WhatsApp WARNS Fathers to stay safe online: Check out these useful tips

Father’s Day is just around the corner and that means you are either going to wish or receive wishes on WhatsApp. For years, WhatsApp has been the ultimate source for Dads to forward some nice (or cringe) wishes stickers or images, or send some forwards from numerous groups. Very often, these messages may contain malicious or incorrect information and hence, it may end up harming up someone. Or, your father may eventually end up getting spam messages from someone.

WhatsApp has, hence, come up with useful tips and suggestions to keep the platform for fathers safe and secure. Hence, if you are a father, you should read this by all means. Or, if you are wishing your father this father’s day on WhatsApp, send this article to keep him safe from all issues.

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WhatsApp Tips to stay safe on Father’s Day

Fact-check information:

In India, there are 10 independent fact-checking organizations on WhatsApp that help users to identify, review, verify the information and help prevent the spread of misinformation on its platform. Additionally, WhatsApp also enables its users to verify the information by texting The Poynter Institute’s IFCN WhatsApp chatbot to get a message or information validated.

Enable Two-Step Verification:

WhatsApp allows users to add an extra layer of security to their account by enabling the Two-Step Verification feature, which requires a six-digit PIN when resetting and verifying your WhatsApp account. This is helpful in the event of your father’s SIM card being stolen or if his phone is compromised.

Block and report unwanted contacts:

Unlike traditional SMS, WhatsApp provides a simple way for users to block accounts. Inform your father that he can easily make reports to WhatsApp if he encounters spams or trolls.. In addition, WhatsApp now provides the option for people to keep reported messages on their phone if they want to share them with fact checkers or law enforcement officials.

Keep conversations private:

With features like ‘Disappearing Messages’ where new messages sent in the individual or group chat disappear depending on the duration users select and ‘View Once’ which enables users to send photos and videos that disappear from the chat after they’ve been opened, WhatsApp aims at giving fathers even more control over their privacy than ever before.

Control what’s shared online:

Sharing sensitive information such as address, phone number, passwords, credit/ debit card numbers, and bank account information should be avoided. On WhatsApp, users have the power to control their personal details such as - Profile Photo, Last Seen, About, Status and who it's seen by - everyone, contacts only, select contacts, or no one.

Be careful with clicking or believing:

Got a job offer, won a cash prize or a fully sponsored trip from an unknown number? These messages often include links to a website or request access to personal information with disguised malware. While we may be aware netizens, our fathers may be more susceptible to falling prey to such scams. Hence, it is important to educate our fathers that they must think before they click - If you receive it on WhatsApp, you can simply report accounts to WhatsApp by flagging a specific message. To do so, you can simply long-press a particular message to either ‘report’ or ‘block a user’.