to have worked more than 2,000 hours of overtime in one year, mostly due to responding to messages on the app, the court ruled in the employee's favour and instructed the employer to pay for the additional hours worked.&nbsp;As per a Times UK report, the employee who is only known by her family name Li has been awarded around $4,365 or 30,000 yuan for work outside of office hours.</p>

<p>Her employer reportedly argued that Li's claims of overtime were unfounded and said that the work did not qualify as such. They said that employees only had to reply to "occasional questions" from staff.</p>

<p>The ruling is seen as a victory for workers' rights in China, where labour laws as per the report are often poorly enforced, and employees are vulnerable to exploitation.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/men-who-are-interested-in-sex-live-longer-than-those-who-arent-japan-study-finds-581833">Men who are interested in sex live longer than those who aren’t, Japan study finds</a></strong></p>

<p>Reportedly, in China, long working hours are common and on top of that, workers are often expected to be available 24/7 through messaging apps like WhatsApp or its Chinese equivalent, WeChat.</p>

<p>As per the report, the ruling may have implications for other Chinese companies that similarly rely heavily on messaging apps for work-related communication. This may prompt them to re-evaluate their communication policies. Furthermore, the judgement has raised questions on the legal status of apps like WhatsApp and WeChat and whether they should be subject to the same overtime rules as traditional forms of work.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em><br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

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Today, technology enables us to always stay connected to our loved ones and our peers. While this is largely seen as a positive, an often ignored negative of this incessant connection is that so many of us end up working overtime without even realising it.

Today, technology enables us to always stay connected to our loved ones and our peers. While this is largely seen as a positive, an often ignored negative of this incessant connection is that so many of us end up working overtime without even realising it. We end up "staying in touch" and responding to work-related queries not just via email but also through instant messaging applications like WhatsApp. Nevertheless, this doesn't get considered as work, in or outside of work hours; so naturally it isn't accepted as overtime if it's done in your personal time. However, a court in China has passed a ruling that may serve to change this narrative. The court ruled that the time spent by employees on messaging app for work-related purposes outside of office hours can be counted as overtime. Also read | Up, Up, and Away!: Elon Musk's SpaceX to try and launch 'Starship,' its most powerful rocket 'ever' on Monday In a case brought by an employee who claimed to have worked more than 2,000 hours of overtime in one year, mostly due to responding to messages on the app, the court ruled in the employee's favour and instructed the employer to pay for the additional hours worked. As per a Times UK report, the employee who is only known by her family name Li has been awarded around $4,365 or 30,000 yuan for work outside of office hours. Her employer reportedly argued that Li's claims of overtime were unfounded and said that the work did not qualify as such. They said that employees only had to reply to "occasional questions" from staff. The ruling is seen as a victory for workers' rights in China, where labour laws as per the report are often poorly enforced, and employees are vulnerable to exploitation. Also read | Men who are interested in sex live longer than those who aren’t, Japan study finds Reportedly, in China, long working hours are common and on top of that, workers are often expected to be available 24/7 through messaging apps like WhatsApp or its Chinese equivalent, WeChat. As per the report, the ruling may have implications for other Chinese companies that similarly rely heavily on messaging apps for work-related communication. This may prompt them to re-evaluate their communication policies. Furthermore, the judgement has raised questions on the legal status of apps like WhatsApp and WeChat and whether they should be subject to the same overtime rules as traditional forms of work. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Responding to office messages on WhatsApp after work hours? You may be eligible for compensation

WhatsApp had banned over 4.5 million accounts in February this year. The information has been released by the messaging platform in its monthly compliance report. This comes as the social media intermediaries are now complying with the rules bought in the by the government.

WhatsApp takes action against Indian accounts; 2,804 complaints received in February 2023

<p>A record 682,420 accounts in India, which were reportedly promoting non-consensual nudity and child sexual exploitation, were banned between January 26 and February 25 by Twitter in a major overhaul.</p>

<p>Elon Musk's micro-blogging platform also removed 1,548 accounts for promoting terrorism on its platform.</p>

<p>In its monthly report on compliance&nbsp;with India's new IT rules, Twitter said that it had received only 73 complaints from Indian users in the same time frame through the company's grievance redressal mechanisms.</p>

<p>In addition, 27 grievances were processed by Twitter that were appealing account suspensions.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong> <a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/twitter-makes-part-of-its-source-code-public-577863">Twitter makes part of its source code public</a></p>

<p>"We overturned 10 of these account suspensions after reviewing the specifics of the situation. The remaining reported accounts remain suspended," the company said.</p>

<p>"We also received 24 requests related to general questions about Twitter accounts during this reporting period," it further added.</p>

<p><strong>WhatsApp bans 4.5 million accounts in India</strong></p>

<p>A record 4.5 million accounts were banned by Meta-owned WhatsApp in India in February in compliance with the country's new IT Rules 2021, informed the company on Saturday.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH | Twitter to remove all unpaid blue ticks from April 1</strong></p>

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<p>Between February 1 and February 28, "4,597,400 WhatsApp accounts were banned and 1,298,000 of these accounts were proactively banned, before any reports from users", said WhatsApp in its monthly compliance report.</p>

<p>"This user-safety report contains details of the user complaints received and the corresponding action taken by WhatsApp, as well as WhatsApp's own preventive actions to combat abuse on our platform," a company spokesperson said</p>

<p>"We will continue with transparency to our work and include information about our efforts in future reports," the spokesperson further stated.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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A record 682,420 accounts in India, which were reportedly promoting non-consensual nudity and child sexual exploitation, were banned between January 26 and February 25 by Twitter in a major overhaul.

A record 682,420 accounts in India, which were reportedly promoting non-consensual nudity and child sexual exploitation, were banned between January 26 and February 25 by Twitter in a major overhaul. Elon Musk's micro-blogging platform also removed 1,548 accounts for promoting terrorism on its platform. In its monthly report on compliance with India's new IT rules, Twitter said that it had received only 73 complaints from Indian users in the same time frame through the company's grievance redressal mechanisms. In addition, 27 grievances were processed by Twitter that were appealing account suspensions. ALSO READ | Twitter makes part of its source code public "We overturned 10 of these account suspensions after reviewing the specifics of the situation. The remaining reported accounts remain suspended," the company said. "We also received 24 requests related to general questions about Twitter accounts during this reporting period," it further added. WhatsApp bans 4.5 million accounts in India A record 4.5 million accounts were banned by Meta-owned WhatsApp in India in February in compliance with the country's new IT Rules 2021, informed the company on Saturday. WATCH | Twitter to remove all unpaid blue ticks from April 1 Between February 1 and February 28, "4,597,400 WhatsApp accounts were banned and 1,298,000 of these accounts were proactively banned, before any reports from users", said WhatsApp in its monthly compliance report. "This user-safety report contains details of the user complaints received and the corresponding action taken by WhatsApp, as well as WhatsApp's own preventive actions to combat abuse on our platform," a company spokesperson said "We will continue with transparency to our work and include information about our efforts in future reports," the spokesperson further stated. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Over 680,000 Twitter and 4.5 million WhatsApp accounts banned in India

<p>A Muslim man was convicted and sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court in northwest Pakistan after he faced an accusation of sharing a blasphemous post in a WhatsApp group.</p>

<p>In Pakistan, where the majority population is Muslim, blasphemy remains a hugely sensitive issue as even allegations which are unproven can stir mobs and lead to violence.</p>

<p>The court convicted Syed Muhammad Zeeshan under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and Anti-Terrorist Act in Peshawar on Friday.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong> <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/pakistans-finance-ministry-has-no-funds-to-conduct-elections-claims-defence-minister-575561">Pakistan's finance ministry does not have funds to conduct elections, says defence minister</a></p>

