Users of the WhatsApp messaging application will have a new function at their disposal through which they will be able to receive important information from people and organizations. The announcement was made on Thursday by Meta.
What new feature will WhatsApp have?
In the messaging application, “channels” will be introduced that will allow organizations to communicate publicly with a large number of subscribers. The novelty will be tested in Singapore and Colombia before being launched in other countries.
“We’re excited to introduce WhatsApp Channels, a simple, reliable and private way to receive important information from people and organizations on our platform,” Meta announced Thursday.
Users of the application will be able to find the channels that interest them in a new tab, called “Actus”, separate from the discussions with their contacts and groups. Channel admins will communicate “one-way” by sending messages, photos, videos, stickers and polls.
The Meta company representatives specified that the partners will include the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), as well as the football teams FC Barcelona and Manchester United.
Security and Privacy Statements
These “channels” will allow the messaging app to give businesses a new way to communicate with consumers. However, subscribers will not be able to see the phone numbers of other people in the audience, and their channel choices will be private. In addition, the posted content will disappear after a period of 30 days.
“WhatsApp channels will aim to become the most secure public messaging function available and continue to offer a level of privacy at the level of the application’s users’ expectations,” Meta said.
Company representatives added that messages within these channels will not be encrypted by default, as are private conversations, as they aim to reach a wide audience.
However, Meta plans to offer end-to-end encryption to channels in certain cases, for example for non-profit associations or in the health sector. This type of encryption guarantees that messages can only be read by the sender and recipient.
