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Even though it has become the most popular social media solution in the world, WhatsApp seems to lag in the vital area of protecting users’ privacy. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a respected U.S. organization, gave WhatsApp just one st

How to Protect Your Privacy on WhatsApp

Even though it has become the most popular social media solution in the world, WhatsApp seems to lag in the vital area of protecting users’ privacy. The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a respected U.S. organization, gave WhatsApp just one star in its four star rating for data protection.

The Foundation was critical of WhatsApp because it does not publish a privacy detailing how much access to data that it provides to governments, Time reported . WhatsApp founder Jan Koum has been highly critical of such intrusions. Koum does not like to reveal many secrets, which often makes it very hard to know how secure WhatsApp really is.

Unfortunately, WhatsApp has become a major target for hackers and other cyber predators because of the enormous amount of data that its 900 million users share. This includes business secrets, financial data, personal conversations, private pictures, and a lot of other potentially valuable stuff that criminals would love to get their hands on.

It’s up to You to Protect Your Privacy

The bottom line is that it is up to individual users to protect their privacy. Contrary to popular belief, WhatsApp’s role is not to secure your privacy; it is to facilitate communication.

Fortunately, there are many steps that individual WhatsApp users can take to protect their privacy. These steps include:

1. Be very careful what you share. If there is a piece of information that you do not want in the wrong hands, keep it off of social media like WhatsApp. The same goes for anything else you would like to keep secret. A good rule of thumb is to avoid posting data like bank account numbers and things like compromising pictures. Obviously, it could be impossible to avoid sharing such data, but it is a good idea to make a list of things you will never put on WhatsApp and follow it.
2. Use a third party security app to lock WhatsApp. WhatsApp’s biggest security flaw is the inability to lock the social media app. There are a wide variety of excellent security apps available through Google Play, the App Store, and the Windows Store, and many of these are free. Such solutions restrict access to WhatsApp with a password or pin. The best way to protect your privacy is to get a highly rated solution such as AppLock and to update it on a regular basis.

3. Be careful with your profile picture. Many people do not realize it, but it is possible for almost anyone to locate a profile picture on WhatsApp with a simple Google Image search. That means a bad guy can quickly learn what you look like and discover a great deal of information about you. Access to your picture can be restricted by setting the profile picture to “contacts only” in the WhatsApp privacy menu. Another good alternative is to replace your picture with something that reflects your personality but says little about you. This could include an emoticon, a cartoon character, or a symbol.

4. Restrict access to pictures and video. You should be very careful about putting pictures of your family, particularly your children, on WhatsApp. As noted above, anybody, including sexual predators, can locate WhatsApp photos through a Google Image search. One reason why this occurs is that Android’s Gallery automatically scans the photos and gives Google Images access to it. You need to be very careful because images are sometimes automatically fed into WhatsApp. This can be blocked on an iPhone by simply going to Privacy in settings and deselecting WhatsApp from the list of apps allowed access to photos. Android users will have to find an app such as ES File Explorer, which can keep Android’s gallery from scanning your folders. It also goes without saying that you should never put a picture that you do not want others to see on social media; the same goes for videos.

5. Deactivate WhatsApp if your phone gets lost or stolen. If your phone disappears, one of the first things that you should do is go to WhatsApp and deactivate your account. This will block anybody from using your WhatsApp to steal your data or communicate under your name. You can reactivate it later on a new phone with the same number if you wish. You should also contact your phone company and shut down your SIM card. Do this immediately because there is no way of knowing who has your phone. Pickpockets and other thieves target phones for data and for free communication at your expense.

6. Always log out of WhatsApp Web when you use it. One of the easiest ways to steal data is to simply walk up to a computer and check the applications running on it. If WhatsApp Web is running, anybody can sit down at your computer and access your conversations. You should log out even if you shut down your computer because it might come back on. This rule should always apply when you are using WhatsApp Web on a tablet or a laptop in public.

7. Be careful where and how you use WhatsApp Web. If there are conversations that you do not want public, do not make them using WhatsApp Web on your computer at work. Do you really want your boss to know that you are sending out resumes? The same should go for any public computer, such as ones in coffee shops, Internet cafes, and libraries. You should also be careful on your laptop or tablet in public places because people can also access WhatsApp Web through it.

8. Be aware of your surroundings. You should always be careful when you are using WhatsApp in public because you never know who might be watching. You should be especially alert in crowded public transportation and on public transportation such as buses, airplanes, or trains. Simply looking over somebody’s shoulder is still one of the best ways for criminals to steal information.

Privacy is a state only available to those willing to work for it. WhatsApp users that want privacy will have to work to create it.