<p>“Accused Syed Muhammad Zeeshan, son of Syed Zakaullah in custody has been convicted and sentenced after being found guilty,” read the court order, according to the AFP.</p>

<p>Zeeshan, who lives in the country's northwest city of Mardan, was also slapped with a fine of Rs1.2 million ($4,300) and given 23 years of rigorous imprisonment. The man has the right to appeal against the court order.</p>

<p>Two years ago, an application was filed by Muhammad Saeed, who resides in Talagang, Punjab province, with the Federal Investigation Agency in which he accused Zeeshan of sharing blasphemous posts in a WhatsApp group, said Saeed’s counsel Ibrar Hussain while speaking to the AFP.</p>

<p>The “FIA had confiscated Zeeshan’s cellphone and its forensic examination proved him guilty”, he added. Although the laws of Pakistan prohibiting blasphemy may carry a potential death sentence, it has never been enforced so far for the crime.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH | Gravitas: Pakistan is heading for a civil war</strong></p>

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<p>Although various cases involve Muslims facing the accusation of blasphemy from Muslims, human rights activists have warned how minorities, like Christians, often get caught in the crossfire, as people use blasphemy charges to settle personal scores.</p>

<p>As per the National Commission of Justice and Peace, which is a human rights and legal aid group in Pakistan, 760 people belonging to minority religious groups and 774 Muslims have faced accusations of blasphemy in the past 20 years.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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A Muslim man was convicted and sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court in northwest Pakistan after he faced an accusation of sharing a blasphemous post in a WhatsApp group.

A Muslim man was convicted and sentenced to death by an anti-terrorism court in northwest Pakistan after he faced an accusation of sharing a blasphemous post in a WhatsApp group. In Pakistan, where the majority population is Muslim, blasphemy remains a hugely sensitive issue as even allegations which are unproven can stir mobs and lead to violence. The court convicted Syed Muhammad Zeeshan under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act and Anti-Terrorist Act in Peshawar on Friday. ALSO READ | Pakistan's finance ministry does not have funds to conduct elections, says defence minister “Accused Syed Muhammad Zeeshan, son of Syed Zakaullah in custody has been convicted and sentenced after being found guilty,” read the court order, according to the AFP. Zeeshan, who lives in the country's northwest city of Mardan, was also slapped with a fine of Rs1.2 million ($4,300) and given 23 years of rigorous imprisonment. The man has the right to appeal against the court order. Two years ago, an application was filed by Muhammad Saeed, who resides in Talagang, Punjab province, with the Federal Investigation Agency in which he accused Zeeshan of sharing blasphemous posts in a WhatsApp group, said Saeed’s counsel Ibrar Hussain while speaking to the AFP. The “FIA had confiscated Zeeshan’s cellphone and its forensic examination proved him guilty”, he added. Although the laws of Pakistan prohibiting blasphemy may carry a potential death sentence, it has never been enforced so far for the crime. WATCH | Gravitas: Pakistan is heading for a civil war Although various cases involve Muslims facing the accusation of blasphemy from Muslims, human rights activists have warned how minorities, like Christians, often get caught in the crossfire, as people use blasphemy charges to settle personal scores. As per the National Commission of Justice and Peace, which is a human rights and legal aid group in Pakistan, 760 people belonging to minority religious groups and 774 Muslims have faced accusations of blasphemy in the past 20 years. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Pakistan: Anti-terrorism court pronounces death sentence to Muslim man over blasphemous WhatsApp post

<p>A group of Ethiopian-Israeli schoolgirls filmed their teachers making fun of them in an online group chat while on a field trip. The teachers were texting each other in a WhatsApp group named Black School Trip when the girls noticed them doing so.</p>

<p>There are around 150,000 people of Ethiopian descent who lives in Israel. Ethiopian Jews have had a difficult time integrating into Israeli society. They face challenges such as rates of unemployment and prejudice.&nbsp;However, things have started to look up in recent years but this incident has left open the faultlines once again.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The racism incident occurred last Monday. A religious high school in Netivot in southern Israel had sent their teachers and students on a three-day trip.&nbsp;Girls seated behind one of the teachers saw the group chat messages. It had included insulting remarks directed against the Ethiopian-Israeli students.</p>

<p>Without the teacher's knowledge, the girl recorded&nbsp;the texts over a teacher's shoulder and later uploaded it on social media in a message that included images of the offending statements.</p>

<p>They called the teachers "a disgrace".&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/isro-officials-and-bhutan-government-inaugurate-ground-station-of-indo-bhutan-satellite-571821">ISRO officials and Bhutan government inaugurate ground station of Indo-Bhutan satellite</a></p>

<p>The event is being investigated, and the teachers were suspended after the matter came to light.&nbsp;The Israeli teachers have also issued an apology.</p>

<p>"Good morning to all the 'educators' of this school," the girl wrote while sharing the images she clicked.</p>

<p>"It saddens me as a member of the [Ethiopian] community to see the level you sank to today. Instead of being our teachers and setting an example and making us feel like we're in our safest place, you did the exact opposite."</p>

<p>"Opening a group called 'Black School Trip' without even realising that there were students behind you and mocking your students? I see the photos, and I just don't believe that they come from our teachers. You are a disgrace, I'm ashamed that you're our teachers and that you're teaching the future generation."</p>

<p>The school's headmaster termed the incident a "shock and devastation to miserable and extremely offensive comments from teachers about Ethiopian students who study in the school". "The school management looks at these comments severely. There is no place for racist comments, and we won't allow them in our school."</p>

<p>Also Read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indias-top-court-to-decide-on-increased-compensation-for-1984-industrial-disaster-victims-571747">India's top court rejects plea on increased compensation for 1984 industrial disaster victims</a></p>

<p>Israeli Education Minister Yoav Kisch has also condemned the act by the teachers.&nbsp;"The incident will be dealt with severely with all the tools at our disposal," he said. "I'm sorry for the distress that was caused for the students. There will be zero tolerance for these sorts of incidents on my watch."</p>

<p>Watch | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/indonesias-new-capital-at-the-cost-of-environment-571886">Indonesia's new capital at the cost of environment?</a></p>

<p>Israeli Mossad organised the immigration of Ethiopian Jews through camps for refugees in Sudan. As a consequence, initially roughly 7,000 Ethiopian Jews arrived in Israel. Later, Israeli security services rescued more Jews and brought them in Israel under various operations.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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A group of Ethiopian-Israeli schoolgirls filmed their teachers making fun of them in an online group chat while on a field trip. The teachers were texting each other in a WhatsApp group named Black School Trip when the girls noticed them doing so.

A group of Ethiopian-Israeli schoolgirls filmed their teachers making fun of them in an online group chat while on a field trip. The teachers were texting each other in a WhatsApp group named Black School Trip when the girls noticed them doing so. There are around 150,000 people of Ethiopian descent who lives in Israel. Ethiopian Jews have had a difficult time integrating into Israeli society. They face challenges such as rates of unemployment and prejudice. However, things have started to look up in recent years but this incident has left open the faultlines once again. The racism incident occurred last Monday. A religious high school in Netivot in southern Israel had sent their teachers and students on a three-day trip. Girls seated behind one of the teachers saw the group chat messages. It had included insulting remarks directed against the Ethiopian-Israeli students. Without the teacher's knowledge, the girl recorded the texts over a teacher's shoulder and later uploaded it on social media in a message that included images of the offending statements. They called the teachers "a disgrace". Also Read | ISRO officials and Bhutan government inaugurate ground station of Indo-Bhutan satellite The event is being investigated, and the teachers were suspended after the matter came to light. The Israeli teachers have also issued an apology. "Good morning to all the 'educators' of this school," the girl wrote while sharing the images she clicked. "It saddens me as a member of the [Ethiopian] community to see the level you sank to today. Instead of being our teachers and setting an example and making us feel like we're in our safest place, you did the exact opposite." "Opening a group called 'Black School Trip' without even realising that there were students behind you and mocking your students? I see the photos, and I just don't believe that they come from our teachers. You are a disgrace, I'm ashamed that you're our teachers and that you're teaching the future generation." The school's headmaster termed the incident a "shock and devastation to miserable and extremely offensive comments from teachers about Ethiopian students who study in the school". "The school management looks at these comments severely. There is no place for racist comments, and we won't allow them in our school." Also Read | India's top court rejects plea on increased compensation for 1984 industrial disaster victims Israeli Education Minister Yoav Kisch has also condemned the act by the teachers. "The incident will be dealt with severely with all the tools at our disposal," he said. "I'm sorry for the distress that was caused for the students. There will be zero tolerance for these sorts of incidents on my watch." Watch | Indonesia's new capital at the cost of environment? Israeli Mossad organised the immigration of Ethiopian Jews through camps for refugees in Sudan. As a consequence, initially roughly 7,000 Ethiopian Jews arrived in Israel. Later, Israeli security services rescued more Jews and brought them in Israel under various operations. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Ethiopian students film Israeli teachers chatting on racist WhatsApp group named 'Black School Trip'

<p>The WhatsApp messages shared between Italian politicians and senior health officials when the coronavirus pandemic had just started indicate how they tried to protect the image of the country while appearing to joke about the role of Italy in the spread of the virus in the continent. Italy was the first one to be hit hard by Covid-19 in Europe.</p>

<p>The messages have emerged as the basis of which the prosecutors placed former prime minister Giuseppe Conte, former health minister Roberto Speranza along with 17 other officials under investigation under suspicion of having a role to play in “aggravated culpable epidemic” and manslaughter in relation to the response of the government at the beginning of the pandemic.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |</strong> <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/smugglers-threw-kids-into-sea-to-lighten-boat-italy-boat-tragedy-gets-murkier-566963">Italy boat tragedy gets murkier: Smugglers 'threw kids into sea' to lighten vessel's load</a></p>

<p>Italy emerged as the first European country which was engulfed by the coronavirus outbreak after the first locally transmitted case was confirmed in Codogno, southern Lombardy, on February 21, 2020.</p>

<p>In a WhatsApp message which was written on March 5, 2020, Speranza said that “we must exploit” a report which claimed that the first coronavirus case in Europe was detected in Germany. The minister was planning to take the step to protect Italy’s image.</p>

<p>Giuseppe Ruocco, who was the health ministry's secretary general at the time and is being investigated, next day mocked the coronavirus cases detected among travellers returning from Italy in Europe.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH | India and Italy celebrates 75 years of diplomatic relations</strong></p>

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<p>“Today we gave away 2 covid cases in Austria, 1 in France and 1 in Spain … and maybe 1 in Germany,” he said in a message.</p>

<p>The investigation, which was launched by prosecutors in Bergamo – a Lombardy province which was worst hit during the pandemic's first wave – focuses on the authorities' alleged failure in taking adequate measures to prevent coronavirus' spread.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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The WhatsApp messages shared between Italian politicians and senior health officials when the coronavirus pandemic had just started indicate how they tried to protect the image of the country while appearing to joke about the role of Italy in the spread of the virus in the continent.

The WhatsApp messages shared between Italian politicians and senior health officials when the coronavirus pandemic had just started indicate how they tried to protect the image of the country while appearing to joke about the role of Italy in the spread of the virus in the continent. Italy was the first one to be hit hard by Covid-19 in Europe. The messages have emerged as the basis of which the prosecutors placed former prime minister Giuseppe Conte, former health minister Roberto Speranza along with 17 other officials under investigation under suspicion of having a role to play in “aggravated culpable epidemic” and manslaughter in relation to the response of the government at the beginning of the pandemic. ALSO READ | Italy boat tragedy gets murkier: Smugglers 'threw kids into sea' to lighten vessel's load Italy emerged as the first European country which was engulfed by the coronavirus outbreak after the first locally transmitted case was confirmed in Codogno, southern Lombardy, on February 21, 2020. In a WhatsApp message which was written on March 5, 2020, Speranza said that “we must exploit” a report which claimed that the first coronavirus case in Europe was detected in Germany. The minister was planning to take the step to protect Italy’s image. Giuseppe Ruocco, who was the health ministry's secretary general at the time and is being investigated, next day mocked the coronavirus cases detected among travellers returning from Italy in Europe. WATCH | India and Italy celebrates 75 years of diplomatic relations “Today we gave away 2 covid cases in Austria, 1 in France and 1 in Spain … and maybe 1 in Germany,” he said in a message. The investigation, which was launched by prosecutors in Bergamo – a Lombardy province which was worst hit during the pandemic's first wave – focuses on the authorities' alleged failure in taking adequate measures to prevent coronavirus' spread. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Revealed: How Italian leaders joked about country's role in spread of virus at start of pandemic

WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new feature for iOS beta which will allow users to set an expiration date for groups. The new option will be available within group info.

Expiring groups: What is this new Whatsapp feature?

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<p>A little more than two years after imposing its unilateral terms of service on users, Meta-owned WhatsApp has agreed to be more transparent about the privacy policy changes, announced the European Commission on Monday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>WhatsApp has agreed that it will explain how the new privacy laws and changes made to it affect the rights of EU users.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Consumers have a right to understand what they agree to and what that choice entails concretely, so that they can decide whether they want to continue using the platform," observed Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier in 2021, WhatsApp in a hasty manner pushed a heavy, jargon-filled, non-cohesive update to its terms of service, violating the bloc's laws.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Moreover, it forced users to accept the update or otherwise risk losing access to the platform. The company did not make it clear exactly what was changing in the new update which confused the general public.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/whatsapp-updates-privacy-policy-asks-users-to-accept-terms-or-app-will-be-deleted-354815"><strong>Read more:&nbsp;WhatsApp updates privacy policy, asks users to accept terms or app will be deleted</strong></a></p>

<p>Consequently, rival platforms such as Telegram, Signal made merry and witnessed an unprecedented surge in downloads and usage as users attempted to protect their privacy.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In July 2021, a complaint was lodged at the European Commission and with the European network of consumer authorities by the Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs (BEUC) - an umbrella group for 46 independent consumer organisations from 32 countries.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The bloc soon issued a series of warnings to the company to get its act right and fix the issues plaguing the platform.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-plus-whatsapps-privacy-policy-explained-357161"><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;Gravitas Plus: WhatsApp's Privacy policy explained</strong></a></p>

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<p>Meta, more colloquaily known as Facebook has found itself on the wrong end of the EU's wrath on multiple occasions in the recent past.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On Monday, the messaging platform also confirmed that the personal data of users was not being shared with third parties including Meta's subsidiaries such as Facebook, Instagram for advertising purposes.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Last year in December, regulators in the 27-nation bloc levied two fines totalling $414 million (390 million euros) for privacy breaches and banned the company from persuading users to accept tailored advertisements based on their online behaviour.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/meta-hit-with-us413-million-fine-over-eu-privacy-breach-549509" target="_blank"><strong>Read more: Meta hit with US$413 million fine over EU privacy breach</strong></a></p>

<p>The European Union has some of the strongest privacy laws in the world, which have put pressure on Meta, more colloquially known as Facebook&nbsp;and other big tech corporations.&nbsp;Meta has found itself on the wrong end of the EU's wrath on multiple occasions in the recent past.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Last year in December, regulators in the 27-nation bloc levied two fines totalling $414 million (390 million euros) for privacy breaches and banned the company from persuading users to accept tailored advertisements based on their online behaviour.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

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A little more than two years after imposing its unilateral terms of service on users, Meta-owned WhatsApp has agreed to be more transparent about the privacy policy changes, announced the European Commission on Monday.

