The debut comes as an array of agencies and organisations grow disenchanted with Elon Musk-owned Twitter in the face of fees, performance problems, and dramatically scaled-back content moderation.

More than two billion people around the world use WhatsApp, according to the platform.

Meta said it is exploring the option of making encrypted channels available for groups such as nonprofits or health organizations where that level of security might be needed.

Channels was described as a one-way broadcast tool that lets account administrators sent text, photos, videos, stickers, and polls.

Global launch partners include the International Rescue Committee and the World Health Organization, as well as the FC Barcelona and Manchester City football clubs, according to Meta.

The Silicon Valley tech titan said it planned to gradually expand availability of Channels in the months ahead.

According to Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Meta, on Monday, WhatsApp users can now edit their sent messages, even up to 15 minutes after they have been delivered.

This new feature grants users greater control over their conversations, enabling them to rectify errors, improve clarity, or provide additional information.

To edit a sent message on WhatsApp, follow these steps within a 15-minute window after sending the message:

1. Open the relevant WhatsApp chat.
2. Long-press on the message you wish to edit.
3. Select the “Edit” option from the menu that appears at the top-right corner.
4. The edited message will be labeled as “edited” for reference.

Importantly, recipients of the edited messages will be informed of the correction made without being able to access the full edit history.

Meta has announced that this feature is currently being rolled out to users and is expected to become available to everyone in the coming weeks.

Zuckerberg stated, “We’re thrilled to provide you with greater control over your conversations on WhatsApp. Now, if you make a mistake or have a change of heart, you can edit your sent messages.”

He further added, “This enhancement allows you to correct typos, provide additional context, or make any necessary changes to your message. To access this feature, simply tap and hold the message you wish to edit for a moment, then select the ‘Edit’ option from the menu.”

Previously, users had to resort to deleting messages or sending separate correction messages on social media platforms. Meta has begun rolling out this feature to users, and it will be available to everyone in the coming weeks.

While other platforms like Telegram and Signal have already offered message editing features, and Twitter has provided premium users with access to the edit button, WhatsApp’s latest update brings this convenience to a wider user base.

The tech company is said to have partnered with Stripe, a digital payment company, to roll out the feature in the region.

WhatsApp has built this payment feature using Stripe Connect and Stripe Checkout solutions, making in-app payments available online and offline, Tech Crunch reports.

Customers will now be able to pay businesses using credit cards, debit cards, or Singapore’s PayNow fund transfer system

However, Meta stated that the feature is only available to a few businesses at the moment but it plans to expand the availability to more merchants over the coming months.

This feature can be set up by businesses through WhatsApp Business which will guide them on getting a Stripe account too.

The regional head and managing director for Southeast Asia at Stripe, Sarita Singh, said in a statement to Tech Crunch said, “Most people I know in Singapore use WhatsApp to chat with each other. Now, they can pay local businesses using the app as well. The speed and convenience of payments through WhatsApp will help businesses expand their revenue streams with new channels and access a wider customer base.”

The WhatsApp payment was first launched in India based on the country’s Unified Payment Interface network in 2020 in test mode. Last month, it also launched merchant payments in Brazil, after allowing peer-to-peer payments for about three years.

In a brief statement published on his official Facebook page on Tuesday, Zuckerberg made this known.

“Starting today (Tuesday), you can log into the same WhatsApp account on up to four phones,” his post reads.

Users of the well-known messaging and video calling software were previously limited to logging into their accounts on a single phone with the same number.

The previous account will be instantly deactivated if you try to deploy the same thing on another phone.

WhatsApp is an internationally available freeware, cross-platform, centralised instant messaging and voice-over-IP service owned by the tech conglomerate, Meta.

The app allows users to send text and voice messages, make voice and video calls, and share images, documents, user locations, and other content seamlessly.

The Nigerian Communications Commission’s Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT) issued this advisory on Tuesday.

NCC-CSIRT noted that WhatsApp, a service owned by Meta, is increasingly turning into a top target for hackers and con artists who are constantly looking for ways to obtain unauthorized access to users’ accounts.

Two-factor authentication (2FA), according to the CSIRT, is an identity and access management security technique that necessitates two different forms of identifying in order to access resources and data.

According to the advisory, “In the world of messaging apps, one of the most popular and recognizable is WhatsApp. WhatsApp is 100 per cent free to use, has a great mobile app, and supports audio and video calls. Whether you rely on WhatsApp for all your messaging needs or just use it from time to time, it is recommended to set it up with two-factor authentication (2FA). With this enabled, you will need to enter a custom PIN every time you log in to WhatsApp from a new device, adding an extra layer of security to your account.”