Many businesspeople and marketers make the mistake of ignoring WhatsApp’s Broadcast List, particularly in the United States and Canada, where the solution is not widely used. That is a mistake because WhatsApp has become one of the most popular and pervasive mediums in history, with around 900 million users around the world.

More importantly, WhatsApp contains a feature that makes customer contact fast and simple. The feature is called Broadcast Lists , and some observers think that it could revolutionize social media marketing. The Lists could be revolutionary because unlike some past efforts at such marketing, they actually work.

One reason why many entrepreneurs have shied away from social media marketing is its ineffectiveness. Most of the social media messages, such as Facebook and Twitter, have a tendency to be ignored. People pay attention to WhatsApp because it is a highly focused and streamlined communications medium.

What Is a Broadcast List Anyway?

The major difference between WhatsApp and other social media is that it was designed as a pure communications medium rather than an advertising platform. The app’s creator, Jan Koum , and his boss, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, have repeatedly said there will be no advertising on WhatsApp.

Instead, Koum came up with an alternative in the form of Broadcast Lists. WhatsApp’s Broadcasting feature allows users to send one message to a select group of contacts. This allows for highly focused communication, but it is a little different than a standard WhatsApp Message.

Recipients can respond to a normal WhatsApp Message; a recipient cannot respond to a Broadcast List message. This makes it perfect for business to customer communications such as sending out an alert about a sale or special.

The interesting thing about the Lists is that the number of contacts is limited to 250–263. The reason for this is probably to prevent spamming, which has destroyed some highly effective communications mediums, including email.

How WhatsApp Broadcast Lists Work for Business

The best way to utilize WhatsApp Broadcast Lists is to direct them at highly engaged or loyal customers; for example, people that eat at a restaurant on a daily or weekly basis or regular shoppers at a store.

A fashion store or website might use a Broadcast List to tell a group of select customers that it has some new dresses in stock. The idea here is that those customers that are highly interested in fashion will tell other fashionistas about the dresses.

A coffee shop might use a list to tell loyal customers that it is giving out free samples of its new blend at five o’clock today. A furniture store might use the list to tell people who bought couches that it just put a large number of slipcovers on clearance.

The optimum result for this stratagem is for the message to go viral and for the customers to send out the message themselves. If it works, this could generate the most powerful form of advertising of all: word of mouth from friends, family, coworkers, etc.

Obviously, a very different kind of message will be needed for Broadcast List marketing. Standard advertisements and traditional ad copy probably will not work.

What an Effective Broadcast List Message Should Look Like

An effective Broadcast List message should look like a text to friends or family, not an advertisement. It should sound as if you are sharing a secret with somebody you like or are doing them a favor.

Instead of saying there is a great sale at Jane’s Boutique, Jane could take a picture of a dress on sale and type a message that says, “I cannot believe the price they are selling this at.”

She would then send out those words with the picture as a Broadcast List message. The idea is to convey select special information, not to create an advertisement for a general audience. A car dealer might take a picture of a new model on the lot and send it to a list of people that bought similar vehicles.

A great way to take advantage of Broadcast Lists is to use them to publicize special and unique occurrences. If no such event is happening, perhaps a business owner should create one.

A restaurant could hold a wine tasting or a premiere of a new recipe from the chef for example. A shop could announce that it is donating 10% of its proceeds from tomorrow’s sales to a popular local charity.

Another way to use a List would be to reward customers. Send out a code word and state that every customer that mentions the code word while making a purchase could get a discount or a free sample.

Broadcast Lists for Customer Service

Beyond marketing, Broadcast Lists could be a powerful tool for customer service. One way they could be used would be to keep customers informed of developments or potential problems, such as service outages.

A delivery service could use a list to tell customers what time to expect delivery for example. A hairdresser could tell customers what days she plans to be out of town. An auto dealer could notify customers of recalls and other potential problems.

A Cost–Effective Solution

Perhaps the most important attribute that WhatsApp Broadcast Lists have is that they are a simple and cost-effective solution. If you know how to send out a text, you can create and use a broadcast list.

That means no special software, expensive applications, or professional expertise is needed to send one out. Instead, all you need is a phone and WhatsApp, which is available at the App Store, Google Pay, and the Windows Store for around 99¢. Most experts recommend that you should create a new WhatsApp account specifically for your business and have a smartphone that you only use for business purposes to send out Broadcast Lists.

Once you have those basic tools, the only real limitation to WhatsApp Broadcasting is your imagination. Marketers and entrepreneurs are only now beginning to explore the boundaries of this new media. That means you can get on the ground floor of a new and exciting business and marketing opportunity at little or no cost.

For startups and other businesses on a budget, WhatsApp Broadcast Lists could be the ideal solution for basic business communications.

