Security researcher Tal Beeri recently uncovered a bug that allows this privacy feature to be easily bypassed, potentially exposing the sensitive information of WhatsApp’s two billion users.

The “View Once” feature is designed to make messages disappear shortly after they are viewed, preventing recipients from forwarding, saving, or taking screenshots of the message.

However, this feature is limited to mobile devices. Users accessing WhatsApp via desktop or browser are notified that they have received a View Once message, which can be exploited to save the content.

Beeri emphasized that the illusion of privacy is more troubling than the absence of privacy itself, as users are led to believe their messages are secure when, in fact, they are not.

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In late August, Beeri reported this bug to Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company. In response to inquiries from TechCrunch, Meta acknowledged awareness of the issue and stated that updates are in progress to address it.