Meta is introducing an AI-powered scam alert feature on WhatsApp. This feature aims to detect potentially fraudulent messages and alarm users before scam.
According to reports, the new feature uses on-device machine learning to assess chats for signs of scam activity. It is currently being launched to a limited group of users as a beta feature. However, it is expected to become available worldwide.
How will the new feature work?
WhatsApp’s system will identifiy scams through conversations displayed, warning users directly within the chat. This feature will be visible only to the user receiving it.
In addition, users can then choose to block the sender, report the conversation, or continue chatting despite the alert. If the warning turns out to be incorrect, users have the option to mark the conversation as trusted.
Meta says the new system has been designed for users privacy, and will be able to disable the scam alert feature whenever they choose. However, this is not WhatsApp’s first AI-based security measure this year. The platform had earlier introduced a similar feature to identify suspicious device-linking requests, which scammers often use to gain unauthorised access to users accounts.
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