One of the reasons why WhatsApp has become so popular is that it allows users to make phone calls for free or at a very low cost. Even international telephone calls can be placed over WhatsApp without using your cellular phone plan’s voice minutes.

Placing a WhatsApp phone call is very easy. All you have to do is start chatting with the person by sending a text. Once he or she responds, simply tap on the phone button in the right-hand corner of WhatsApp. If the person accepts the call, you can talk to them as if you were making a phone call.

If you are calling somebody for the first time, it is often a good idea to tell them you are planning to call through WhatsApp. Placing a call is fairly easy, but there are some restrictions to WhatsApp Calling that you should be aware of.

Limits and Restrictions to WhatsApp Calling

Here are some of the limits to WhatsApp Calling that not everybody is aware of:

• WhatsApp calls are not always free, because they can eat up the data in your plan. This is still usually cheaper than international calls. Note: You can place free calls over WhatsApp via a direct Wi-Fi connection or by accessing the Internet through WhatsApp Web.

• WhatsApp Calling does not work on all phones or operating systems. It is currently available for Android, iPhone, Windows Phone and BlackBerry 10. If you use an iPhone, you will need one with iOS 7 or later. You may also need to unlock the phone.

• You cannot make calls to emergency service numbers such as 911 in the United States and Canada and 112 or 999 in the United Kingdom. These have to be called directly.

• You should probably have the latest version of WhatsApp installed on your phone. Some older versions of the application do not have the calling option. You can find the latest version at WhatsApp.com in the App Store, the Windows Store and Google Play.

• You will only be able to call those that are online or using WhatsApp at that time.

• You will only be able to call other WhatsApp users. WhatsApp calling does not enable you to call those using other messaging solutions such as Viber, WeChat, Line and Facebook Messenger. Nor can people using those services call WhatsApp users.

How to Receive a WhatsApp Phone Call

Receiving a WhatsApp call is actually easier than making one. When you get a call, you see the WhatsApp call screen shown below.

To receive the call, simply tap and slide the green phone symbol shown in the lower left-hand corner. To decline the call, simply tap and slide the red phone symbol. If you want, you can also send a quick message saying why you cannot take a phone call at this time.

Watch Out for the WhatsApp Calling Scam

The huge popularity of WhatsApp Calling has attracted the attention of fraudsters. There are now a number calling scams involving the application out there. Here is how one of the most common of these entrapments works.

The user gets a message inviting him or her to try WhatsApp Calling. This is always a scam because WhatsApp does not send out such messages. Instead, spammers are trying to get you to send out advertising or malware to your friends and family. A picture of the scam message is shown below:

The scam usually contains this wording:

“Invite Your 10 Active WhatsApp Friends to Activate WhatsApp Calling.”

This has nothing to do with WhatsApp because the calling feature is automatically activated in later versions of the app. All you have to do is to accept calls or touch the phone icon to activate it if you have a later version of WhatsApp installed on your phone.

You should be very careful with strange texts and calls because the scams are getting more sophisticated all the time. As you can see, the fake call actually contains a list of phone calls that look as if they are coming from friends and family.

Where Can You Make a WhatsApp Phone Call?

The best and most popular aspect of WhatsApp Calling is that you can use it to call any WhatsApp user that is receiving a phone signal. That means you can call almost anybody that has mobile phone service, a smartphone and a WhatsApp Account.

You might also trouble connecting with people in countries like China and the United States, where WhatsApp is not widely used. To call people in the People’s Republic of China directly, you may have to utilize another solution called WeChat . WeChat is also free and fairly easy to download and use, although it should be noted that WhatsApp is the most popular messaging solution in Hong Kong.

One big advantage to WhatsApp is that you can use it to reach people in many developing nations, including South Africa, and to reach contacts in Latin America. Since 78% of Internet users in South Africa and around 70% of those in Argentina use WhatsApp, it is safe to assume you will reach a contact through it.

Another advantage is that WhatsApp is widely used in some European countries, including Germany, Spain and the Netherlands. It is also used by around a third of the people in the United Kingdom.

Yet another reason why WhatsApp is so widely used is that you can send all kinds of data, including videos and photographs, along with your phone call. That makes it ideal for staying in touch with friends and family.

If you do a lot of travel or if you make a lot of calls to people in other countries, WhatsApp is an ideal solution. It is free, versatile and easy to use. Since WhatsApp was designed as a cross-platform application, it functions on a wide variety of devices and operating systems. That means a person with an iPhone can call an Android user with it and vice versa.

Those that make a lot of calls, especially international calls, should check out WhatsApp Calling. It is one of the best and perhaps most powerful features of this highly versatile solution.

If you think that WhatsApp is merely a messaging solution, you are badly mistaken. WhatsApp is also a fast-growing and cutting-edge entertainment medium that could one day be as influential as television or newspapers.

