WhatsApp is rolling out a new privacy setting to increase the security of groups

WhatsApp lets 1024 members join a conversation over the groups feature. Having this many members in a group brings up security issues. WABetaInfo, which is known worldwide by its accurate WhatsApp leaks, today announced in a blog that WhatsApp is working on a new feature that will ask approval for the new members to a WhatsApp  group.

The new approval process will increase the security of WhatsApp groups

Accorind to the leak, the new feature will let administrators of WhatsApp groups “approve” the membership of new members to a group. The new member will not be able to participate in the group, unless he/she is approved by the administrator of the group. This feature will be on of off, according to the choice of the administrator. Same goes for the invitation links for the groups.

Joining a group over the invitation link poses a security threat. With too many members, group administrators cannot determine who must be in a group or who is an outsider trying to pry into the messages of the conversation.

Members waiting to be approved will be displayed in waiting users list. Administrators will be able to choose and approve/reject the new members.

Accodirng to WhatsApp, this feature will bring more security to the groups. New feature is available with the iOS WhatsApp 23.3.77 version and will be available to other users step by step in the ongoing days. WhatsApp will also stop unknown numbers to join the groups. From now on, only the numbers who are in the address book will be able to join the groups. This way, it will be easier to distinguish the owner of the message, by just looking at the name.