【1982 Archives】

WhatsApp may soon982 Archivesa new weapon in the fight against one of the most insidious forms of spam: shady links.

The messaging app is testing a new feature that can detect suspicious links within messages and warns users before they click, a company rep confirmed to Mashable.

SEE ALSO: WhatsApp will pay researchers to study its fake news epidemic

The feature is aimed at a specific type of exploit favored by spammers and phishers: links that mimic legitimate URLs by using characters from other alphabets that look similar to other letters. In the example below, for instance, the URL in the message looks like a link to whatsapp.com, but the "w" character is actually an entirely different letter (note the small dot under the w).

Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

This technique, known as an "IDN homograph attack," is commonly used by spammers and in phishing attacks and can be particularly effective if you're not paying close attention.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

With the potential new feature, WhatsApp will append a red "suspicious link" label when it detects a character that seems out of place. Notably, the feature will work regardless of the language you use the app in. The company notes that the link checks don't affect existing privacy settings.

"To protect your privacy, these checks take place entirely on your device, and because of end-to-end encryption WhatsApp can’t see the content of your messages," a spokesperson said in a statement.

The link alert feature began to roll out to WhatsApp's beta testers on Thursday. The new test comes on the heels of several updates meant to combat fake news and misinformation.

The messaging app has also added new admin controls for group chats and labels for forwarded messages. These features, along with ad campaigns, are designed to help WhatsApp's 1 billion users better identify fake news, hoaxes, and other false information that can spread via the messaging app.

---

Featured Video For You

---

From balloons to satellites, here’s how big tech is battling it out to bring internet to the most remote areas

---

Topics Facebook Social Media WhatsApp

• Social Good
• Deals
• Games
• Life
• Tech
• Science
• Digital Culture
• Shopping

• NYT Connections hints and answers for May 2: Tips to solve 'Connections' #691.
• Jenny Han has the purest reaction to fans' Lara Jean costumes
• I regret to admit that switching to an actual alarm clock is a good move
• Apple reveals new MacBook Air, Mac mini, and iPad Pros
• SpaceX lands its first rocket on West Coast ground: Watch
• Giant Antarctic iceberg breaks into ocean after forming ominous crack
• Olympic tennis final gets Star Wars credits treatment in 'green screen' remix
• Apple confirms launch of iOS 12.1 update with group FaceTime
• Then and Now: 6 Generations of GeForce Graphics Compared
• Olympic swimmer babysits a random kid on his flight home

• Karl Ove Knausgaard and Television in America
• How Porn—and Lust—Have Changed Since the Seventies
• Trollope Gets His 65,000 Words Back
• Trying to Inject Meaning Into the Daily Grind
• Announcing This Year’s Plimpton Prize and Terry Southern Prize Winners
• Terry Pratchett’s Advice for “Keeping It Real”
• Tuesday. March 10: Lorin Stein and Paul Beatty in Conversation
• “Bankspeak”: Your New Least Favorite Language
• My Latest Phobia: Contact Lenses
• Interviewing Philip Levine: A Remembrance

• Every MCU movie villain ranked, from "Iron Man" to "Thunderbolts*"
• Apple reveals redesigned iPad Pro tablets with USB
• The 'Riverdale' cameo on 'The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina' makes zero sense
• Uber's new Ride Pass lets you pay a monthly fee for discounted rides
• A worthless juicer and a Gipper-branded server
• Photos show the drama of the worst flood to hit Venice in 10 years
• Olympic swimmer babysits a random kid on his flight home
• 17 motivational quotes from your favorite 2016 Olympians
• It's Time to Reinvent the Digital Pen
• Waze isn't just a navigation app, it's now an audio player

• Insane wildfire photo perfectly sums up America in 2017
• Olympic tennis final gets Star Wars credits treatment in 'green screen' remix
• Uber is suing London over coming regulations
• Anki improves the Cozmo experience with its 3.0 update
• Tennessee vs. Kentucky 2025 livestream: How to watch March Madness for free
• Jenny Han has the purest reaction to fans' Lara Jean costumes
• Twitter row erupts over commentator's 'sexist' remarks about Olympic couple
• Uber is suing London over coming regulations
• Elon Musk says SpaceX will launch the Falcon Heavy 'in a week or so'
• Apple reveals new MacBook Air, Mac mini, and iPad Pros