WhatsApp launches feature that prevents chat export, auto download of media

Meta-owned WhatsApp has introduced Advanced Chat Privacy, a feature designed to bolster user protection by preventing the export of chats, automatic media downloads, and use of messages for AI functions.

The feature is available in both individual and group chats, adding a new layer to the platform's long-standing commitment to privacy through end-to-end encryption, it said.

Users can activate it by tapping the chat name and navigating to the new privacy setting.

The latest feature aims to offer extra security in situations where sensitive topics are discussed among people who may not know each other well—such as health support groups or grassroots community organising.

WhatsApp says the update is now rolling out globally to all users on the latest version of the app.

WhatsApp, one of the world's largest end-to-end encrypted messaging platforms, has consistently prioritised user privacy—even when facing regulatory pressure.

In 2021, the company was embroiled in a high-profile legal dispute with the Indian government after refusing to comply with a law requiring digital platforms to identify the "first originator" of messages.

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WhatsApp argued that complying would break end-to-end encryption and compromise user privacy, potentially creating a surveillance regime.

The company responded by filing a lawsuit against the Indian government, and threatened that it would leave India if forced to break encryption. It challenged the constitutionality of the rule on the grounds that it would force WhatsApp to violate its own security protocols.