Users will still be able to access all of their contacts stored in WhatsApp’s safe cloud storage thanks to this improvement, even if they misplace their phone or connect a new device to their primary number.

In the past, WhatsApp managed connections exclusively by using users’ phone contact books. Only local data would be saved on the user’s device when a new contact messaged them. With the option to sync contacts to their mobile devices, the soon-to-be functionality will let users save contacts that are accessible on any device, including Windows and online versions of WhatsApp.

After allowing users to access two WhatsApp accounts on a single device last year, this update gives users the option to have distinct contact lists for their personal and professional lives.

By enabling users to keep their contact details secret, it also accommodates people who share smartphones with others.

In order to provide safe contact storage, WhatsApp created a new encrypted storage system called Identity Proof Linked Storage (IPLS), which generates an encryption key on the user’s device. By signing any modifications made to the user’s directory, the app also works with Cloudflare to ensure the accuracy of the contact information.

To give an additional degree of anonymity, WhatsApp is also working on allowing users to save contacts by username. Similar to capabilities provided by competitors like Signal and Telegram, this implies that users can communicate without disclosing their phone numbers.

With this new feature, WhatsApp hopes to improve user convenience and privacy while reaffirming its dedication to changing in the highly competitive messaging market.

Three years after Meta discontinued face recognition tech on Facebook due to significant privacy concerns and regulatory pressure, the social media company announced on Tuesday that it is re-evaluating the service as part of an initiative to combat “celeb bait” schemes.

Meta announced it will enroll approximately 50,000 prominent people in a trial that entails the automatic comparison of their Facebook profile photographs with images utilized in suspected fraudulent advertisements. If the photos correspond and Meta determines the advertisements to be fraudulent, it will prohibit them.

The company stated that the celebrities will be informed of their membership and may decline participation if they want not to partake.

The company intends to initiate a global trial in December, omitting significant locations without regulatory approval, including Britain, the European Union, South Korea, and the U.S. states of Texas and Illinois.

Monika Bickert, Meta’s Vice President of Content Policy, stated during a briefing with journalists that the business was focusing on public figures whose images it has recognized as being utilized in fraudulent advertisements.

The objective is to implement extensive protection for them. Bickert stated that individuals may choose to opt out if they like, but the intention is to provide this security in a manner that is accessible and convenient for them.

The test demonstrates a corporation attempting to navigate the complexities of employing potentially intrusive technologies to alleviate regulatory apprehensions regarding the increasing prevalence of scams, while also mitigating grievances related to its management of user data, a longstanding issue for social media firms.

In 2021, Meta discontinued their facial recognition system and erased the facial scan data of one billion users, citing “increasing societal concerns.” In August of this year, the firm was mandated to remit $1.4 billion to Texas to resolve a state complaint alleging the unlawful collection of biometric data.

Simultaneously, Meta is confronted with litigation alleging its inadequate measures to prevent celebrity bait frauds, which exploit photos of renowned individuals, frequently created by artificial intelligence, to deceive users into investing in fictitious schemes.

Under the new trial, the company stated it will promptly eliminate any facial data produced from comparisons with questionable advertisements, irrespective of whether a scam was identified.

Bickert stated that the tool underwent Meta’s comprehensive privacy and risk review procedure internally and was also deliberated with regulators, legislators, and privacy experts externally prior to the commencement of tests.

Meta announced its intention to experiment with facial recognition data to enable non-celebrity users of Facebook and Instagram to recover accounts hacked by hackers or closed due to forgotten passwords.

During the first three months of FY 2024-25 (July to September), Pakistan’s IT export remittances hit US$ 876 million, a notable 33.54 percent rise from US$ 656 million during the same period previous year (FY 2023-24).

In a statement, Minister of State for IT and Telecommunication Shaza Fatima Khawaja stated that the amount of money sent home by the export of ICT services was US$ 292 million in September 2024, a 41.7% increase from US$ 206 million in the same month the previous year.

She stated that efforts to make it easier for businesses to conduct business in the nation are the reason why IT exports are rising and that actions are being taken to increase them.

In response to the Prime Minister’s directions, Shaza Fatima stated that the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, the Pakistan Software Export Board, and the IT industry are dedicated to boosting IT exports with the full assistance of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).

A trade surplus of US$ 764 million was recorded by the IT & ITeS sector in the first three months of FY 2024–25, accounting for 87.21 percent of all ICT export remittances.

Over the same period last year, this surplus represents a 36.67 percent gain over US$ 559 million. The services industry as a whole, however, experienced a trade deficit of US$ 699 million during this period.

The largest of all service sectors, ICT export remittances from July to September 2024, were US$ 656 million, followed by “other business services” at US$ 374 million.