Meta-owned messaging platform WhatsApp has rolled out a new feature known as ‘status archive’ for business accounts.

The ‘Status Archive’ feature will enable users conveniently manage their archive preferences and access their archived statuses directly from the menu within the status tab. Notably, the archived statuses will remain private and will be visible to only the respective businesses.

The archived statuses can be stored for up to 30 days on the user’s device, during this period, businesses can still create advertisements for either Instagram or Facebook or share status updates until it expires from the archive.

Investors King understands that this feature will be very pivotal for businesses, as it provides them with the opportunity to repost a status from their archived and share it with customers to enhance their business outreach.

The ‘status archive’ feature is currently available for beta users and is expected to roll out to a wider range of users in the coming weeks.

Once available, users will get a banner in the app’s Status tab, suggesting that updates will be kept on their devices for up to 30 days after it is shared. This feature is only limited to business accounts.

WhatsApp has in less than a decade become the most popular app for personal and business conversations. This has seen it become a widely used tool by business owners as it offers them a fast, simple, and convenient way to carry out their businesses and transactions.

With WhatsApp, companies can send appointment reminders, order notifications, product demonstration videos, verification codes, boarding passes, amongst others. It’s immediate, more personal, and international in reach. It also provides reliable delivery information, providing businesses the additional benefit of knowing what messages have been delivered and, ultimately, read.

The introduction of WhatsApp as a business tool is no doubt monumental. With its extensive reach, highly engaged user base, and rich communications capabilities, it has the potential to become one of the most powerful customer engagement channels on the market today, especially for those businesses serving a global audience.

In a world where communication has become more instant and spontaneous than ever, we often find ourselves wishing we could take back something we’ve said. Perhaps it was a simple typo, an autocorrect mishap, or a sudden change of heart. We’ve all been there. Fortunately, WhatsApp has heard our plea and introduced a game-changing feature that allows users to edit their sent messages.

Gone are the days of living with embarrassing mistakes or feeling the need to send a follow-up message to correct yourself. WhatsApp has now given us the power to make modifications to our messages after they have been sent. Whether it’s fixing a misspelling, adding crucial context, or rephrasing a statement, you can now do it all with just a few simple taps.

To access this revolutionary editing feature, all you need to do is long-press on the message you wish to edit. A menu will appear, presenting you with various options, and among them, you’ll find the coveted ‘Edit’ button. Once selected, you will be able to make changes to the message’s content, ensuring that it accurately reflects your intended meaning.

What’s truly remarkable about this feature is that WhatsApp has taken privacy and security into consideration. Edited messages will bear a distinct ‘edited’ label, notifying the recipient that a modification has been made. This transparency allows for open and honest communication while ensuring that the editing history remains concealed. As always, your messages, media, and calls on WhatsApp are safeguarded by end-to-end encryption, providing you with peace of mind.

The rollout of this groundbreaking feature has commenced worldwide, and users can expect to have access to it in the coming weeks. Whether you’re a business professional who needs to make a swift correction in a crucial message or a friend who wants to amend a statement that came out wrong, WhatsApp’s editing feature is set to revolutionize the way we communicate.

Imagine the freedom of expression and the elimination of anxiety that comes with knowing you have the ability to rectify any slip-up. With this new feature, WhatsApp empowers its users to engage in more confident and accurate conversations. No longer do we need to agonize over a misplaced word or hastily sent message; we can now correct and enhance our communication with ease.

So get ready to embrace this new era of messaging, where errors and regrets can be seamlessly resolved. WhatsApp’s editing feature is just one more step in the company’s mission to provide a user-friendly and versatile platform for effective communication. Edit your messages, fine-tune your conversations, and enjoy the benefits of enhanced control over your chats. Say goodbye to the fear of making mistakes and hello to a new level of messaging freedom.

In a groundbreaking decision, Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook, has been slapped with a record-breaking €1.2 billion (US$1.3 billion) privacy fine by the European Union (EU).

The EU’s regulatory body, the Irish Data Protection Commission, announced the penalty and issued a deadline for Meta to cease shipping users’ data to the United States. This stern action comes in response to the company’s failure to adequately safeguard personal information from the prying eyes of American security services.

The Irish Data Protection Commission emphasized that Meta’s ongoing data transfers to the US did not sufficiently address the risks posed to the fundamental rights and freedoms of individuals whose data was being transferred across the Atlantic.

Consequently, Meta has been given a five-month ultimatum to suspend any future transfer of personal data to the US, and a six-month deadline to halt the unlawful processing and storage of transferred personal data in the US.

While the ban on data transfers was widely expected and previously prompted Meta to consider withdrawing from the EU altogether, the impact of this decision has been mitigated by the transition phase outlined in the ruling. Additionally, there is hope for a new EU-US data flows agreement, which could be operational as early as the middle of this year.

Monday’s decision is the latest development in a protracted saga that has left Facebook and numerous other companies in a legal quandary. In 2020, the highest court of the EU annulled an EU-US pact that regulated transatlantic data flows due to concerns over the safety of citizens’ data once it reached US servers.

While the court did not invalidate an alternative tool based on contractual clauses, doubts about American data protection prompted the Irish authority to issue a preliminary order, prohibiting Facebook from transferring data to the US via this method as well.

In December, EU regulators unveiled proposals to replace the defunct “Privacy Shield” agreement, which had been invalidated by the EU’s Court of Justice. Months of negotiations with the US resulted in an executive order from President Joe Biden and assurances that EU citizens’ data would be safeguarded during transatlantic transfers.

The fine imposed on Meta Platforms coincides with the fifth anniversary of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which is considered the global standard for privacy protection. Since May 2018, EU regulators have had the authority to impose fines of up to 4% of a company’s annual revenue for severe violations.

The Irish Data Protection Commission has swiftly emerged as the leading privacy regulator for major tech firms with an EU presence, including Meta and Apple, following the transition triggered by the annulment of the EU-US data pact.

As the deadline looms for Meta Platforms to comply with the EU’s demands, all eyes will be on the company’s response and the potential impact on transatlantic data flows. This landmark decision serves as a stark reminder of the importance of safeguarding personal information and the ever-evolving landscape of data privacy regulation in the digital age.