WhatsApp, the world’s most popular messaging app, officially announced an edit button on May 22, putting typo-prone texters at ease. Meta, which owns WhatsApp as well as Facebook, unveiled the change in a Facebook post by CEO Mark Zuckerberg, saying that users will now be able to modify their messages for up to 15 minutes after they’re sent.
The company confirmed that any changed messages would come with an “edited” tag next to their time stamp. However, messages won’t show a history of the edits. The feature will be available worldwide in the coming weeks.
Global WhatsApp users, by the digits:
2 billion: People who use WhatsApp every day, according to Meta’s latest earnings report.
3.71 billion: People who use one of Meta’s marquee apps (WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook) every day. That’s almost half of the world’s population.
1.1 million: WhatsApp messages sent every second, for a total of 4.2 billion messages an hour.
180: Countries where WhatsApp is available. The app is compatible with 60 languages.
Is WhatsApp data really secure?
One of WhatsApp’s most heavily advertised features is end-to-end encryption of its messages. In fact, Meta recently plastered the airwaves with an ad comparing normal SMS texts to the analog technology of carrier pigeons. But just how secure is your personal data on WhatsApp?
Not enough, according to the European Union. In January, the trading bloc’s Data Protection Commission found that the messaging app breached EU digital privacy laws, fining the company $5.5 million for targeting advertising with private user data. Meta has said it will appeal the decision.
This is not new. When Meta (then called Facebook) acquired WhatsApp, it broke a major rule of its founder’s initial privacy pledge by agreeing to send WhatsApp data to Facebook. WhatsApp users could opt out of that policy until 2021, when the app removed that option in a new terms-of-service agreement.
This has allowed Meta—effectively one of the world’s largest advertising firms—to profile WhatsApp users and harvest their data, along with that from the other services it owns, to create targeted and personalized ads.
Also, a 2021 ProPublica report found that WhatsApp has built an extensive monitoring program and regularly shares personal information with law enforcement, despite its claims of absolute privacy.
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In a major development, Meta – the messaging app with the goal of changing the way people communicate – announced that it is giving users the ability to edit messages sent on the app for up to 15 minutes.This is a new feature that allows users to correct any typos or mistakes made in their messages after sending them, instead of having to delete and re-write the entire message as in most messaging apps.
The new feature is part of Meta’s ongoing mission to bring transparency and clarity to messaging. Its using a feature called Fleet Edits, which allows you to modify a message within 15 minutes of sending it, to ensure that your conversation with other Meta users is as accurate and precise as possible.
This new feature is particularly useful for individuals and teams who rely on quick information exchange or clarification. In a few clicks, users have the power to edit incorrect or incomplete information within the allotted time frame, ensuring that the other person has the most up-to-date information. Fleet Edits also eliminate the possibility of any confusion due to typos or sloppiness, as users can now go back and edit their messages in real-time.
However, Meta’s Fleet Edits feature still has some limitations. Once 15 minutes have passed, users will no longer be able to edit their messages, meaning that information must be correct the first time around. Additionally, messages sent to non-Meta users cannot be edited, making it important for users to read and double-check messages before they are sent.
For many people, the ability to go back and edit a message can be invaluable. With Meta’s new Fleet Edits feature, users can rest easy knowing that their messages will always convey the right message, in the right way.