WhatsApp has the potential to become a major force in entertainment for two reasons: First it can connect large numbers of people seamlessly and cheaply, and second it can be used to transmit a wide variety of entertainment. Currently, the app can be used to send video, audio, and written entertainment.

A good model of how WhatsApp could transform entertainment is WhatsApp Groups . These are networks of people that connect through WhatsApp, and many of them share entertaining material, including jokes. A visit to WhatsApp Groups reveals such groups as Best English Jokes, Funny Videos, Indian Films, Latest Arabic Jokes, Latest Movies, and News.

WhatsApp for Viral Entertainment

WhatsApp has the potential to become a powerful force in entertainment because material can spread virally over it. When something spreads virally, it spreads by word of mouth, which, as all experienced marketers know, is the most powerful form of advertising known to humanity.

Viral entertainment is so powerful because people tell each other about it. A person that thinks a particular joke is funny sends it to her friends who send it to their friends. Classic examples of viral entertainment include the hilarious cat videos that have become such a presence on YouTube.

WhatsApp Groups have the potential to become major entertainment hubs because they can connect hundreds of thousands of people all over the world. A person in India that thinks a video is funny can send it to friends in the United States or the United Kingdom.

This means entertainment can spread quickly without the need for massive advertising or promotion campaigns. People can create their own entertainment and disseminate it without the use of traditional media such as newspapers or television. They can also bypass the large corporations that often own or control those media.

Using such groups means a self-produced movie or television show could reach a large audience on a very small budget. A standup comic could reach hundreds of thousands of people rather than just a small audience in a comedy club.

Is WhatsApp the Future of Video?

There are those, including Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who think that video disseminated through social media such as WhatsApp will soon grow into a huge business. Zuckerberg, whose company owns WhatsApp, wants to develop a system that would share revenue between video producers and his company.

“We’ll give a revenue share on a portion of the views to content owners,” Mr. Zuckerberg said in a conference call. The idea here is to let people that produce entertainment earn a profit by selling it through WhatsApp and Facebook.

This could be revolutionary and disruptive because it would enable creators to bypass traditional media outlets such as movie studios or television networks and sell programming directly to the public, CNBC reported . Think of the way companies like Netflix and Amazon have already become a major force in American entertainment.

WhatsApp could play a major role because it already reaches around 900 billion people around the world. It is a simple app that many people are already familiar with. If Facebook could figure out a way to sell streaming video through it, it could create the largest entertainment source of the 21^st century.

How WhatsApp Could Entertain the World

An obvious way to expand WhatsApp’s reach would be to find a way to integrate it with a wide variety of devices; for example, a means of downloading WhatsApp videos onto your TV set through a solution similar to WhatsApp web.

This could be fairly easily done because WhatsApp is a cross-platform solution. That means it operates on a wide variety of devices and mediums. Since it is the largest and most popular such platform solution in the world, WhatsApp would be the natural candidate for creating a worldwide entertainment medium.

The most likely media to spread through it would be video. One place where WhatsApp would be popular is in developing countries like Tanzania, where many people have no access to traditional television or the Internet. Smartphones are their primary means of getting news and entertainment.

If Facebook could develop an entertainment platform just for WhatsApp, it could develop the first worldwide entertainment network. Just imagine the power of a video that could be seen by hundreds of millions of people all over the world at once.

How to Find WhatsApp Entertainment

Strangely enough, one of the best ways to see the future of entertainment on WhatsApp is through a simple Google search for the words “WhatsApp” and “entertainment.” There is now a huge amount of entertainment content being produced for WhatsApp right now, much of it coming from India, where such material seems to be a growing industry.

WhatsApp Entertainment has become so popular in some places, including the United Kingdom, that some British newspapers are now covering WhatsApp material. Unfortunately, it does not seem to have a name yet, although I am sure that will change.

Other ways to find WhatsApp entertainment are to conduct searches for specific products such as “WhatsApp Jokes” and WhatsApp videos. The words funny WhatsApp videos will often produce hundreds of results, many of which are often more hilarious than what is on television.

A great way to get a lot of good WhatsApp entertainment is to join specific WhatsApp Groups that are devoted to it. For example, if you love cat videos, you could join a WhatsApp cat video group or organize one.

In the future, we’ll be likely to see a wider variety of WhatsApp entertainment, including games. One possibility is that there might be video games that are specifically created for WhatsApp. Another might be a continuing television series or a serial designed specifically for WhatsApp.

So it is entirely possible that the next big thing in entertainment, whether it is a must-see TV series or a song everyone wants to listen to, will come from WhatsApp. There might come a time when many people wonder how they lived without WhatsApp entertainment.