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A new WhatsApp update brings an important feature. It is intended to help users check shared images for authenticity more quickly.
Berlin – With around two billion active users worldwide, WhatsApp is the most popular messenger app. In Deutschland More than 50 million people use the Meta Group app every day to write messages or make calls. The chat service is therefore always trying out new options in order to be able to provide even more sophisticated functions. A significant innovation in WhatsApp currently concerns group chats, for example.
But user security concerns must also be taken seriously. After all, questionable information and images often appear on the Internet, which spread quickly on social networks or messenger services – and are not always immediately recognizable as such. Manipulated or AI-generated images are becoming increasingly difficult to check. In order to curb the spread of fake images in the future, WhatsApp is testing, according to the online magazine t3n.de current a new function: an image search for shared images on the Internet.
No more fake images: WhatsApp is rolling out a new update that will better protect users in the future (symbolic image) © Weronika Peneshko/dpa
WhatsApp is developing a new function: In the future, images can be checked for authenticity
Already in beta version 2.24.20.28 for Android smartphones, links sent could be checked for authenticity in order to identify potential fake news. What’s new in the current WhatsApp beta version 2.24.21.31 is that the practical search function is also offered for photos. It is intended to help users quickly check the authenticity of links and images in messages, especially for frequently forwarded content that could contain misinformation or altered content, the portal reports WABetaInfo.com.
WhatsApp update develops new function: Image search protects against fraud and hoaxes © Screenshot/ WABetaInfo.com
According to the report, if users receive an image that has been altered or taken out of context, this feature will allow them to verify the source and authenticity of the image by searching for similar images or the original version on the Internet. To protect user privacy, an additional level of data protection has been added. This means: When you start the image search function, it is sent to Google, but not shared with WhatsApp to ensure that WhatsApp itself does not save or distribute the image or its caption, the portal emphasizes.
New WhatsApp function still in the testing phase
The image search feature will be available for all images, regardless of how they were shared or frequently forwarded, reports WABetaInfo.com further. This means users always have the option to search for more information about each image they receive.
However, things are different when searching for links. Here it is often only available for forwarded messages. The link and image search are optional. This means that users can decide for themselves whether they want to initiate a search or not. This ensures that no data is shared without users’ consent. The image search function is currently still in the testing phase and will only be available with the next update. Meanwhile, WhatsApp recently announced a new function that is intended to improve the sending of photos and videos.
WhatsApp update for images: Detect false reports more easily
Spreading false news or images is dangerous. The federal government therefore offers five tips on how to recognize disinformation:
- Question critically: It is important not to forward questionable content without checking it. Watch out for lurid writing style and spelling errors in news texts.
- Fact check: Linked sources can provide information about how reliable the facts of the news are. It is best to enter suspicious keywords from the news text into a search engine along with the word fact check.
- Check message sender: How reliable is the sender? Always check who posted the message or image. The best thing to do is to take a look at the imprint on the websites.
- Compare sources: Compare questionable news with other sources.
- Check images: You can check whether a photo has been manipulated or taken out of context using the reverse image search.
Many criminals also use the popular messenger service for fraudulent activities. To counteract this, WhatsApp had developed a special feature. (vw)
