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The recent decision to add end-to-end encryption to every message sent through the latest version of WhatsApp, has gotten many people worrying about security. A lot of users are now wondering: who is reading my WhatsApp Posts and why?

Privacy concerns have once again been put in the spotlight with WhatsApp’s system-wide encryption, and the controversy over cracking the Apple iPhone. Many people are now wondering just how secure WhatsApp is and if governments, hackers and others can read their messages.

These concerns were first raised in 2013 when Edward Snowden ; an employee of a National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, revealed widespread surveillance of many kinds of electronic communications including SMS. Snowden handed over documents that showed the American NSA and its British counterpart; the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), were monitoring many kinds of online communications to The Guardian newspaper.

Governments have a Hard Time Monitoring WhatsApp

News articles indicate that a number of different governments around the world have had a very time monitoring WhatsApp messages. Press reports indicate that WhatsApp’s encryption is frustrating spy agencies’ and law enforcement’s attempts to monitor the service.

WhatsApp was shut off in Brazil for 48 hours in Brazil in December 2015, after its operators refused to go along with a secret order to turn messaging data over to prosecutors. The prosecutors were trying to get access to a suspected drug dealer’s WhatsApp’s messages, The Washington Post reported . After the shutoff of service many Brazilians switched to other services including Telegram to protect their data.

There is no evidence that the Brazilian government was able to crack WhatsApp, but it tried. Cases like the one in Brazil; and an effort by the British government to ban WhatsApp last year, show that governments have a hard time cracking the service.

Her Majesty’s government wanted to ban WhatsApp and other encrypted SMS services to make it easier for GCHQ to monitor them, The Independent reported . A public uproar caused Prime Minister David Cameron to back down and withdraw the plan. Cameron’s government was apparently afraid that terrorists would use encrypted SMS to communicate.

WhatsApp Opposes Surveillance

The efforts to ban WhatsApp indicate the strength of the end-to-end encryption, announced by founders Jan Koum and Brian Acton on April 5. These efforts also show that WhatsApp is serious about encryption, and committed to protecting users’ privacy.

Koum came out publicly in support of Apple CEO Tim Cook’s opposition to the FBI’s efforts to crack the iPhone. He called the efforts “a dangerous precedent.”

This means that people who are looking for an encrypted-communications solution should take a close look at WhatsApp. It apparently is as secure as the executives claim. More importantly WhatsApp’s management and its owner; Facebook, are committed to privacy.

It would be impossible for WhatsApp to crack to the end-to-end encryption announced on April 5, even to comply with a court order, Wired claimed . This makes it unlikely; but not impossible, that that WhatsApp messages are being monitored.

Could WhatsApp be Monitored?

The danger is that there could be secret surveillance programs like those revealed by Edward Snowden out there. Agencies like the NSA might keep such programs secret, because they could be illegal or even unconstitutional in the United States.

An even worse danger is governments such as those in China and Russia, which have no respect for basic human rights. Security services and spy agencies in those countries are accountable only to national leaders and operate in complete secrecy. Some democratically elected governments; such as that in the United Kingdom, have also been very hostile to the idea of privacy and encryption.

Therefore there is a strong possibility that governments could be monitoring or trying to monitor WhatsApp messages. Since we do not know the extent of governments’ ability to crack encryption, such capabilities are top secret, there is no way to know if WhatsApp could be cracked by spies.

Who Else Could Monitor WhatsApp?

The European Court of Human Rights ruled that it is legal for a boss to monitor an employee’s WhatsApp posts during work hours, The Daily Mirror reported . That does not mean such monitoring could take place because the boss would still have to crack the service’s encryption.

This shows why it is always a good idea to use services like WhatsApp that offer end-to-end encryption, there is no telling who will try to monitor your posts or when. The European Court ruled that it was legal for the boss to go through the employee’s private messages because they were made during work hours.

It is also possible for anybody in a group chat to monitor what is posted in a group chat. Not to mention anybody that gets access to your phone. This is why it is always a good idea to use an encrypted phone with password or fingerprint protection.

You should use an encrypted solution like WhatsApp, because there are a wide variety of spy programs for sale online and through Google Play and the App Store. Some of these services allow anybody with a credit card to buy them and monitor messages. This means anyone including employers, friends, families or private detectives could be able to read unencrypted messages.

