WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature that allows users to have photos or videos vanish after they have been seen.
After the recipient opens a “view once” image for the first time, it is deleted without being saved to their phone.
This new feature will give its millions of daily active users the assurance that their conversations are secure and confidential from prying eyes. WhatsApp said that it would give users even more control over their privacy.
Though some child protection advocates are worried that disappearing messages could help cover up evidence of child sexual abuse.
The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) has already criticized WhatsApp’s parent company Facebook over its use of encrypted messaging. The NSPCC is concerned that this will keep law enforcement from obtaining information about criminal activity happening on their platforms and may endanger children who are in abusive situations by not having access to critical messages they need.
Alison Trew, the charity’s senior online safety officer has shared her concerns about end-to-end encryption. “This view once feature could put children at even greater risk by giving offenders another tool to avoid detection and erase evidence,” she said, when efforts are already hindered by end-to-end encryption”.
This would mean that police cannot see the encrypted communications, only the sender and receiver can. Police believe this could mean evidence will be harder to find in police raids because devices seized would no longer contain any communication at all since it is deleted automatically.
WhatsApp is marketing the new update as a “privacy feature” for regular consumers, saying it could be used to send throwaway yet personal photos such as when trying on clothes in a shop and asking your partner how they look or sending someone an important password.
WhatsApp commented “On many phones, simply taking a photo means it will take up space in your camera roll forever”.
“Not everything we share needs to become a permanent digital record”,
and it was rolling out the new feature to “everyone starting this week”.
Messages will not only be hidden in the preview, but a large “1” icon will be displayed to indicate it can’t be opened again.
The new feature is not without limitations: The photos will not be saved in the gallery app; they cannot be forwarded or shared and they will expire if left unopened for two weeks.
Similar apps like Snapchat also have a disappearing feature that automatically deletes messages after they have been viewed. However, it is still possible for an individual to take screen recordings of the message before its deletion or even film the message with another camera device.
