ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is all set to introduce ‘Beep’ application, a secure messaging platform for public sector officials, modelled after China’s WeChat, in the coming months.
During a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on IT and Telecom, chaired by MNA Syed Amin Ul Haque, officials were briefed that the app is ready and scheduled for rollout by June 2026.
“The purpose of launching the BEEP app is to provide a secure messaging platform for public sector employees,” National Information Technology Board (NITB) Chief Executive Officer Faisal Iqbal Ratyal told the committee.
The platform features end-to-end encryption for video communications, making it appropriate for sensitive government discussions.
In response to questions about operational costs, the NITB CEO explained that Beep will adopt a usage-based fee model, with ongoing efforts to ensure the platform becomes financially self-sustaining in the long term.
Facebook’s New AI Tool to Help Users Share Memories
Earlier, Facebook launched a new feature that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to help users rediscover and share old memories.
The tool automatically suggests photos and videos from a user’s camera roll, allowing them to create simple collages and short edits without much effort.
According to the company, the feature is meant to encourage people to share special moments that often go unnoticed.
Many users take hundreds of photos but never post them, either because they think the quality isn’t good enough or because they don’t have the time to edit.
Meta faces investigation over ‘massive’ spying on Android users
It is pertinent to mention here that Meta, the parent company of social media giants WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook, is under investigation over allegedly massive spying on Android users.
Spain’s President, Pedro Sánchez, announced that he will deploy a series of measures to combat “disinformation”, protect minors, eradicate “hate speech”, and curb the violation of citizens’ privacy.
Following the announcement, the Spanish parliament is probing Meta for allegedly spying on users in a “systematic and massive” privacy case.
“In Spain, the law is above any algorithm or any large technology platform. And anyone who violates our rights will pay the consequences,” Sánchez stated.
The international investigation found that Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, used a hidden mechanism to track the web history of Android users from September 2024 until this summer.
Also read: Meta Introduces New Anti-Scam Features on WhatsApp and Messenger