How to Keep Others from Monitoring Your WhatsApp Post

Privacy protections like WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption only work if you actually use them. If you want to reduce the possibility that somebody is monitoring your messages you will have to make sure you have the latest version of WhatsApp installed on all your devices.

If you do not have version 2.16.32 APK or higher installed, you will not have the end-to-end encryption. Since that version was only released on April 5, 2016; if you updated before there’s a good chance you do not have complete protection.

The best way to get the latest version of WhatsApp with end-to-end encryption on your device, is to go to WhatsApp’s website and download the version for your phone. If you want to make sure all of your messages and all the other data sent through WhatsApp including videos, phone calls and documents are encrypted go there and download it now.

Once the new download is installed everything you send through WhatsApp should be encrypted. The encryption is automatic and seamless, so it should start working once installed.

Even though this protection is not complete, it should keep you safe from hackers and others that want to monitor messages. To keep the encryption up to date, make sure that you update your download every few month.

Finally, even with encryption you should always be careful what you post. If there’s something you do not want others to know – do not post it. People cannot monitor information that is never dispersed.

Even though WhatsApp has a reputation as a sort of freewheeling frontier of social media, it does have some rules you should be aware. There are some policies that govern WhatsApp usage even experienced users can run afoul of.

Unfortunately, a lot of people do not realize that these policies exist until they violate them. As with other kinds of social media and online communications, it is possible break the rules without even knowing they exist. Violation of these policies can make it harder to communicate through WhatsApp.

Some of these practices were set up by WhatsApp itself, others are the creation of the telecoms it transmits through following the policies will enable seamless communication. You can ensure that your messages will get through, if you follow all the proper procedures.

WhatsApp Polices you need to Know About

Some of the most important WhatsApp Polices that you should be aware of include:

• International Phone Number: If you call a number in another country through WhatsApp you must not use a zero or an exit code. Instead all calls to international numbers must start with a +. This article explains the procedure of making an international phone call through WhatsApp.

• End-to-End Encryption. Under the new encryption policy announced on April 5, 2016, all messages sent through the newest version of WhatsApp will be automatically encrypted. This means that WhatsApp’s own employees will not be able to read them, and the service will lack the means to decrypt messages. To get end-to-end encryption you will have to download the latest version of WhatsApp messenger from the official website.

• Blocking. It is possible for any WhatsApp user to block a contact at any time. You can tell if you’ve been blocked if you can no longer see updates to that person’s profile feature. Sorry there is no way to unblock such message. WhatsApp itself will not tell you if you have been blocked, instead you’ll have to learn that on your own. This article will tell you how to block users on WhatsApp if you want to do so.

• Group Chat. WhatsApp actually has a very generous Group Chat policy for example you can now add up to 256 people to your chat. You can participate in or create as many group chats as you want. All Group Chats are required to have an admin, if the admin leaves one can be randomly assigned. Something to be aware if, is that you might still receive messages from blocked users if they participate in your group. You will have to ask the group admin to block them or leave the group.

• United Kingdom calling restriction. Calling to call friends or family in the UK you will have to begin the number with +44, make sure to remove the 0 or thecal will not go through.

• Mexico-calling restriction. If you call any number in Mexico you will have to add a 1 after the +52 even if you are calling a Nextel number. If you do not add the 1, the call will not go through.

• Argentina-calling restriction. If you call a number in Argentina you will have to add a 9 between the country code and the area code like this: +529 000000000. You will also have to remove the prefix 15 to call Argentina. All Argentine numbers must be 13 digits in length, or they will not work on WhatsApp.

• Country-calling restrictions. You must enter phone numbers for specific countries in a specific way in WhatsApp. To see how to enter the number go this webpage and use the Select Country search feature found under details to see how a phone call to a particular country should look. If your number does not follow the pattern, it will not work.

• Call policy. If your phone call does not go through on WhatsApp you will have to contact product support at this email: [email protected]. Any technical questions about WhatsApp should be directed to that email as well.

• Support. If you need help with anything about WhatsApp you will have to submit a request through this form. This will enable you to make an official request for assistance to WhatsApp. You can also make a request through this email: [email protected]. All requests will remain anonymous.

