Will protect journalists and public figures: WhatsApp launches a new update

It was further added that when the software is activated, some of the account settings will be locked and become very restrictive settings. They also added that the way WhatsApp will work for the user will be limited in several ways, such as blocking attachments and media from people who are not in the user’s contacts.

WhatsApp said the new security feature will be rolled out gradually over the coming weeks, noting that it is one of the many ways it works to protect users from the most sophisticated cyber threats. With this new feature, WhatsApp joins a growing number of US technology companies that allow users to opt for stronger protection against hackers in exchange for a more limited access experience.

According to Reuters, Meta is the third largest technology company to offer enhanced security to its most vulnerable users. In 2022, Apple launched Lockdown Mode, which it describes as an “extreme optional defense” aimed at a “very small number of people” who may be targeted by advanced digital threats.

Available for iPhone and Mac, this mode disables most types of message attachments and link previews, and includes restrictions on FaceTime calls and web browsing. Last year, Google’s parent company, Alphabet, began offering an “advanced security mode” to users of the Android operating system. Like Lock Mode, Alphabet’s more secure option sacrifices some functionality in exchange for improved security, including preventing users from downloading potentially dangerous apps and opening a new tab outside of its Google Play Store.

Meanwhile, on Monday the European Commission announced that it had officially designated Meta’s WhatsApp platform as a “very large platform” under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA), making it more responsible for dealing with illegal and harmful content. The Commission announced on January 15 that it is considering defining WhatsApp’s “channels” feature as a very large platform, however – the messaging service is not affected.

The channels had 51.7 million monthly active users on average in the EU in the first six months of 2025, more than the 45 million user threshold set by the DSA agreement. The DSA law requires such large platforms to do more to deal with illegal and harmful content, which can become expensive for the platforms given the volume of data to be sifted through, and raises questions of privacy.

Meta’s Facebook and Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Google’s Temo and Microsoft’s LinkedIn are some of the companies designated as very large online platforms under the DSA Act, subject to this requirement. “Following the appointment, Meta, the WhatsApp provider, has four months, i.e. until mid-May 2026, to ensure that WhatsApp complies with the additional DSA obligations,” the commission said in a statement.

A WhatsApp spokesperson said that as its channels continue to grow in the European Union and elsewhere, “we remain committed to developing our safety and integrity measures in the region, ensuring they are consistent with relevant regulatory expectations and our ongoing responsibility to users.”