A little more than two years after imposing its unilateral terms of service on users, Meta-owned WhatsApp has agreed to be more transparent about the privacy policy changes, announced the European Commission on Monday. WhatsApp has agreed that it will explain how the new privacy laws and changes made to it affect the rights of EU users. "Consumers have a right to understand what they agree to and what that choice entails concretely, so that they can decide whether they want to continue using the platform," observed Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders. Earlier in 2021, WhatsApp in a hasty manner pushed a heavy, jargon-filled, non-cohesive update to its terms of service, violating the bloc's laws. Moreover, it forced users to accept the update or otherwise risk losing access to the platform. The company did not make it clear exactly what was changing in the new update which confused the general public. Read more: WhatsApp updates privacy policy, asks users to accept terms or app will be deleted Consequently, rival platforms such as Telegram, Signal made merry and witnessed an unprecedented surge in downloads and usage as users attempted to protect their privacy. In July 2021, a complaint was lodged at the European Commission and with the European network of consumer authorities by the Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs (BEUC) - an umbrella group for 46 independent consumer organisations from 32 countries. The bloc soon issued a series of warnings to the company to get its act right and fix the issues plaguing the platform. WATCH | Gravitas Plus: WhatsApp's Privacy policy explained × Meta, more colloquaily known as Facebook has found itself on the wrong end of the EU's wrath on multiple occasions in the recent past. On Monday, the messaging platform also confirmed that the personal data of users was not being shared with third parties including Meta's subsidiaries such as Facebook, Instagram for advertising purposes. Last year in December, regulators in the 27-nation bloc levied two fines totalling $414 million (390 million euros) for privacy breaches and banned the company from persuading users to accept tailored advertisements based on their online behaviour. Read more: Meta hit with US$413 million fine over EU privacy breach The European Union has some of the strongest privacy laws in the world, which have put pressure on Meta, more colloquially known as Facebook and other big tech corporations. Meta has found itself on the wrong end of the EU's wrath on multiple occasions in the recent past. Last year in December, regulators in the 27-nation bloc levied two fines totalling $414 million (390 million euros) for privacy breaches and banned the company from persuading users to accept tailored advertisements based on their online behaviour. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

WhatsApp falls in line, agrees to be transparent on policy changes, says EU

The Meta-owned instant messaging platform, WhatsApp, is reportedly working on a new feature which will enable users to send images in their original quality (without compressing), on the Desktop beta version. Watch this to know more.

WhatsApp desktop to let you send images in original quality

<p>Facebook's parent company Meta has reportedly delayed finalising the team budgets at multiple levels as it reportedly sets the backdrop for yet another round of job cuts. A report in Financial Times, citing two Meta employees, said that there has been a lack of clarity on crucial matters such as team budgets as well as "future headcounts" in recent weeks. People at Meta have complained that since their managers have been unable to plan their upcoming workloads, their work efficiency is being hampered up to the point of "zero work".</p>

<p>"Honestly, it’s still a mess," Financial Times quoted one of the Meta employees as saying. "The year of efficiency is kicking off with a bunch of people getting paid to do nothing."</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/explained-why-did-meta-fire-13-per-cent-of-its-employees-whats-in-store-for-the-facebook-parent-company-533887">Meta layoffs EXPLAINED: Why did Meta fire 13% of its employees? What next for the Facebook parent company?</a></strong></p>

<p>Meta executed the layoff of about 11,000 staffers or close to 13 per cent of its total workforce in November. The report added that Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is planning a fresh round of job cuts.</p>

<h2><strong>Zuckerberg's 'year of efficiency' call and layoffs</strong></h2>

<p>Earlier this month, Meta-owner Mark Zuckerberg announced that the social media company would continue to bring its costs under control as 2023 should be&nbsp;"the year of efficiency" for the company.&nbsp;Meta had also announced that it expects its 2023 expenses at between $89 billion and $95 billion</p>

<h2><strong>Meta layoffs: Potential timeline for next round</strong></h2>

<p>The Financial Times report claimed that the further job cuts at Meta are expected around March, as the company is currently going through performance reviews of staff, the paper said while citing&nbsp;three current and former employees.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-business-news-meta-preparing-large-scale-layoffs-reports-531772">WION Business News | Meta preparing large-scale layoffs</a></strong></p>

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<p>After Meta's November 2022 layoffs, other tech companies such as Amazon and Microsoft too announced thousands of layoffs citing the economic downturn and the need to cut the costs of operations.<br />
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<p>You can <strong>now write for wionews.com</strong> and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us <strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/content-contribution-registration-form">here</a>.</strong></p>


Facebook's parent company Meta has reportedly delayed finalising the team budgets at multiple levels as it reportedly sets the backdrop for yet another round of job cuts.

Facebook's parent company Meta has reportedly delayed finalising the team budgets at multiple levels as it reportedly sets the backdrop for yet another round of job cuts. A report in Financial Times, citing two Meta employees, said that there has been a lack of clarity on crucial matters such as team budgets as well as "future headcounts" in recent weeks. People at Meta have complained that since their managers have been unable to plan their upcoming workloads, their work efficiency is being hampered up to the point of "zero work". "Honestly, it’s still a mess," Financial Times quoted one of the Meta employees as saying. "The year of efficiency is kicking off with a bunch of people getting paid to do nothing." ALSO READ | Meta layoffs EXPLAINED: Why did Meta fire 13% of its employees? What next for the Facebook parent company? Meta executed the layoff of about 11,000 staffers or close to 13 per cent of its total workforce in November. The report added that Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, is planning a fresh round of job cuts. Zuckerberg's 'year of efficiency' call and layoffs Earlier this month, Meta-owner Mark Zuckerberg announced that the social media company would continue to bring its costs under control as 2023 should be "the year of efficiency" for the company. Meta had also announced that it expects its 2023 expenses at between $89 billion and $95 billion Meta layoffs: Potential timeline for next round The Financial Times report claimed that the further job cuts at Meta are expected around March, as the company is currently going through performance reviews of staff, the paper said while citing three current and former employees. ALSO WATCH | WION Business News | Meta preparing large-scale layoffs × After Meta's November 2022 layoffs, other tech companies such as Amazon and Microsoft too announced thousands of layoffs citing the economic downturn and the need to cut the costs of operations. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Meta delays setting team budgets, triggers speculation of more layoffs

<p>Ireland's Data Privacy Commissioner (DPC) on Thursday slapped an additional fine of $5.95 million on Meta's WhatsApp for breaches of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).&nbsp;Ireland-based media outlet The Journal reported that DPC further announced that WhatsApp Ireland has six months to bring its data processing operations into compliance.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Two weeks ago, the tech giant was fined 390 million euros when Instagram and Facebook were found to have flouted the same EU rules.</p>

<p>In a statement, the watchdog said that in its new decision, the tech company was found to be "in breach of its obligations in relation to transparency".&nbsp;</p>

<p>The DPC added that Meta was relying on an incorrect legal basis "for its processing of personal data for the purposes of service improvement and security".&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Irish regulator has taken strict action when it comes to security issues. For failures in handling the data of minors, Meta was fined 405 million euros in September. Meanwhile, it was fined 265 million euros in November for not sufficiently protecting users' data.&nbsp;</p>