• Phone-support policy. Contrary to popular belief, WhatsApp does not work with every phone out there. It currently only works with iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Nokia 640, Nokia S60 or Symbian and Windows devices. You can find a full list of operating systems that support WhatsApp here.

• WhatsApp Web. Currently the only way to access WhatsApp via a computer such as a desktop or tablet is through WhatsApp Web. You can download that solution from this webpage.

• Advertising policy. WhatsApp famously does not sell advertising to protect the privacy of its users. WhatsApp founders Brian Acton and Jan Koum made this clear in this very famous blog post. Users should be aware that this policy is more of a corporate philosophy than an official set of rules, so there are no formal policies against advertising in place on WhatsApp.

“At WhatsApp, our engineers spend all their time fixing bugs, adding new features and ironing out all the little intricacies in our task of bringing rich, affordable, reliable messaging to every phone in the world,” the founders wrote.

• Commercialization policy. Even though WhatsApp has a policy against advertising, Mark Zuckerberg; the CEO of its parent company Facebook, is committed to commercializing the service. The man behind the Social Network has not made specifics available but he made this Facebook post on February 1, 2016:

“Next, we’re going to work to connect more people around the world and make it easier to communicate with businesses.”

That indicates WhatsApp could soon become a business or commercial solution. It also means that business specific products and solutions such as a digital wallet could soon be added to WhatsApp.

• Free policy. Many people have noticed that WhatsApp is now free, Zuckerberg, Acton and Koum dropped the 99¢ fee for downloading the App to increase usage. That makes the service free to everybody to use to facilitate communications.

Something that every user should be aware of is that WhatsApp’s policies could change at any time. That means you should carefully watch WhatsApp’s website and the media for any news of changes.

WhatsApp has become the most popular and perhaps the most powerful communications solution in history. The messaging solution’s creators announced that it now has one billion users on February 1, 2016.

If that number is correct nearly one out of seven human beings is sending messages by WhatsApp at least once a month. This gives Facebook; which owns WhatsApp, access to the largest potential audience in history because the company’s other social media solutions have around 2.7 billion users.

Facebook itself has around 1.5 billion users according to Statista, Facebook Messenger has 800 million users and Instagram has 400 million users, statistics compiled by Statista indicated. In contrast, Twitter only has 320 million users.

The Largest Audience in History

When all the numbers are added up, they indicate that Facebook now has access to 3.7 billion users or a number that corresponds to a little over half of the world’s population. That makes the $19 billion in stock and cash that Mark Zuckerberg paid for WhatsApp money very well spent. Zuckerberg’s products now reach more people than any other company on Earth.

Even if he could reach just one percent of those people with advertising or a promotion, Zuckerberg would have access to an audience of 37 million people. The next step is commercializing WhatsApp to reach more business customers.

“Next, we’re going to work to connect more people around the world and make it easier to communicate with businesses,” Zuckerberg noted in a Facebook post he sent out to celebrate WhatsApp’s one billionth customer.

This means that those who want to take advantage of the next social media and advertising revolution need to get involved in WhatsApp. The messaging application is now the world’s popular and successful communications tool.

How WhatsApp Attracted One Billion Users

The most astounding aspect of WhatsApp’s success has been the rate at which it is growing. When Facebook acquired the company that created WhatsApp the solution only had 450 million users. That means its use has more than doubled in volume in less than two years.

The key to WhatsApp’s phenomenal growth over the past few years has been some of the decisions that Zuckerberg and the solution’s creators; Jan Koum and Brian Acton, have made since joining forces in 2014. The three have embarked upon an aggressive and highly successful campaign to get as many people as possible to use WhatsApp.

The most important of these efforts was to make WhatsApp free to use. They eliminated a 99¢ fee for users and gave up $999 million, nearly $1 billion in revenue to speed up growth, The Verge reported . The strategy which is known in marketing circles as a “freemium” and in retail as a loss leader worked.

Killing the fee made WhatsApp accessible to hundreds of millions of potential new users including some in developing nations for whom 99¢ is a lot of money. The trio realized that an active user and potential customer could be worth far more than 99¢.

