WhatsApp to add email verification to protect users accounts from hackers
WhatsApp, the messaging platform Meta owns, has constantly improved its security measures to protect user privacy and data. The app already uses end-to-end encryption for personal messages to keep users' content confidential between sender and receiver. In addition, WhatsApp has recently introduced several features to strengthen account security, including "mute unknown calls", "chat lock", and more. However, despite all the improvements, the platform is still a prime target for hackers, and therefore, WhatsApp is keeping its development team busy with creating more features.
In line with these security developments, WhatsApp is reportedly working on a new feature allowing users to use their email addresses to verify their accounts. According to Wabetainfo reports, WhatsApp will keep this email verification feature optional. WhatsApp will ask for your email address to protect and verify your account if enabled.
Currently, the feature is still in development, and there is limited information available on the specific situations in which the email address will be helpful to improve the security of WhatsApp accounts. However, it could help users to verify their accounts in certain unspecified situations. For example, if a phone is stolen or users lose access to their WhatsApp-linked phone number, email verification will help them access and log into their account. It can also be helpful when setting up WhatsApp on a new device, but the verification code is not coming due to server or network issues.
It's important to note that this feature will be optional and different from the one that asks for your email address when setting up 2-Step Verification. Regarding availability, the feature is currently in development and is expected to be released in future app updates.
Meanwhile, WhatsApp has released its monthly report for June 2023. The report highlights the complaints the platform received over the following month and how it addressed them accordingly. According to the report, WhatsApp banned 6,611,700 Indian user accounts between June 1 and 30, 2023. While most accounts were banned after receiving user reports, the report specifies that it proactively banned 2,434,200 accounts even before receiving user reports.
In particular, WhatsApp publishes its monthly user safety report every month following the Information Technology (Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Code of Ethics) Rules 2021. This report provides details of WhatsApp's actions. In response to several factors like complaints from users in India through the WhatsApp complaint mechanisms, accounts in India using WhatsApp detection and prevention methods due to violations of Indian laws or WhatsApp Terms of Service and orders received from the Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC).