WhatsApp recently announced a new set of account protection tools in a move aimed at enhancing users' ability to resist account takeover and fraud attempts, with a focus on strengthening identity verification methods and providing additional information before dealing with incoming calls from unknown numbers.
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Achieve two more powerful steps
The most notable changes relate to the two-step verification feature. WhatsApp previously relied on a 6-digit Personal Identification Code (PIN) as an additional layer of protection, but the company has begun upgrading this mechanism to allow the use of a longer, complete password that includes letters, numbers, and special symbols.
The importance of the change lies in the fact that a more complex password is harder to guess, and it adds a layer of protection if someone manages to obtain the one-time verification code that the user uses to log in. WhatsApp recommends that users avoid weak or easily guessed passwords.
WhatsApp is also expanding the use of passkeys, a method of verifying user identity using built-in security features such as fingerprint, facial recognition, or screen lock code.
The company says that more than one billion people have set up pass keys for their accounts, and it is now possible to add more than one pass key to an account, which is especially useful for users who use devices running different operating systems, such as Android and iOS.
WhatsApp explains that setting up this feature is done by going to Settings, then Account, then Passcodes, which allows for account recovery without relying each time on personal identification codes (PINs) or traditional verification codes.
The user will be able to see additional information about the number, such as whether it is linked to a different country, and whether there are any shared groups between it and the caller. This data aims to give the user additional context before responding, especially since scammers may rely on the element of urgency to push the victim to interact with them.
Artificial intelligence in the fight against fraud
These updates are part of WhatsApp’s broader efforts to combat fraud. Last August, the company unveiled its Scam Alert feature, an optional feature that uses a machine learning model on the device to detect indicators of fraudulent messages.
Meta confirms that the message content does not leave the user's device for the sorting process, and the message is not automatically sent to WhatsApp or Meta. In this way, the company is trying to combine fraud detection with maintaining end-to-end encryption between the two parties.
WhatsApp's protection does not rely on a single feature; the platform already uses end-to-end encryption for messages and calls, along with other technologies such as Device Verification, which helps prevent some attempts to take over accounts linked to malware on the device.
The new updates thus represent a move towards multi-layered protection that combines stronger passwords, device-based pass keys, more information about unknown calls, and machine learning-based tools to detect fraud.
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