WhatsApp Rolls Out 'Strict Account Settings'
WhatsApp has introduced a new feature set called 'Strict Account Settings' to improve user security. The update includes enhanced multi-factor authentication and privacy controls, signaling the platform's response to increased pressure around user safety and regulatory compliance.
- This "lockdown-style" setting is primarily designed for high-risk individuals such as journalists and activists who may be targets of sophisticated cyberattacks. - When activated, the feature automatically blocks media files from non-contacts, disables link previews, silences calls from unknown numbers, and restricts who can add a user to groups. - The setting also forces two-step verification to be active and limits the visibility of a user's profile photo, "last seen," and "about" details to only their saved contacts. - This security enhancement comes amid ongoing legal challenges between WhatsApp and the Indian government over the IT Rules, 2021, which mandate the traceability of the "first originator" of messages—a rule WhatsApp claims would break end-to-end encryption. - In February 2026, India's Supreme Court issued a stern warning to WhatsApp's parent company, Meta, stating that user privacy is a constitutional right and questioning the validity of user consent to complex data-sharing policies. - Concurrently, the Indian government has directed Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms like WhatsApp to implement mandatory SIM-binding to combat digital fraud, linking user accounts directly to the registered SIM card. - For businesses, this user-focused security update is part of a broader platform evolution; as of January 2026, WhatsApp's Business API policies in India now prohibit the use of general-purpose AI chatbots, limiting AI to specific customer service functions.
