The new security badge on WhatsApp will notify you if anyA new in-app badge that indicates whether or not a chat room has end-to-end encryption (E2EE) is presently being tested by WhatsApp.
The caption was found in the most recent Android beta by WABetaInfo. The article states that it will show up beneath the contact and group names—but only in cases when the communication is protected by the “Signal Protocol” of the business. The purpose of the line is to alert everyone—through “visual confirmation”—that outside forces are unable to read what people are saying or listen in on phone calls. After a few seconds, the text will vanish and be replaced by the Last Seen indicator, according to WABetaInfo. It’s unclear right now if Last Seen will always replace the E2EE designation or if the two lines will alternate.
Given that there are only four words and a lock icon, this might not seem like a significant concern. This minor adjustment, meanwhile, is significant since it shows that Meta is open to accepting third-party interoperability. The safety of third-party chats
Interoperability With Third Parties
The tech giant provided a paper outlining interoperability throughout Europe on its Engineering at Meta blog on March 6. The EU passed the Digital Markets Act in 2022, imposing new regulations that required big messaging platforms to allow users to communicate with third-party services, among other things.
In-depth details about how interoperability would function are provided in Meta’s post. The primary insight is that the business desires that partners utilize their Signal Protocol. They want all parties to be on an even playing field because the standard forms the foundation for E2EE on WhatsApp and Messenger.
Use of Signal is not required for other services. They can utilize the protocols that work for them, but they have to show that they provide “the same security guarantees.”
This is a rather straightforward statement: WhatsApp won’t interact with a service that doesn’t have the same level of protection. The beta, though, seems to indicate that Meta is adaptable. They might not totally block platforms that don’t comply with Signal. In the very least, the business will let users know that not all chat rooms are as secure as those that have enabled E2EE.
Android users who are interested can install the update through the Google Play Beta Program, albeit there’s a possibility you won’t get the functionality. According to WABetaInfo, only a small number of testers may access it. Not sure if the same patch will be applied to WhatsApp on iOS.
