There aren’t any new features, though.
What you need to know
- Facebook this week launched the Privacy and Safety Hub for Messenger.
- The new section on the Messenger website features a list of privacy and security-focused features available to you on the platform.
- The company reiterated its intention to eventually bake end-to-end encryption into the app by default.
Facebook has made privacy a big talking point in its corporate messaging in the past few years — though some might argue it’s been forced to — and today, the company’s making another announcement in that regard, with the launch of a new Privacy and Safety Hub for Messenger.
The new section on Messenger’s website serves as a glorified FAQ for the myriad privacy settings currently on offer in the chat app, featuring a rehash of options like blocking, reporting, or muting a person and how-tos for them all. There are, unfortunately, no new features to coincide with the launch of the Privacy and Safety Hub, and you still don’t have a way to restrict messages to only your friends.
The page also reminds users that they can manually toggle whether they appear online on Messenger or not. And, of course, there’s mention of Secret Conversations, which is currently the only way for you to send end-to-end encrypted messages on the platform, though the company promises the feature will be enabled by default throughout Messenger in the coming future. You can also set secret conversations to disappear after a while, à la Snapchat.
The PSA from Facebook ends with an assortment of tools for ensuring your Facebook account is secure, such as two-factor authentication and log-in alerts. The social media giant is also quick to boast about its AI chops, and how they help prevent spam, encourage safe browsing, catch fraudulent accounts, and more. If you’d like to take a deep dive into the technical aspects of Facebook privacy features, and the company’s philosophy behind them, the page also hosts a section for the company’s white papers on the subject. Interestingly, there’s only one such link available in the Safety and Privacy Hub at the moment.
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