By sacrificing around $1 billion in revenue, WhatsApp acquired 550 million new users. The service more than doubled its reach and added untold billions of dollars in future value to its bottom line by simply eliminating one fee.

Then men who connected one billion people WhatsApp creators Jan Koum and Brian Acton.

WhatsApp Brings Encryption to the Masses

The power and reach of WhatsApp is staggering, it was able to double usage and create the world’s largest social media network by simply eliminating one fee. That makes its capacity to change the world and the way people live is immense.

The next revolutionary step that Koum and Acton plan to take is to make encryption; the ability to send messages totally private, available to one billion people, Wired reported . Koum, Acton and Zuckerberg have encrypted the entire WhatsApp network. If all goes as planned not even WhatsApp’s employees will be able to read the encrypted messages.

Every WhatsApp message will now be encrypted from end to end, according to Wired. That means encryption technology and the secrecy it brings which was formerly only available to those who could afford high-end technology such as the Apple iPhone is now accessible even to the world’s poorest people.

How WhatsApp could disrupt the World

This is a potentially subversive and disruptive move because it will enable WhatsApp users to avoid government surveillance. For instance it will now be easier than ever for dissidents and activists to organize protests against governments and big corporations. Social media already played a key part in the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011 that brought down dictatorships in several countries including Egypt and Tunisia.

Another use would for whistleblowers; such as government employees, who want to leak or distribute secret information without getting caught. A clerk in a government office that sees a document indicating that a politician had taken a bribe could simply send a picture that document to a journalist or the official’s political opponents using WhatsApp. Since WhatsApp is encrypted the clerk would not have to worry about getting fired for exposing corruption.

There is of course a dark side to this, terrorists and criminals will able to use WhatsApp to avoid police detection. The disruptions created by activists organizing on Social Media can also be incredibly destructive. Many observers have blamed the ongoing Syrian and Libyan civil wars and the rise of the ISIS terrorist army on the Arab Spring.

The Power of WhatsApp

The most fascinating aspect of the WhatsApp story is the size of the team behind it. Wired reported that WhatsApp only has 50 engineers yet it is capable of reaching one billion people.

Its staff is smaller than that of an average sized daily newspaper. Yet WhatsApp can reach one billion people while the largest newspaper in the United States in 2015, USA Today; reported a circulation of a little over 4.1 million. That could make WhatsApp the most powerful media company in the world.

Those looking for new marketing tools had better take a close look at WhatsApp and social media in general. By acquiring one billion users, WhatsApp has proven that messaging is the most powerful marketing and communications tool in the world. It could also become the basis for the most influential medium in human history.

Anybody that wants to become familiar with media’s future had better take a close look at WhatsApp before it acquires two billion users. Jan Koum, Brian Acton and Mark Zuckerberg have proved that a simple messaging app can change the world.

Even though WhatsApp has become one of the world’s largest and most secure communications platforms; complete with end to end encryption, there are a lot of things you should not post upon it.

Unfortunately, many people make the mistake of posting certain things on WhatsApp, or in WhatsApp chat groups. This can create a security hazard or lead to unnecessary and perhaps destructive conflicts with others.

The good news is that these problems could easily be avoided by following a few simple rules. If you want to keep your information safe, and your reputation intact it is always a good idea to come up with a set of rules for WhatsApp Posting and to follow them.

Ensuring Your Security on WhatsApp

Even though the latest version of WhatsApp now offers end-to-end encryption, there is still a lot of information you should try to avoid posting. Something to remember is that any encryption can be cracked, given enough time and resources. That means it is a good idea to have a list of sensitive information that you will not post.

Examples of sensitive information not to post on WhatsApp include:

• Financial accounts: including credit and debit card numbers, bank account numbers etc. If you send money, send it through a money-transfer solution such as PayPal, Skrill or Venmo. That way you can transfer cash to friends without exposing financial information to them. Venmo in particular is a useful solution because it is designed to work with Social Media.

• Images or copies of documents that might contain financial information, such as checks or contracts.

• Information that could be used for identity theft such as government identification, Social Security, military ID, taxpayer ID and driver’s license numbers. Make sure that documents you send through WhatsApp do not contain these.

• Any information that you do not want the government or the news media to see. This could include political statements, business plans, strategies etc.

