WhatsApp is said to be working on a new WhatsApp privacy feature that would allow users to prevent others from saving media and exporting chats. It is part of a filtering process by WhatsApp towards stricter content control and stronger user privacy, which grants people more say over the way their data and discussions with them are handled by other people.

Highlights:

• WhatsApp is testing restrictions on saving shared media.
• The feature may also block exporting of chat history.
• It’s part of Meta’s broader privacy enhancement strategy.
• The WhatsApp privacy feature is still in beta testing.
• No official release date has been announced yet.

This rumored WhatsApp privacy feature could put a serious wrench in the way that people share and control their content in the app. Right now, anyone who gets your media or messages can simply download or export them. This update would roll users information if it went out, to limit these actions, so as to ensure data security, and to decrease the threats of leaks or if a user does something they want to admit they didn’t.

Tech analysts have already spotted this WhatsApp privacy feature in beta testing phase. Early screenshots point to the fact that under settings, users will have the option to decide whether recipients can save media or export chats. The implementation of this control would allow users to set limits over conversations such as when the conversations are becoming very sensitive or personal.

As concerns over digital privacy and content misuse grow on, the new WhatsApp privacy feature is seen as a step in the right direction. However, since the company behind Meta, WhatsApp’s parent, has repeatedly shouted into the air that it focuses on encryption and privacy, the pressure to comply with the applicable data protection regulation was intense. The platform provides more granular control, increases trust in the platform and keeps itself competitive in the global messaging app landscape.