Nagpur: An alarming surge in cybercrimes is being witnessed nowadays. A further increase in the menace is highly likely as newer and newer tools and features are being launched in social media. These new tools and features are being used more by cyber crooks than the Netizens. Now, WhatsApp, with good intentions of saving mobile data and memory, has recently launched a new feature called ‘Photo Set to See Once’. This new feature allows one to view a photo-video sent by someone only once. The photo-video then disappears.
However, this new feature is likely to arm the cyber criminals with a potent weapon to destroy evidence of a crime, according to Ajeet Parse, social media analyst and strategist.
Till now, videos and photos sent to WhatsApp used to get accumulated in the gallery. But the new feature is proving to be a headache for Whatsapp users as videos and images are not gathering in the gallery. “The new feature is emerging as a vital weapon for the cyber thugs for committing crimes of various natures. The new feature, ‘Photo Set to See Once’, launched by WhatsApp, allows you to view a photo-video sent by a person only once. The photo-video then disappears. That means you can’t watch that photo-video again. The new feature is leaving the users a confused lot,” Parse stated.
“WhatsApp has become a must nowadays in one’s daily lives. Hence, the new feature will also be adopted by the people within no time. However, the new feature ‘Photo Set to See Once’ in WhatsApp has turned out to be a hot topic of talk among Netizens. But the new feature has come as a potent weapon in the hands of cyber criminals. A photo-video sent by a person can be viewed only once by the second person. Therefore, suppose a criminal threatened someone, molested someone, or demanded a ransom to make a private photo viral using photos and videos, or tried to create a racial-communal rift through the photo, the new feature in WhatsApp will destroy the evidence before a complaint is registered with police. One can’t take a screenshot of that photo again,” Parse asserted, expressing fears that the hardened criminals may use this new feature to their advantage.
According to Parse, Maharashtra has witnessed a huge increase in cyber crimes in recent times. There have been more than 23,000 cyber crimes in the state in the last seven years, but only 99 accused have been convicted. In Nagpur alone, the number of cyber crimes has increased by 104 per cent during the year. The new feature of WhatsApp will lead to further increase in cyber crimes and conviction rate will also see a dip with destruction of evidence.
“The new WhatsApp feature ‘Photo Set to See Once’ allows one to view a photo-video sent by a person only once. The photo-video then disappears. An objectionable photo, video sent by someone does not show up even in the gallery again. It means there is no evidence at all against the perpetrator of the crime. This new feature is likely to increase the daring to commit crimes without evidence. That is why if Netizens get a photo-video through WhatsApp’s new feature, they need to take a screenshot immediately. The screenshot can be used as evidence whenever needed.”
– Ajeet Parse, Social Media Analyst and Strategist
www.ajeetparse.com