<p>GDPR was adopted in 2016 and its aim is to enhance control and rights to users' personal data. The regulation came into force on 25 May 2018.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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Ireland's Data Privacy Commissioner (DPC) on Thursday slapped an additional fine of $5.95 million on Meta's WhatsApp for breaches of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Ireland's Data Privacy Commissioner (DPC) on Thursday slapped an additional fine of $5.95 million on Meta's WhatsApp for breaches of the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Ireland-based media outlet The Journal reported that DPC further announced that WhatsApp Ireland has six months to bring its data processing operations into compliance. Two weeks ago, the tech giant was fined 390 million euros when Instagram and Facebook were found to have flouted the same EU rules. In a statement, the watchdog said that in its new decision, the tech company was found to be "in breach of its obligations in relation to transparency". The DPC added that Meta was relying on an incorrect legal basis "for its processing of personal data for the purposes of service improvement and security". The Irish regulator has taken strict action when it comes to security issues. For failures in handling the data of minors, Meta was fined 405 million euros in September. Meanwhile, it was fined 265 million euros in November for not sufficiently protecting users' data. GDPR was adopted in 2016 and its aim is to enhance control and rights to users' personal data. The regulation came into force on 25 May 2018. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Meta fined $5.9 million for violating EU data protection regulations

<p>Former Barcelona legend and Argentina captain Lionel Messi was called 'sewer rat' and 'hormonal dwarf' by Barcelona's former head of legal services Roman Gomez Ponti&nbsp;in leaked WhatsApp messages, according to SPORT. The publication acquired a series of WhatsApp messages exchanged between the former Barca board, which indicated an intense animosity towards Messi.</p>

<p>The WhatsApp messages&nbsp;also comprised Josep Maria Bartomeu, ex-CEO Oscar Grau,&nbsp;executives Jordi Moix, Oriol Tomas, and David Bellver, former CFO Pancho Schroder and Director for Strategy &amp; Innovation Javier Sobrino.&nbsp;This happened soon after a&nbsp;leak of&nbsp;Messi's contract with El Mundo led to a huge uproar among the board members. Hence, they took to the WhatsApp group with Ponti passing several derogatory comments on&nbsp;Messi.</p>

<p>As per the SPORT, Ponti reportedly told Bartomeu and the group in Spanish: "Barto, really, you can't be such a good person with this sewer rat. The club has given him everything and he has dedicated himself to marking a dictatorship of signings, transfers, renewals, sponsors just for him, etc."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/al-hilal-rival-club-of-cristiano-ronaldos-al-nassr-aims-to-sign-lionel-messi-for-300-million-reports-551961">Al Hilal, rival club of Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr, aims to sign Lionel Messi for $300 million - Reports</a></strong></p>

<p>The former head of legal services then asserted, "I will never be able to do it but to the figures of his contract should be added Pinto, the renewal of Suarez, and Jordi Alba, or the renewal fee of Fati (Rodrigo Messi, agent?). But he doesn't even know how to read and on top of that he had a drug dealer as a partner)."</p>

<p>Ponti then went ahead and accused&nbsp;Messi of blackmail, before labelling&nbsp;him as a "hormonal dwarf". "And above all, the accumulation of blackmails and disrespect that the club and those of us who work at the club have suffered from this hormonal dwarf who owes Barcelona his life... ah!"</p>

<p>Ponti added, "But when things go wrong (pandemic) you receive the mythical WhatsApp message: 'presi, lower the salary of the others, but don't touch me and Luis'. I hope he leaves amidst the indifference of the people, which is the worst thing that can happen to him."</p>

<p>To this, the former CEO Grau reportedly responded by saying, "I agree on many things, but first Barcelona and this type of article hurts the club's image."</p>

<p>It is to be noted that Messi left Barcelona in mid-2021 after the end of his contract. It was an emotional exit for the Argentine who&nbsp;became a part of Barcelona's youth academy at the age of 13 and later went onto become an integral part of the Spanish club, ending with as many as 672 goals.&nbsp;</p>

<p>After his Barcelona exit, Messi joined French club Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and his contract will end in 2022-23 and is yet to officially extend his stay in the French capital.<br />
<br />
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Former Barcelona legend and Argentina captain Lionel Messi was called 'sewer rat' and 'hormonal dwarf' by Barcelona's former head of legal services Roman Gomez Ponti in leaked WhatsApp messages, according to SPORT.

Former Barcelona legend and Argentina captain Lionel Messi was called 'sewer rat' and 'hormonal dwarf' by Barcelona's former head of legal services Roman Gomez Ponti in leaked WhatsApp messages, according to SPORT. The publication acquired a series of WhatsApp messages exchanged between the former Barca board, which indicated an intense animosity towards Messi. The WhatsApp messages also comprised Josep Maria Bartomeu, ex-CEO Oscar Grau, executives Jordi Moix, Oriol Tomas, and David Bellver, former CFO Pancho Schroder and Director for Strategy & Innovation Javier Sobrino. This happened soon after a leak of Messi's contract with El Mundo led to a huge uproar among the board members. Hence, they took to the WhatsApp group with Ponti passing several derogatory comments on Messi. As per the SPORT, Ponti reportedly told Bartomeu and the group in Spanish: "Barto, really, you can't be such a good person with this sewer rat. The club has given him everything and he has dedicated himself to marking a dictatorship of signings, transfers, renewals, sponsors just for him, etc." Also read: Al Hilal, rival club of Cristiano Ronaldo's Al Nassr, aims to sign Lionel Messi for $300 million - Reports The former head of legal services then asserted, "I will never be able to do it but to the figures of his contract should be added Pinto, the renewal of Suarez, and Jordi Alba, or the renewal fee of Fati (Rodrigo Messi, agent?). But he doesn't even know how to read and on top of that he had a drug dealer as a partner)." Ponti then went ahead and accused Messi of blackmail, before labelling him as a "hormonal dwarf". "And above all, the accumulation of blackmails and disrespect that the club and those of us who work at the club have suffered from this hormonal dwarf who owes Barcelona his life... ah!" Ponti added, "But when things go wrong (pandemic) you receive the mythical WhatsApp message: 'presi, lower the salary of the others, but don't touch me and Luis'. I hope he leaves amidst the indifference of the people, which is the worst thing that can happen to him." To this, the former CEO Grau reportedly responded by saying, "I agree on many things, but first Barcelona and this type of article hurts the club's image." It is to be noted that Messi left Barcelona in mid-2021 after the end of his contract. It was an emotional exit for the Argentine who became a part of Barcelona's youth academy at the age of 13 and later went onto become an integral part of the Spanish club, ending with as many as 672 goals. After his Barcelona exit, Messi joined French club Paris Saint Germain (PSG) and his contract will end in 2022-23 and is yet to officially extend his stay in the French capital.

