Apple Explores India for iPhone Chip Assembly as Manufacturing Push Accelerates 
TSMC Honors Japanese Chip Equipment Makers With 2025 Supplier Awards 
Moore Threads Unveils New GPUs, Fuels Optimism Around China’s AI Chip Ambitions 
SpaceX Begins IPO Preparations as Wall Street Banks Line Up for Advisory Roles 
Oracle Stock Slides After Blue Owl Exit Report, Company Says Michigan Data Center Talks Remain on Track 
Biren Technology Targets Hong Kong IPO to Raise $300 Million Amid China’s AI Chip Push 
Republicans Raise National Security Concerns Over Intel’s Testing of China-Linked Chipmaking Tools 
Texas App Store Age Verification Law Blocked by Federal Judge in First Amendment Ruling 
OpenAI Explores Massive Funding Round at $750 Billion Valuation 
Nvidia to Acquire Groq in $20 Billion Deal to Boost AI Chip Dominance 
Amazon in Talks to Invest $10 Billion in OpenAI as AI Firm Eyes $1 Trillion IPO Valuation 
SpaceX Insider Share Sale Values Company Near $800 Billion Amid IPO Speculation 
U.S. Lawmakers Urge Pentagon to Blacklist More Chinese Tech Firms Over Military Ties 
Apple Opens iPhone to Alternative App Stores in Japan Under New Competition Law 
Trump Administration Reviews Nvidia H200 Chip Sales to China, Marking Major Shift in U.S. AI Export Policy 
Nvidia Weighs Expanding H200 AI Chip Production as China Demand Surges 
WhatsApp is making headlines again, but not because of its widely discussed privacy policy changes. The messaging platform released an update focused on its desktop app and the WhatsApp Web that adds another layer of security when users log in.
WhatsApp updates PC and web access
While WhatsApp is primarily designed to be used on mobile devices, users can open their accounts and continue chatting with their friends through desktop computers. WhatsApp already has Windows and Mac apps and the WhatsApp Web, allowing people to send and receive messages through browsers and without installing anything.
With the new update announced this week, WhatsApp will require its users to go through biometric authentication before logging in through desktop apps and WhatsApp Web. Before this update, linking WhatsApp accounts to a desktop computer only required scanning a QR code.
Users will now see a prompt on their mobile device asking to confirm their identity through face and fingerprint recognition before scanning the QR code. "The face and fingerprint authentication takes place on your device in a privacy preserving manner - by design, WhatsApp cannot access the biometric information stored by your device's operating system," WhatsApp explained.
Since the app was primarily developed for mobile use, most of the controls for linked accounts to web and desktop platforms are still available on iOS and Android devices. For example, users are notified on their mobile gadgets whenever their WhatsApp account is activated on a desktop app or browser. Linked accounts can also be logged out from the desktop at any time through the mobile app.
WhatsApp delays controversial privacy policy ultimatum
Before this update, WhatsApp has been constantly on the news following its announcement that users will have to agree to its new privacy policy to continue using the app. It brought to light the subject of user data collection for advertising purposes, which does not sit well with many users.
WhatsApp previously told users that they needed to accept the new terms by Feb. 8. Many have responded by finding alternative messaging apps that they deem have more privacy-focused measures, such as Telegram and Signal. Both apps reportedly gained millions of new users over the last weeks, while WhatsApp was forced to delay the ultimatum in accepting its new policy. Instead of Feb. 8, users will have to agree to the changes by May 15.
Featured photo by Dimitri Karastelev on Unsplash
