Tech Desk 
Jan 28, 2026
WhatsApp on Wednesday launched a new layer of security for users, built with Rust, as part of its efforts to harden defenses against malware threats.
Meta-owned instant messaging platform, in a blog post, said that it allows users to have a private conversation, just like one would in-person. It will always defend the right to privacy for its users, starting with default end-to-end encryption.
However, the organisation knows that a few of the users – like journalists or public-facing figures – may need extreme safeguards against rare and highly-sophisticated cyber-attacks. Keeping this in mind, WhatsApp has launched new lockdown-style feature called 'Strict Account Settings' through which certain account settings will lock to the most restrictive settings, and it will limit how WhatsApp works in some ways, like blocking attachments and media from people not in the contacts.
How does 'Strict Account Settings' work on WhatsApp?
WhatsApp users can enable 'Strict Account Settings' by going to Settings > Privacy > Advanced. 'Strict Account Settings' is one of many ways to protect the users from the most sophisticated of cyber threats. "There is also a programming language called Rust behind the scenes to help keep photos, videos, and messages safe from things like spyware, so the users can share and chat with confidence," said the company.
WhatsApp has added protections like CFI, hardened memory allocators, safer buffer handling APIs, and more. C and C++ developers have specialised security training, development guidelines, and automated security analysis on their changes.
