WhatsApp hits 2 billion worldwide users mark
Messaging app WhatsApp now has more than 2 billion users globally, the company said in a blog post Wednesday.
WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, has however said it will not compromise on the messaging app’s end-to-end encryption, despite warnings from law enforcement officials.
WhatsApp said its uses strong crypto to keep information sent over the service private, helping protect users from hackers and criminals.
“We know that the more we connect, the more we have to protect. As we conduct more of our lives online, protecting our conversations is more important than ever,” WhatsApp said.
“For even more protection, we work with top security experts, employ industry leading technology to stop misuse as well as provide controls and ways to report issues – without sacrificing privacy,” WhatsApp further stated.
Last week, child protection organizations called on Facebook to halt plans for strong encryption of all its platforms, saying that would allow predators to operate freely.
Officials from the US, Britain and Australia late last year called on Facebook to allow authorities to circumvent encryption to better fight extremism, child pornography and other crimes.
The company was founded in 2009 and bought by Facebook in 2014.