WhatsApp To Soon Start Blocking Screenshots Of View Once Messages

WhatsApp is likely to get a new privacy feature in which the Meta-owned company would block the ability to take screenshots of media files such as photos and videos which are shared as "View Once".

Meta-owned WhatsApp is releasing a new version of view once images and videos in order to prevent users of the platform from taking a screenshot, or screen recording.

WhatsApp is likely to get a new privacy feature in which the Meta-owned company would block the ability to take screenshots of media files such as photos and videos which are shared as "View Once". To recall, earlier in August, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had announced on Facebook three new privacy features that would have been released for users, including online status, past participants and screenshot blocking.

According to WABetaInfo, a beta WhatsApp tracker, Meta-owned WhatsApp is releasing a new version of view once images and videos in order to prevent users of the platform from taking a screenshot, or screen recording. The feature is already available for some beta testers who have installed the latest beta from the Google Play Store.

WABetaInfo also shared a screenshot which was black. "In fact, some beta testers are no longer able to take a screenshot to view once images, and screen recordings to view once videos. Normally, you cannot take a screenshot due to security policy and a toast will show up but even if some people would use third-party extensions to be able to bypass the security policy, the image will always be black," WABetaInfo wrote on its page.

Meanwhile, aiming to explore more options to monetise its products, Meta is working to bring “possible paid features” to social networking services Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram, according to a report by The Verge. This comes after Meta's ad business was severely hurt by Apple iOS privacy changes on Apple App Store and falling revenue from its ad business.

The company has not elaborated on the paid features it is mulling to introduce across Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. Meta's new group would be named "New Monetisation Experiences" and it would be headed by Meta's former head of research, Pratiti Raychoudhury, the report added.