WhatsApp highlights built-in layers of protection for user privacy through new campaign

WhatsApp has launched the India edition of its global brand campaign to create awareness about its interlocking layers of protection that offer people more privacy and control over their conversations while messaging.

The campaign focuses on educating users on WhatsApp’s built-in layers of privacy protections that have been added over the years, including three new privacy features - leaving groups silently, controlling who can see when you're online, and screenshot blocking for ‘view once’ messages. The new features were announced earlier this month as part of a global campaign, adding to a host of existing privacy features, and demonstrates how WhatsApp’s multiple layers of privacy controls come together to provide users more protection when having a truly private conversation when messaging.

Conceptualized by BBDO India and directed by Prakash Varma, the film brings alive a heartwarming exchange between a father and son in an intensely personal moment, showing how WhatsApp’s built-in layers of protection allow them the privacy and security to have a meaningful conversation, when it matters the most. The film depicts WhatsApp’s promise and strength of ‘privacy’ through features like end-to-end encryption, two-step verification and hidden online presence, enabling the duo to express themselves freely despite being surrounded by crowds in a restaurant or football stadium.

Talking about the campaign, Avinash Pant, Director - Marketing at Meta India, said, “At WhatsApp, privacy is in our DNA and over the years, we have consistently added layers of protection through product-features that empower people with more control over their messages. This is our way of extending awareness and assurance to our users on how the new and existing built-in layers of protection help you message freely without compromising on your privacy. We want users to know that they always have a safe and private space on WhatsApp, no matter where they are! We feel it's a great privilege that two billion people around the world trust WhatsApp to deliver their personal messages everyday and this campaign is an affirmation of WhatsApp’s continued commitment to protecting their private conversations.”

Commenting on the campaign and its creative treatment, Josy Paul, Chair and Chief Creative Officer, BBDO India, said, “WhatsApp’s mission is to connect the world privately, and this campaign captures the essence of people feeling empowered to have private conversations even during vulnerable moments because their messages remain protected and secure. The film demonstrates WhatsApp being that ‘safe space’ for people like the -father and son- who have a very private and emotional conversation, amidst hordes of people. You don’t know the exact exchange between the characters, you can’t see their messages because that’s private, but the simple shots of crowds disappearing, doors locking, CCTVs turning away, demonstrate how WhatsApp’s privacy features continue to provide the much-needed intimacy and protection throughout their most private moments.”

Over the coming weeks, WhatsApp aims to educate users on each privacy feature through short films which will highlight their benefits and the steps to activate them so that users can take advantage of WhatsApp’s built-in layers of protection, which include:

Leave Groups Silently: Users will be able to exit a group privately without having to notify everyone.

Choose Who Can See When You’re Online: For the times you want to keep your online presence private, WhatsApp is introducing the ability to select who can and can’t see when you’re online.

Screenshot Blocking for View Once Messages: WhatsApp is enabling screenshot blocking for View Once messages for an added layer of protection. This feature is being tested and will be rolled out to users soon.

Default E2EE: WhatsApp always protects your personal conversations with end-to-end encryption by default (regardless of device) so that no one, not even WhatsApp, except your intended recipient can see or hear your private personal conversations.

Encrypted Backups: WhatsApp offers the ability to backup your chat history with end-to-end encryption so it’s secure and only accessible to you with a password or encryption key. No other messaging service at our scale provides this level of additional security for your messages.

Disappearing Messages: WhatsApp’s disappearing messages offer peace of mind with the ability to set durations for disappearing messages: 24 hours, 7 days, or 90 days so users can send photos and videos that disappear after they have been opened.

Block and Report: Users can choose to stop receiving messages and calls from certain contacts by blocking them and reporting them if they are sending problematic content or spam.

Two-step Verification: For more protection, the two-step verification feature gives users the option to set a unique six-digit PIN that can be used when registering your phone number with WhatsApp again. This optional feature adds another layer of security to their WhatsApp account.