But the Meta’s messaging app added, “But we also know that a few of our users – like journalists or public-facing figures – may need extreme safeguards against rare and highly-sophisticated cyber attacks.”

What does the new feature do

If a user turns on the Strict Account Settings feature, certain account settings will lock to the most restrictive settings and it will limit how WhatsApp works in some ways.

It includes blocking media and attachments from unknown users, disabling link previews which is a thumbnail that appears when a link is sent into a chat and silencing calls from unknown users. All three have been identified as key for potential surveillance and an aid for advanced hackers.

In order to enable the Strict Account Settings, the user will need to go to Settings > Privacy > Advanced.

“Strict Account Settings is one of many ways we’re working to protect you from the most sophisticated of cyber threats,” WhatsApp stated in the blogpost.

Meta is the third tech company in the United States to offer a security boost for its high risk users. Earlier, Apple introduced “Lockdown Mode” in 2022 and Google-parent Alphabet’s Android started offering “Advanced Protection Mode,” for users with “heightened security awareness.”