As many of you may know by now, the WhatsApp beta program is well underway with a few new developments for the chatting app. It’s clear that the company wants to compete with its rivals with new features. The latest of these is the ability to instantly join a voice or video call with one click of a link, letting others connect with your team.
The Head of WhatsApp for Meta was excited to tweet about this new development. How it works is that the host of a voice or audio call can go into the settings to view the meeting link. From there, the members of the call can share with other contacts so that they can also see or hear what’s happening.
Of course, your contacts will need to have the latest version of WhatsApp for the call link feature to be available. Also, you’ll need to be careful that the new members don’t randomly share the link with uninvited guests. I don’t know about you, but this new feature may just be a nightmare in the making.
To further propagate my fears, the WhatsApp beta leak mentions that those who join via the link will be able to see the phone number of the person who shared the link in the first place. That means you’re making your number available to people that may possibly harass you in the future.
Does it matter if the calls have end-to-end encryption if you’re freely giving your number away? Sure, no one that’s not in the meeting can hear or see what’s happening. Yet, you’re still basically handing your number out to several strangers.
In other news, WhatsApp beta shows surveys and polls becoming available in a future update.