• Confidential business information you want kept secret such as business plans, designs for products, sales or marketing strategies etc.

• Details of your personal life that could potentially embarrass or harm you. For example: details of your sex life.

• Business information that you do not want competitors to see. For example: business plans or sales or marketing strategies.

What Never to Post on WhatsApp

There are also some things you should never post on WhatsApp or any other social media. Sadly enough a lot of people do not learn what not to post until their reputation, career or life gets destroyed by post.

Stuff that should never be posted on WhatsApp includes:

• Any photograph or video of yourself; or a loved one, that you do not want others to see.

• Details of your sex life.

• Details of legal conflicts or court cases that you might be involved in. You must be real careful with this; because you might under a court order not to reveal such information. In some countries you could be fined or even jailed for disclosing details of court cases.

• Arrest and other criminal records.

• Proprietary information such as patents or intellectual property.

• Contracts and other legal documents, particularly those related to court cases.

• Financial records.

• Banking and credit card records.

• Any conversation that you do not want others to hear.

What Not to Say or Do in a Group Chat

There are also some things that you should never say in a group chat on WhatsApp or any other social media. A few of the forbidden discussion topics include:

• Anything that could be construed as racial, religious, or other bigotry. This includes racial epitaphs, insulting nicknames and anything that demeans or denigrates any group of people. Be careful because you never know what offends people.

• Unsolicited discussions about religion or politics. If these topics come up, ask if it is okay to discuss them.

• Insults and mockery, particularly of others’ beliefs. This is mean and childish, and can be construed as bullying.

• Bullying, or any attempt to browbeat or coerce somebody, through WhatsApp.

• One-on-one conversations during a group chat. The chat is for the group, not just for two people. If you want to chat directly with somebody, contact them directly on your own time.

• Gossip. This includes both celebrity gossip and that about acquaintances. It is both unprofessional and distracting from the group. It is also real easy for gossip to degenerate into mockery and insults. The best way to avoid gossip is not to tolerate it.

• Spam. This includes any sort of advertisement or promotes your political or religious beliefs. If you have a great offer from a business or a proposition for somebody, send it to people individually.

• Practical jokes. Hoaxes and gags can be funny, but they can also quickly spin out of control.

• Sexual content. This can be quickly construed as offensive or even harassment. Limit this to one-on-one conversations.

• Romance. If you want to strike up a relationship with somebody, contact him or her on your own time.

• Distractions. This can include anything that is off topic, it is both rude and confusing.

• Cute Emojis, ask if it is okay before using these. Not everybody finds them amusing.

• Unnecessary personal details. For example: continually talking about your children during a business conversation. This is rude, and it can quickly get boring to others.

• Unsolicited videos or images. If you plan to send out a video or image, ask the others first and make sure it is alright.

• Business or job offers. If you have one to make to somebody, do it in a one-on-one chat.

• Rudeness. Any behavior that could be construed as rude can quickly destroy a group chat.

By restricting what you post on WhatsApp you can actually greatly enhance the messaging platform’s effectiveness as a communications tool. Some great communications mediums; such as email, have been ruined by spam and unnecessary information.

It is up to all users to police WhatsApp, and keep it an open and safe environment for communications. The best way to achieve is with sensible monitoring of your communications.

A good rule of thumb for all WhatsApp users to follow is this one: if you do not want others to hear or know about something it should never be posted on WhatsApp.

WhatsApp has become the world’s most popular messaging solution with one billion users. To add icing to the cake, WhatsApp is offering free end-to-end encryption on all businesses – giving it a level of security that rivals solutions like Telegram.

Not surprisingly, many small businesspeople and entrepreneurs are wondering if they should take advantage of WhatsApp. After all the service is free and easy to use; so employees and customers are all already familiar with it.

More importantly, some very business friendly features including the ability to transmit PDF documents ; and the capability to send videos, photographs, messages, documents and audio recordings to cloud storage solutions like Dropbox from iPhones, have been added to WhatsApp. This makes WhatsApp a low-cost and easy to use communications tool, but is it really a good solution for small businesses?

WhatsApp is an Ideal Solution for Startups

The best answer to this question is that WhatsApp is a great solution for some businesses. Small enterprises, startups, freelancers and those on a tight budget can benefit from it.

