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WhatsApp Introduces “Advanced Chat Privacy” Feature To Protect Users’ Data
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
WhatsApp launched a new security feature called Advanced Chat Privacy this Wednesday to protect users’ data and block others from exporting and downloading private data from chats.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature called Advanced Chat Privacy.
- The privacy setting blocks other users from exporting chat history or using data from private chats for AI purposes.
- Users can turn on the new feature through the chat settings.
According to WhatsApp’s announcement , the new security update can prevent people from downloading media shared in chats or using messages for AI features— Meta recently integrated its Meta AI model into its platforms, including WhatsApp, and expanded to Europe in March.
“Today we’re introducing our latest layer for privacy called ‘Advanced Chat Privacy,’” states the document. “This new setting available in both chats and groups helps prevent others from taking content outside of WhatsApp for when you may want extra privacy.”
WhatsApp explains that the new feature guarantees that no group member or any other person can download the information shared for other purposes, and the chat remains protected.
“We think this feature is best used when talking with groups where you may not know everyone closely but are nevertheless sensitive in nature, like talking about health challenges in a support group or organizing your community about something important to you,” wrote the company.
Users interested in activating Advanced Chat Privacy can turn it on through the chat settings as soon as it is available. The company said the feature is currently rolling out globally in the latest version of the app.
add an extra layer of protection to your chats 🔒 advanced chat privacy stops media downloads, block chat exports, and keep your messages between you and who you’re talking to pic.twitter.com/8wmh2OCgQL — WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) April 23, 2025
While this new update adds a new privacy layer to protect users’ data, there are still vulnerabilities and concerns in the tech community.
According to The Verge , Advanced Chat Privacy doesn’t stop people from taking screenshots or downloading information manually. However, a spokesperson from WhatsApp, Zade Alsawah, told the news website that this is a “first version” and that the company expects to add more protection and safety measures in the future.
Meta has announced multiple updates for its chat platform in the past few months. In November, WhatsApp rolled out its audio transcription feature for voice messages, and, in January, the tech giant linked WhatsApp to the accounts center , connecting the platform to Instagram and Facebook.
Image by Imgix, from Unsplash
Suspended Over AI Cheating Tool, Student Now Lands $5.3M in Funding
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
A Columbia University student who was suspended for creating a controversial AI tool to help users cheat on job interviews has just raised $5.3 million in seed funding, as first reported by Fortune .
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Columbia student suspended for building AI that helps cheat in interviews.
- Cluely AI gives real-time answers during interviews via invisible browser overlay.
- Tool now used for exams, sales calls; not officially for dating.
Chungin “Roy” Lee, along with cofounder Neel Shanmugam, launched the tool—now called Cluely—to assist job seekers during technical interviews.
The AI tool gives users live answers through an invisible browser overlay that reads the screen and listens to conversations in real time. It can now also be used for tasks like exams and sales calls.
Lee was suspended by Columbia in March, but despite the controversy, investors are backing their vision.
“[To be honest], I don’t think this is cheating,” Lee wrote on LinkedIn. “Every single time technology has made people smarter, the world panics. Then it adapts. Then it forgets. And suddenly, it’s normal […] AI will transform the entire world […] Cluely is the bridge to a world where humans don’t compete with machines—we grow with them.”
Fortune reports that Cluely is currently available by subscription—$20 a month or $100 per year for unlimited use. The founders describe it as a modern tool for a new era, likening it to calculators or spellcheck.
However, a demonstration video showing the tool assisting someone on a date sparked backlash and drew comparisons to Black Mirror. Lee later clarified, as reported by Fortune, that dating is not a real use case for the product.
In a bold statement on their website, the Cluely team said, “So, start cheating. Because when everyone does, no one is,” as reported by Fortune. As AI continues to reshape education and the job market, Cluely’s rise is fueling debate on what counts as cheating in a tech-driven world.
