Do you use WhatsApp and are you afraid for the security of your personal information? I can’t blame you. The privacy issue on WhatsApp is one of the most discussed and controversial on the net. WhatsApp himself wrote it on its official website: “The user is responsible for the security of his device and his WhatsApp account”.

In this article we will try to clarify the most important points of the problem and show how to maximize the security level of your account to avoid prying eyes and protect our messages. Finally, we will take a look at the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy – the very small ones we never read – which contain a series of “constraints” that we accept when we start using WhatsApp with our phone number.

WhatsApp updated the legislation in 2016 (for the first time in 4 years), introducing a series of information that anyone who uses WhatsApp should know. Let’s go straight to the specifics of these new “rules” of the WhatsApp Messenger application. Later, however, you will find ways to increase the security of your account.

The latest privacy provisions

• And ‘WhatsApp sends data on user behavior to Facebook to create specific advertisements or – as he writes on the official blog – with “other applications of the group”, including Instagram.
• WhatsApp sees the last login and other contact information.
• There will be new ways of using WhatsApp. For example, you will be able to receive flight tickets and flight status information, or notifications relating to an order. In general, WhatsApp will try to encourage companies to use the application to do business, and there are already many companies that use WhatsApp as a marketing tool to increase earnings.
• WhatsApp will not place advertising banners in its app. As from its inception, the application remains “clean” and functional for users.
• The user can choose whether to share their data with other applications or not. You can disable sharing from the WhatsApp settings.

WhatsApp privacy: end-to-end message encryption

Privacy , that is the entire scope of those rules that protect personal information, is regulated in part directly by WhatsApp and its developers – who have raised the levels of security by introducing end-to-end encryption – in part it is instead l the user himself having to “defend” his own confidential information to prevent it from ending up under unwanted eyes.

WhatsApp has introduced this new technology that allows messages to be displayed only to the sender and recipient of the message itself . This means that even the managers of WhatsApp cannot access the information shared between users (as specified also in the latest updated 2016 legislation), nor can a judge who requests to use certain conversations in a trial. Messages are encrypted by a security code available only to whoever creates the message and whoever receives it. This system was tested by WhatsApp engineers in collaboration with Open Whisper System s, a company specializing in private communication systems.

Tips to make WhatsApp safe: 8 ways to protect your chatChats on WhatsApp are no longer just simple texts. We all know. We share photos, videos, bank details, contacts and much more. A flow of information that is coveted by thousands of hackers around the world. Defending yourself is important, and not only from the most sophisticated scams, but also – at times – from the prying eyes of “apparent” friends. The software company ESET, which specializes in internet security and antivirus, has provided users with a series of tips to increase the security levels of their personal chat on WhatsApp.

Despite the message encryption system, in fact, security on the web is never too much.

Here are the eight fundamental pillars of security on WhatsApp:

1) Enter a password on WhatsApp

One of the best WhatsApp security tips is to protect the application with a password or PIN. WhatsApp itself does not offer such a feature, but there are third-party applications that do. It might seem excessive but if you lose your phone, for example, it will prevent others from accessing your chats. In this regard, we point out two applications:

LockDown Pro is the solution for those who want to block WhatsApp on iPhone. The app is paid, but it is the only one that really works on iOS (don’t be fooled by other applications that promise, without then keeping it, this result). For Android devices, however, the solution to the problem is WhatsApp Lock . The application, created by BunnyLabs specifically for WhatsApp, is instead free.

2) Block WhatsApp photos that are saved in the roll

It is safe to assume that our conversations on WhatsApp may contain private and personal information . And when we share images above all , the last thing we want is to find them among the photos on the roll, ready to be seen even “by mistake” when we use the phone.

The question is easy to solve: just go to the WhatsApp Settings  , then to Data usage  and disable the automatic download (where you find a menu that allows you to choose the download with the Wi-Fi or the phone data connection).

NB After deactivating the automatic download, the photos and videos will still be present in the chats and groups on WhatsApp, but they will not be saved in the phone.

3) Hide the time of the last access

Not sure if you want people to know when you are online? It may not seem like vital information, but if a scammer already knows a few other things about you, adding this information as a last piece – whether you are at home or not, or on vacation – the situation could become dangerous. Or you may not want co-workers to be informed of how much and when we use WhatsApp. Same thing for boyfriends and friends. To avoid this, it is a good idea to deactivate the last login. To do this, just open WhatsApp and go to Settings> Profile> Account> Privacy and in the “Last Access” option select “None”. The procedure works both on iPhone iOs and on Android, Windows or Blackberry.

NB Pay attention: if you deactivate this option, even you will not be able to see the last access of the other users.

4) Restrict access to profile photos

Have you ever thought that your WhatsApp profile photo can be downloaded and used by anyone? Yes, it is in fact a public photo. However, it is possible to limit the visibility of the profile photo only to your friends. To do this, select the “contacts only” option in the Privacy menu.

5) Beware of scams

WhatsApp never comes into contact with the user through the application. Furthermore, WhatsApp does not send chat messages, voice messages, payment requests, photo or video changes, unless you contact technical support yourself. Anything that offers a service, free or paid, is definitely a scam. Better keep an eye out to avoid scams.

6) Disable WhatsApp if you lose your phone

WhatsApp offers users simple and effective security tips to keep control of their account if their phone is lost or stolen. In addition to blocking the SIM card through your network operator, WhatsApp recommends that you immediately activate WhatsApp with the same phone number on a different phone , with a new SIM. In fact, the application can only be used by one device at a time. By doing so, therefore, you will block WhatsApp on the other phone. Also, if you have you can restore old conversations with a data backup .

7) Pay attention to what you are talking about

Last but not least, use the same common sense that you should have with any form of digital communication. Do not send personal information in messages – addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses – or details of your checking account, credit card, passport, and so on. The method to spy on conversations on WhatsApp  exists, and the bad guys are always lurking. If WhatsApp introduces a payment method, there will be a specific and easy to understand security system. Today, however, it does not exist and therefore it is good not to use chats for sensitive information.

8) Remember to log out of WhatsApp Web

WhatsApp has launched WhatsApp Web , the service for sending and receiving messages directly from a PC. However, most of the users are unaware of the fact that one must always log out of WhatsApp Web on the Google Chrome browser. Imagine your colleagues reading your chats on a big screen while you are out and about for a coffee break.

Terms of use and Privacy Policy: you must know that …

It is very common that the terms and conditions of use of the application go unnoticed. Most users click on “I accept these Terms of Use and Privacy Policy” without even reading them (also because, you must accept them to use the application). These are the (updated) rules that are added to the main changes written above.

• Conditions can change at any time.
• You must be 13 years old to use WhatsApp and have parental or guardian consent.
• You cannot use the application in a country under US embargo, nor in any country that supports terrorists (Whatsapp is not with terrorists).
• WhatsApp assumes no responsibility for the content, privacy and actions of third party websites. So if you click on a link that contains a virus, you are solely responsible for the consequences
• It is not allowed to reverse engineer and alter or modify any part of the service. This was the reason why WhatsApp Plus was blocked.
• Anyone can view the status, which you are responsible for, and you cannot include copyrighted information.
• The application has the right to periodically access your contact list to locate new numbers to send and receive messages with them.
• WhatsApp bans spam and using robots to do it automatically.
• You can cancel your account at any time.
• Finally, as WhatsApp suggests, if you don’t agree with these conditions, you can always decide not to use the app.