The Team said, “2FA gives businesses or people the ability to monitor and help safeguard their most vulnerable information and networks. The 2FA is important because it prevents cybercriminals from stealing, destroying, or accessing your internal data records for their own use”. The advisory stated.

The recommendation further states that “WhatsApp provides two-factor authentication so you can further secure your account using a PIN. It is an optional feature that adds more security to your WhatsApp account, so it is recommended that everyone installs 2FA”.

”The CSIRT stated ten steps for enabling 2FA on WhatsApp, which include the following steps:

”Open WhatsApp, Tap Settings, Tap Account, Tap Two-Step Verification, Tap Enable, Enter the Six-Digit PIN you wish to use, Tap Next, then enter it a second time to confirm it, Tap Next, Add an email address for extra security (this step is optional but it is an extra way to retrieve your account if you forget your Pin) and then Tap Next.

”For those concerned that their PIN might have been compromised or is easy to guess, they can change their WhatsApp PIN or email address by tapping settings.

”Two-Step Verification, tapping Change PIN or Change Email Address, Entering a new PIN or email address, and then tapping ‘next’ to effect the necessary changes.

The CSIRT is the telecom sector’s cyber security incidence centre, set up by the NCC to focus on incidents in the telecom sector as they may affect telecom consumers and citizens at large.

The CSIRT also works collaboratively with ngCERT, established by the Federal Government to reduce the volume of future computer risk incidents by preparing, protecting, and securing Nigerian cyberspace to forestall attacks and problems or related events.

The new voice note feature allows users to record and share voice notes of not more than 30 seconds as status update.

This development is coming months after WhatsApp saw a significant traction in voice messages on its platform where it reported that an average of 7 billion voice messages are sent daily.

This is one of the new innovations that the cross-platform messaging service platforms aims to use to satisfy users who prefer voice notes to texting. This feature is accessed by tapping the microphone icon on the status screen.

In addition to voice status, the latest update on the app include a ‘private audience selector’ that lets users easily pick a privacy option per status to choose who can view their status updates, Tech Crunch reports. “A new audience selector button appears on the status screen — it brings up a menu to let users control the visibility of their status updates. The most recent audience selection will be saved and used as the default for the following status update.”

This was disclosed by Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, in his opening remarks at the 12th edition of the “PMB Administration Scorecard Series (2015-2023)”.

Godwill Akpabio, the minister of Niger Delta affairs, said at the news conference on Wednesday.

In addition to violence, insecurity, vote buying, and attacks on INEC facilities, among other things, the Minister reaffirmed that fake news and disinformation pose a clear and present threat to the success of the elections in 2023.

He added, “In this regard, I want to acknowledge the announcement by Meta, the owners of Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp, that it will take clearly-outlined steps to protect the integrity of the forthcoming elections.

“Specifically, Meta detailed the actions it plans to take to combat disinformation and to make political advertising more
transparent. The company committed to these actions before, during and after the elections.

The minister said it hopes Meta will live up to its promise while urging other platform owners like Google (owners of YouTube and others), ByteDance (owners of TikTok), Twitter and the Telegram Group Inc. (owners of Telegram messenger) to emulate Meta by taking positive steps to prevent the spread of fake news, disinformation and hate speech via their platforms ahead, during and after the 2023 elections.

WhatsApp users in Nigeria are currently unable to send or receive messages on the app.

WhatsApp outage was noted few minutes past 8:00 Tuesday morning.

According to a statement on Tuesday by the apex regulatory body for Nigeria’s advertising ecosystem, ARCON is seeking a declaration among others that the continued publication and exposure of various advertisements directed at the Nigerian market through Facebook and Instagram platforms by Meta Platforms Incorporated without ensuring the same is vetted and approved before exposure is illegal, unlawful and a violation of the extant advertising Law in Nigeria.

ARCON stated that Meta Platforms Incorporated’s continued exposure of unvetted adverts had also led to loss of revenue to the Federal Government.

ARCON is seeking N30bn in sanction for the violation of the advertising laws and for loss of revenue as a result of Meta Incorporated’s continued exposure of unapproved adverts on it’s platforms.

The statement read in part, “ARCON reiterates that it would not permit unethical and irresponsible advertising on the Nigeria’s advertising space.”

According to ARCON, the Council is not regulating the online media space. Rather, it’s focus is on advertising and marketing communications on the online platforms in line with its establishment Act.