India is witnessing a surge in cyber fraud cases and one of the most vulnerable platforms to these scams is WhatsApp.
With millions of active users, the Meta-owned instant messaging app is becoming a common ground for scammers to spread their tricks. So, in order to protect users, Meta working on a new security feature that will allow users to block their location from being tracked down using their IP address during a call.
According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is testing a new option in the settings for call privacy called “Protect IP address in calls.”
The feature will make it more difficult for people to track your location during a WhatsApp call by routing the call through WhatsApp’s servers.
“This new option works like a privacy relay feature for calls, that makes it harder for people in the call to infer your location by securely relaying through WhatsApp servers,” says the report.
However, while the feature will give users an extra layer of security, it will compromise a bit on the quality of the call.
Threat to scammers
This is because the call routed through WhatsApp’s servers, which encrypts and routes the data. The encryption and routing processes can add a small amount of latency, which can affect call quality.
The new IP address protection feature designed to enhance the privacy of your location information during calls, making it more challenging for the individuals you are communicating with to pinpoint your precise location.
In terms of availability, WhatsApp has not yet made an official announcement about this feature. Wabetainfo first observed the feature during testing, which initially seen in the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.18.15 update. So it is likely to included in a forthcoming app update.
Once turned on, the new feature will silence the incoming calls from unknown numbers. However, to ensure that users don’t miss out on important calls, WhatsApp still shows the call history in the call list tab and in notifications.