'Sewer Rat', 'hormonal dwarf': Derogatory comments made by ex-Barca official on Lionel Messi in leaked chat

<p>The US Supreme Court allowed WhatsApp, a messaging app owned by Meta Platforms Inc., to proceed with a lawsuit against Israel's NSO Group on Monday, claiming it installed spy software on 1,400 people, including journalists, human rights activists, and dissidents, by exploiting a bug.</p>

<p>“Today’s decision clears the path for lawsuits brought by the tech companies as well as for suits brought by journalists and human rights advocates who have been victims of spyware attacks,” Carrie DeCell, a senior staff attorney, representing journalists in a separate lawsuit against NSO Group, said on Monday.</p>

<p>The appeal NSO made of a lower court's decision to allow the litigation to proceed was denied by the justices. Due to its role as an agent for undisclosed foreign governments when it installed the "Pegasus" spyware, NSO had contended that it was exempt from legal action.</p>

<p>The administration of President Joe Biden had urged the court to dismiss NSO's appeal, pointing out that the US State Department has never in the past acknowledged a private organisation functioning as an agent of a foreign state as being entitled to immunity, Reuters reported. At the time when the Department of Justice argued that “NSO plainly is not entitled to immunity here.”</p>

<p><strong>Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionnews.com/world/pegasus-spyware-scandal-becomes-a-full-blown-european-affair-report-532526" hreflang="en">Pegasus spyware scandal becomes a ‘full-blown European Union affair’: Report</a></strong></p>

<p>On Monday, Meta, which also owns Facebook, applauded the Supreme Court for rejecting what it called a "baseless" petition.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“NSO’s spyware has enabled cyberattacks targeting human rights activists, journalists and government officials,” Meta said in a statement, according to Al Jazeera. “We firmly believe that their operations violate US law and they must be held to account for their unlawful operations.”</p>

<p>Accusing NSO of illegally accessing WhatsApp servers six months prior to the installation of the Pegasus software on victims' mobiles, WhatsApp sued NSO in 2019 and sought an injunction and damages.</p>

<p>Pegasus malware was allegedly used by state actors to target Palestinian human rights campaigners, Thai democracy advocates, El Salvadorian media personnel, and the murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's close circle in Saudi Arabia.</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;<a href="http://13.235.153.162/videos/pegasus-row-israeli-citizens-targeted-by-police-using-nso-spyware-software-445948" hreflang="en">Pegasus row: Israeli citizens targeted by police using NSO spyware software</a></strong></p>

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<p>As a result of the Israeli company's involvement in "transnational repression," the US Department of Commerce blacklisted it in 2021, hampering NSO Group's access to US technology.</p>

<p>The NSO Group has maintained that Pegasus aids law enforcement and intelligence organisations in thwarting criminal activity and preserving national security. The technology is meant to nab "terrorists," paedophiles, and criminals, it said.</p>

<p>Only law enforcement organisations are permitted to purchase the item, according to the company, which does not name its clients, adding that all the sales are authorised by Israel's Ministry of Defense. It has no influence over how the technology is used once it has been purchased, it further said.</p>

<p>The Israeli company issued a statement following the SC’s decision on Monday, saying, “We are confident that the court will determine that the use of Pegasus by its customers was legal.”</p>

<p>Apple, the manufacturer of the iPhone, also filed a lawsuit against the NSO Group, alleging that the company broke into its products and violated the user terms and services agreement.</p>

<p>Employees of NSO have previously been referred to as "amoral 21st-century mercenaries" by Apple.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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The US Supreme Court allowed WhatsApp, a messaging app owned by Meta Platforms Inc., to proceed with a lawsuit against Israel's NSO Group on Monday, claiming it installed spy software on 1,400 people, including journalists, human rights activists, and dissidents, by exploiting a bug.

The US Supreme Court allowed WhatsApp, a messaging app owned by Meta Platforms Inc., to proceed with a lawsuit against Israel's NSO Group on Monday, claiming it installed spy software on 1,400 people, including journalists, human rights activists, and dissidents, by exploiting a bug. “Today’s decision clears the path for lawsuits brought by the tech companies as well as for suits brought by journalists and human rights advocates who have been victims of spyware attacks,” Carrie DeCell, a senior staff attorney, representing journalists in a separate lawsuit against NSO Group, said on Monday. The appeal NSO made of a lower court's decision to allow the litigation to proceed was denied by the justices. Due to its role as an agent for undisclosed foreign governments when it installed the "Pegasus" spyware, NSO had contended that it was exempt from legal action. The administration of President Joe Biden had urged the court to dismiss NSO's appeal, pointing out that the US State Department has never in the past acknowledged a private organisation functioning as an agent of a foreign state as being entitled to immunity, Reuters reported. At the time when the Department of Justice argued that “NSO plainly is not entitled to immunity here.” Also Read | Pegasus spyware scandal becomes a ‘full-blown European Union affair’: Report On Monday, Meta, which also owns Facebook, applauded the Supreme Court for rejecting what it called a "baseless" petition. “NSO’s spyware has enabled cyberattacks targeting human rights activists, journalists and government officials,” Meta said in a statement, according to Al Jazeera. “We firmly believe that their operations violate US law and they must be held to account for their unlawful operations.” Accusing NSO of illegally accessing WhatsApp servers six months prior to the installation of the Pegasus software on victims' mobiles, WhatsApp sued NSO in 2019 and sought an injunction and damages. Pegasus malware was allegedly used by state actors to target Palestinian human rights campaigners, Thai democracy advocates, El Salvadorian media personnel, and the murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi's close circle in Saudi Arabia. Watch | Pegasus row: Israeli citizens targeted by police using NSO spyware software As a result of the Israeli company's involvement in "transnational repression," the US Department of Commerce blacklisted it in 2021, hampering NSO Group's access to US technology. The NSO Group has maintained that Pegasus aids law enforcement and intelligence organisations in thwarting criminal activity and preserving national security. The technology is meant to nab "terrorists," paedophiles, and criminals, it said. Only law enforcement organisations are permitted to purchase the item, according to the company, which does not name its clients, adding that all the sales are authorised by Israel's Ministry of Defense. It has no influence over how the technology is used once it has been purchased, it further said. The Israeli company issued a statement following the SC’s decision on Monday, saying, “We are confident that the court will determine that the use of Pegasus by its customers was legal.” Apple, the manufacturer of the iPhone, also filed a lawsuit against the NSO Group, alleging that the company broke into its products and violated the user terms and services agreement. Employees of NSO have previously been referred to as "amoral 21st-century mercenaries" by Apple. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

US Supreme Court allows Meta’s WhatsApp to pursue lawsuit against ‘Pegasus’ spyware: Report

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<p>Meta's subsidiary WhatsApp on Thursday announced that users&nbsp;will now be able to use proxy servers to access the services in countries and regions where the messaging app is blocked.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Today we’re launching proxy support for WhatsApp users all over the world. What this means is we’re putting the power into people’s hands to maintain access to WhatsApp if their connection is blocked or disrupted," read a statement released by the company.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Choosing a proxy enables you to connect to WhatsApp through servers set up by volunteers and organizations around the world dedicated to helping people communicate freely."</p>

<p>WhatsApp also referred users to the instructions on how to set up a proxy server and&nbsp;re-establish the connection. The service is available to anyone that has the latest version of WhatsApp.&nbsp;</p>

<p>A proxy server, in layman terms, is an 'intermediary' between the users and the internet. It allows&nbsp;them to circumvent censorship attempts and other restrictions to access web services.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/wion-fineprint-500-million-whatsapp-users-at-risk-of-data-breach-538281" target="_blank"><strong>WATCH | WION Fineprint: 500 million WhatsApp users at risk of data breach</strong></a></p>

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<p>The rollout of the service has been done so keeping in mind the countries where internet lockdowns, especially concerning WhatsApp cause inconvenience to regular users.&nbsp;</p>

<p>WhatsApp, in its announcement, cited the example of Iran where internet services have often been disconnected by the regime.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Disruptions like we’ve seen in Iran for months on end, deny people’s human rights and cut people off from receiving urgent help. Though in case these shutdowns continue, we hope this solution helps people wherever there is a need for secure and reliable communication."</p>

<p>When the anti-hijab protests in Iran were still in their infancy, the Iranian regime, anticipating the scale of it, restricted access to the internet as well as social media sites such as Instagram and WhatsApp.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Internet watchdog NetBlocks reported a "nation-scale loss of connectivity" on network providers in Iran. WhatsApp's new feature allows ordinary Iranians to bypass the shutdowns and access the app and its services.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-restricts-access-to-instagram-amid-intensifying-protests-518548" target="_blank"><strong>Read more: Iran restricts access to WhatsApp, Instagram amid intensifying protests</strong></a></p>

<p>The Meta-owned platform added that messages on the proxy server will also remain end-to-end encrypted, meaning no one apart from the users will be able to access the message or data.</p>

<p>"Your personal messages will still be protected by end-to-end encryption, ensuring they stay between you and the person you’re communicating with and are not visible to anyone in between, not the proxy servers, WhatsApp, or Meta."</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/whatsapp-releases-latest-feature-that-makes-it-easier-to-message-yourself-549738" target="_blank"><strong>Read more: WhatsApp releases latest feature that makes it easier for you to message yourself</strong></a></p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:&nbsp;</strong></p>

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Meta's subsidiary WhatsApp on Thursday announced that users will now be able to use proxy servers to access the services in countries and regions where the messaging app is blocked.