WhatsApp offers some tremendous advantages to Startups and other very small businesses including:

• The App and all the features it offers; including end-to-end encryption and PDF sharing, are free.

• You can easily download WhatsApp and install it from this website.

• Once WhatsApp is installed, it can update itself.

• WhatsApp is a cross-platform solution. That means it works on a variety of devices including iPhones, Android devices, Blackberry, Windows Phone, Nokia S40 and Nokia Symbian.

• You can communicate on WhatsApp using the phones that you and your employees already have, so no additional equipment is needed.

• WhatsApp can be used to share videos, photographs and recordings through a system that offers end-to-end encryption.

• WhatsApp can be used to share and transmit PDFs with end-to-end encryption.

• You can now chat with up to 256 people on WhatsApp, which means that even fairly large businesses can use it to organize teams or conferences.

• You can send regular communications to all your chat recipients by creating WhatsApp Broadcast Lists. Such lists allow you to instantly send a message to all the members of a group chat.

• Many of your employees and customers are already familiar with WhatsApp, so there could be no education required.

• It is possible to send messages and data to WhatsApp recipients from a personal computer by using WhatsApp Web. This means a manager or owner in the office can maintain contact with employees in the field via their phones and WhatsApp. This can also allow you to collect data from employees, customers or contractors in the field.

• By using WhatsApp you can use existing Wi-Fi and phone networks for communication and data transmission.

• WhatsApp is widely available in many places where other communications solutions are not found. This includes many developing nations, and anywhere you can get a mobile phone signal.

• WhatsApp automatically adds people from a phone’s contact list which turns those contacts into potential customers.

How to Use WhatsApp in Your Business

WhatsApp is actually one of the most versatile SMS solutions around. That makes it an ideal means of facilitating business communications.

There are obviously many ways that a clever and creative entrepreneur could put WhatsApp work. Some of the most obvious WhatsApp businesses uses include:

• As means of instantly connecting a new employee or contractor to the company’s network – without purchasing a phone or a new communications solution for that person.

• To maintain regular contract with employees and contractors.

• As a cheap means of collecting instant customer feedback.

• To send contracts and other documents to employees in the field in the form of PDFs.

• To give employees a means of sending data including photos and videos to a company cloud storage solution. Note: this feature is only available on iPhones with WhatsApp right now.

• To send an instant message to all the company’s employees or customers via a broadcast list and a group chat.

• To hold virtual conferences and meetings via group chats.

• To get orders from customers.

• To send out delivery, service and pickup instructions to employees in the field.

• To make sure every employee is connected without purchasing new equipment.

• To send out offers or announcements about the business; such as notification of a sale, to customers who sign up for a group chat and a broadcast list.

• To carry out secure conversions with employees or clients by using the end-to-end encryption.

WhatsApp for Ecommerce: the Future of WhatsApp for Business

The biggest reason why you should take advantage of WhatsApp in your business is the solution’s future. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is committed to making WhatsApp a business solution.

That is why both end-to-end encryption and sharing of PDFs were recently added to the Messenger. It is also why Zuckerberg paid $19 billion in cash and stock for the solution two years ago.

This means we can expect some business features on WhatsApp in the next few years. Likely upgrades to the messaging app could include:

• A direct interface or connection with ecommerce solutions such as Amazon.com or Alibaba.

• A digital wallet similar to Apple Pay or PayPal. This could be the most potent feature because it would allow people to transmit money directly via WhatsApp. Businesses could use it to take payment or to pay bills and invoices.

• Microsoft Office functions such as Excel Spreadsheets and Word documents, which currently cannot be sent via WhatsApp. This would make it easier to use WhatsApp for general business communications.

• A direct interface with existing money transfer solutions such as PayPal and Venmo. This could enable to access bank accounts and credit card balances through WhatsApp. A major use for WhatsApp here would be to transfer money between countries.

• A version of WhatsApp for tablets such as the iPad. This would make it far easier to use for business purposes such as reading and writing documents.

If any of these solutions becomes reality, early WhatsApp adopters will be in an excellent position to take advantage of them. Familiarizing yourself with WhatsApp could give you access to a powerful business tool that you can leverage for success without spending any money.