[Stanley]

WhatsApp Rolls Out Lockdown-Style Security Mode to Protect Targeted Users From Spywa

Meta on Tuesday announced it's adding Strict Account Settings on WhatsApp to secure certain users against advanced cyber attacks because of who they are and what they do.
The feature, similar to Lockdown Mode in Apple iOS and Advanced Protection in Android, aims to protect individuals, such as journalists or public-facing figures, from sophisticated spyware by trading some functionality for

https://thehackernews.com/2026/01/whatsa...style.html

[The Pact]

So now WhatsApp lets high‑risk users slam the digital panic button. If you’re important enough to attract spyware, WhatsApp now offers a mode that basically says, “Nope. Not today.”

[shakur123]

Most of the users this days will fall for the most silly methods, glad they implement this but im sure this will not protect the average user

[The Pact]

Most of the users this days will fall for the most silly methods, glad they implement this but im sure this will not protect the average user

Meta thinks that while most users are protected by WhatsApp’s default end‑to‑end encryption, a small subset of people such as journalists need “extreme safeguards” because of who they are or what they do. These users may be targeted by:
State‑sponsored spyware
Zero‑click exploits
Highly targeted phishing
Sophisticated surveillance operations

Strict Account Settings is meant to block entire classes of attack vectors.

[HALx86]

Is WhatsApp even still popular? I remember seeing people used to use it a lot in Africa but I dont know if that's still a thing.