Meta's subsidiary WhatsApp on Thursday announced that users will now be able to use proxy servers to access the services in countries and regions where the messaging app is blocked. "Today we’re launching proxy support for WhatsApp users all over the world. What this means is we’re putting the power into people’s hands to maintain access to WhatsApp if their connection is blocked or disrupted," read a statement released by the company. "Choosing a proxy enables you to connect to WhatsApp through servers set up by volunteers and organizations around the world dedicated to helping people communicate freely." WhatsApp also referred users to the instructions on how to set up a proxy server and re-establish the connection. The service is available to anyone that has the latest version of WhatsApp. A proxy server, in layman terms, is an 'intermediary' between the users and the internet. It allows them to circumvent censorship attempts and other restrictions to access web services. WATCH | WION Fineprint: 500 million WhatsApp users at risk of data breach × The rollout of the service has been done so keeping in mind the countries where internet lockdowns, especially concerning WhatsApp cause inconvenience to regular users. WhatsApp, in its announcement, cited the example of Iran where internet services have often been disconnected by the regime. "Disruptions like we’ve seen in Iran for months on end, deny people’s human rights and cut people off from receiving urgent help. Though in case these shutdowns continue, we hope this solution helps people wherever there is a need for secure and reliable communication." When the anti-hijab protests in Iran were still in their infancy, the Iranian regime, anticipating the scale of it, restricted access to the internet as well as social media sites such as Instagram and WhatsApp. Internet watchdog NetBlocks reported a "nation-scale loss of connectivity" on network providers in Iran. WhatsApp's new feature allows ordinary Iranians to bypass the shutdowns and access the app and its services. Read more: Iran restricts access to WhatsApp, Instagram amid intensifying protests The Meta-owned platform added that messages on the proxy server will also remain end-to-end encrypted, meaning no one apart from the users will be able to access the message or data. "Your personal messages will still be protected by end-to-end encryption, ensuring they stay between you and the person you’re communicating with and are not visible to anyone in between, not the proxy servers, WhatsApp, or Meta." Read more: WhatsApp releases latest feature that makes it easier for you to message yourself (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

WhatsApp announces proxy support feature to circumvent internet shutdowns

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{8fe4ac73-c138-4bc7-a039-b0ca92b5ded8}{160}" paraid="615028975" >It is quite common for people to create groups or even send certain information to close friends or family members on WhatsApp in order to access it in the future. However, the messaging platform has come up with a new feature that will make it easier for people to carry out this particular operation by sending it to themselves instead of bothering friends and family members.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{e8f8c935-6514-4192-b9de-5120a729a871}{251}" paraid="1735228834" >The feature called “Message Yourself”, which was included in the latest app update, will allow the users to send messages to themselves. It will follow the same method that one uses to message someone else and will support even photos, videos, audio, and documents up to 2GB in size from the phone.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{e8f8c935-6514-4192-b9de-5120a729a871}{251}" paraid="1735228834" >Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/ben-gvirs-al-aqsa-visit-unleashes-a-wave-of-anger-in-the-arab-world-549597">Ben-Gvir's Al-Aqsa visit unleashes a wave of anger in the Arab world</a></p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{33059959-e016-4eb6-9621-bb115c44da48}{134}" paraid="84271027" >The new feature will only be available on the latest version of WhatsApp and as a result, anyone who has not updated the app will not be able to use it. The user will have to select their own phone number while composing any new message and it will automatically be stored in the personal inbox.&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{33ac95f9-cd06-487c-8c50-d2e659dee292}{33}" paraid="1199099533" ><strong>The steps to&nbsp;use the "Message Yourself" feature on WhatsApp are as follows - &nbsp;</strong></p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{8b615ee3-bed6-451e-9877-8b87fb2e4edb}{50}" paraid="1390079100" >Download the latest version of WhatsApp or update the existing messaging app&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{6a80ca32-c05d-4163-8618-e18bb144b034}{220}" paraid="2081039470" >Open the WhatsApp application&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{abe6fa91-be41-4900-a1bd-861a2880dea7}{98}" paraid="1762050833" >Tap on the “new chat” option from the menu&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{441e9795-c5f1-493e-af98-6c20d144d6fb}{75}" paraid="2121111391" >Add your own contact as the desired one just before sending the message&nbsp;</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{5e1047c7-215f-453f-9a11-79e2761ad418}{176}" paraid="2024225649" >According to the official website, the user can add&nbsp;“messages, notes, reminders, and updates to yourself, as well as share photos, videos, audio, and documents” as their message.</p>

<p lang="EN-US" paraeid="{5e1047c7-215f-453f-9a11-79e2761ad418}{176}" paraid="2024225649" >&nbsp;</p>

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It is quite common for people to create groups or even send certain information to close friends or family members on WhatsApp in order to access it in the future.

It is quite common for people to create groups or even send certain information to close friends or family members on WhatsApp in order to access it in the future. However, the messaging platform has come up with a new feature that will make it easier for people to carry out this particular operation by sending it to themselves instead of bothering friends and family members. The feature called “Message Yourself”, which was included in the latest app update, will allow the users to send messages to themselves. It will follow the same method that one uses to message someone else and will support even photos, videos, audio, and documents up to 2GB in size from the phone. Also read | Ben-Gvir's Al-Aqsa visit unleashes a wave of anger in the Arab world The new feature will only be available on the latest version of WhatsApp and as a result, anyone who has not updated the app will not be able to use it. The user will have to select their own phone number while composing any new message and it will automatically be stored in the personal inbox. The steps to use the "Message Yourself" feature on WhatsApp are as follows - Download the latest version of WhatsApp or update the existing messaging app Open the WhatsApp application Tap on the “new chat” option from the menu Add your own contact as the desired one just before sending the message According to the official website, the user can add “messages, notes, reminders, and updates to yourself, as well as share photos, videos, audio, and documents” as their message.

