WhatsApp plans to release a new feature worldwide that will allow users to have the photos or videos disappear after the receiver sees them.
After the receiver opens the picture for the first time, “view once” will delete it, without saving it on the phone, just like the Instagram feature.
Privacy Feature
WhatsApp said the feature was aimed at “empowering users to control their privacy”.
Transparency campaigners say it eliminates accountability and the evidences criminal record such as child abuse.
WhatsApp is focused on marketing this new feature to regular consumers, saying it can be used to send photos that are personal such as – when you try on clothes in the store and ask a partner how they look like, or send someone a password.
Starting This Week
“Not everything we share needs to be a permanent digital record,” it said.
“On most phones, just taking a picture means it will take up space on your camera forever.”
And Whatsapp will be launching this feature out to “everyone starting this week”.
Users will know that the message says “view once” because the preview will be hidden and a large “1” icon will be displayed instead.
Similar to the view once messages in other apps such as Snapchat, however, it will still be possible for a user to take a screenshot or screen recording of a message when it is first opened – or to record one screen with another camera.
Limitations
The feature also comes with limitations:
Photos will not be saved in the phone gallery
Media cannot be transferred, forwarded, stored, or shared
It will expire if it is not opened within two weeks
WhatsApp launched the disappearing message feature in November.
It clears messages from sender and recipient after seven days – and is one of the areas where the legal challenges pop up.
UK law states that information relating to “critical discussions or decisions” requires a record for the historical archive.