WhatsApp releases latest feature that makes it easier for you to message yourself

<p>Another scam case makes headlines. This time a scam message has made Australians lose over seven million dollars this year.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The scam happened mostly over Whatsapp where fraudsters pretended to be their family members and messaged asking for money.</p>

<p>To get the victim's attention, the fraudsters texted "Hi mum" in the messages, Money control reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pig-butchering-crypto-scam-how-a-wrong-text-message-can-swipe-out-millions-of-dollars-515534"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;‘Pig butchering’ crypto scam: How a wrong text message can swipe out millions of dollars</strong></a></p>

<p>After the victim was convinced that the person texting is actually their son or daughter or close family member, the fraudster began asking for money assuming that their phone is lost and using a new phone number to ask for help.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The majority of victims were women older than 55 years old.&nbsp;As per reports till now over $7.2 million has been scammed&nbsp;by nearly 11,000 people as of now.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) claimed that the number of frauds raised rapidly in the last three months.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/4g-to-5g-sim-upgrade-scam-everything-you-need-to-know-526042"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;India: '4G to 5G SIM upgrade' scam, here's everything you need to know</strong></a></p>

<p>It said, "We’re urging Australians to be wary of phone messages from a family member or friend claiming they need help, following a significant rise in ‘Hi Mum’ scams. More than 1,150 people fell victim to the scam, with total reported losses of $2.6 million."&nbsp;</p>

<p>ACCC's deputy chairman gave instructions. He said, "If you’re contacted by someone claiming to be your son, daughter, relative, or friend, start by calling them on the number already stored in your phone to confirm if it’s no longer in use. If they pick up – you know it’s a scam."</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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Another scam case makes headlines. This time a scam message has made Australians lose over seven million dollars this year. The scam happened mostly over Whatsapp where fraudsters pretended to be their family members and messaged asking for money.

Another scam case makes headlines. This time a scam message has made Australians lose over seven million dollars this year. The scam happened mostly over Whatsapp where fraudsters pretended to be their family members and messaged asking for money. To get the victim's attention, the fraudsters texted "Hi mum" in the messages, Money control reported. Also read | ‘Pig butchering’ crypto scam: How a wrong text message can swipe out millions of dollars After the victim was convinced that the person texting is actually their son or daughter or close family member, the fraudster began asking for money assuming that their phone is lost and using a new phone number to ask for help. The majority of victims were women older than 55 years old. As per reports till now over $7.2 million has been scammed by nearly 11,000 people as of now. The Australian Consumer and Competition Commission (ACCC) claimed that the number of frauds raised rapidly in the last three months. Also read | India: '4G to 5G SIM upgrade' scam, here's everything you need to know It said, "We’re urging Australians to be wary of phone messages from a family member or friend claiming they need help, following a significant rise in ‘Hi Mum’ scams. More than 1,150 people fell victim to the scam, with total reported losses of $2.6 million." ACCC's deputy chairman gave instructions. He said, "If you’re contacted by someone claiming to be your son, daughter, relative, or friend, start by calling them on the number already stored in your phone to confirm if it’s no longer in use. If they pick up – you know it’s a scam." (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

'Fraud alert': Nearly 11,000 Australians lost over $7 million to a 'Hi mum' message on WhatsApp

WhatsApp to soon bring Picture-in- Picture mode for video calling. This aims to improve better user experience. Watch further to know more.

WhatsApp to introduce new features for better user experience

According to a report from Cybernews, someone has managed to leak the phone numbers of around 500 million Whatsapp users. The data is allegedly available for sale on the dark web. But according to Whatsapp, Cybernews' claim is based on unsubstantiated screenshots.

WION Fineprint: 500 million WhatsApp users at risk of data breach

Close to half a billion WhatsApp users had their numbers put up for sale. But WhatsApp insists there hasn't been a leak. does that really matter though? Priyanka Sharma tells you more.

Gravitas: WhatsApp says no data leak

Phone numbers of nearly 500 million WhatsApp users have been stolen and put on sale on a “well-known” hacking community forum, according to a report by Cybernews. The database, allegedly from 2022 containing this private information, spans users from 84 countries including the US, the UK, Egypt, Italy, and India. The hacker behind the breach claims all numbers belong to seemingly “active” WhatsApp users.

WhatsApp data of 500 million users 'on sale', says report

<p>Following reports that phone numbers of nearly 500 million WhatsApp users are up for sale on the Dark web, the company has denied that any of its data has been leaked.&nbsp;WhatsApp has nearly two&nbsp;billion users out of which data of 487 million users is up for sale from 84 countries including the US, UK, Turkey, and France, as per a report by&nbsp;Cybernews.</p>

<p>"The claim written on Cybernews is based on unsubstantiated screenshots. There is no evidence of a ‘data leak’ from WhatsApp,"&nbsp;a WhatsApp spokesperson told WION.</p>

<p>"The purported list is a set of phone numbers, and not WhatsApp user information," it said.</p>

<p>Cybernews' report sparked a debate over whether the platform's encrypted messages and modern security forum are safe.&nbsp;There is still no clarity about how the hacker obtained the numbers he claims to possess.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/whatsapp-may-soon-let-users-to-share-voice-notes-as-status-updates-537728"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;WhatsApp may soon let users share voice notes as status updates</strong></a></p>

<p>In its report, it further mentioned that the leaked data is of active users.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The seller posted that the phone numbers of 32 million users from the US, 11 million from the UK, 10 million users from Russia, and six million users from India who are registered are at risk.</p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The report further mentions that the US dataset costs around $7,000 and the UK costs $2,500. Cybernews further claimed that they contacted the hacker to know if it was true. The hacker then provided numbers of over 1,000 users from the UK as proof, NDTV reported.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/technology/meta-announces-departure-of-whatsapp-india-head-abhijit-bose-metas-india-public-policy-chief-rajiv-aggarwal-534468"><strong>Also read |&nbsp;&nbsp;Meta announces departure of India policy chief Rajiv Aggarwal, Whatsapp India head Abhijit Bose</strong></a></p>

<p>This is not the first time the data of the Meta-owned platform has been leaked. A similar instance happened last year when data of 500 million Facebook users got leaked including India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This is a matter of concern as the listed phone numbers listed could fall prey to spamming, phishing, and even major criminal activities.&nbsp;</p>

<p>WhatsApp users need to be careful. Do not respond to an unknown number or messages. This is because hackers might use information through smishing and vishing. Smishing and vishing mean that the hackers will use fraudulent links through a text or voicemail. Clicking on these links or responding to them might lead users to lose critical data or their money.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE</strong></p>

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Following reports that phone numbers of nearly 500 million WhatsApp users are up for sale on the Dark web, the company has denied that any of its data has been leaked.

Following reports that phone numbers of nearly 500 million WhatsApp users are up for sale on the Dark web, the company has denied that any of its data has been leaked. WhatsApp has nearly two billion users out of which data of 487 million users is up for sale from 84 countries including the US, UK, Turkey, and France, as per a report by Cybernews. "The claim written on Cybernews is based on unsubstantiated screenshots. There is no evidence of a ‘data leak’ from WhatsApp," a WhatsApp spokesperson told WION. "The purported list is a set of phone numbers, and not WhatsApp user information," it said. Cybernews' report sparked a debate over whether the platform's encrypted messages and modern security forum are safe. There is still no clarity about how the hacker obtained the numbers he claims to possess. Also read | WhatsApp may soon let users share voice notes as status updates In its report, it further mentioned that the leaked data is of active users. The seller posted that the phone numbers of 32 million users from the US, 11 million from the UK, 10 million users from Russia, and six million users from India who are registered are at risk. × The report further mentions that the US dataset costs around $7,000 and the UK costs $2,500. Cybernews further claimed that they contacted the hacker to know if it was true. The hacker then provided numbers of over 1,000 users from the UK as proof, NDTV reported. Also read | Meta announces departure of India policy chief Rajiv Aggarwal, Whatsapp India head Abhijit Bose This is not the first time the data of the Meta-owned platform has been leaked. A similar instance happened last year when data of 500 million Facebook users got leaked including India. This is a matter of concern as the listed phone numbers listed could fall prey to spamming, phishing, and even major criminal activities. WhatsApp users need to be careful. Do not respond to an unknown number or messages. This is because hackers might use information through smishing and vishing. Smishing and vishing mean that the hackers will use fraudulent links through a text or voicemail. Clicking on these links or responding to them might lead users to lose critical data or their money. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

WhatsApp says all reports of a ‘data leak' are based on 'unsubstantiated' screenshots

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