Now, WhatsApp makes group chats more secure

New Delhi: WhatsApp Wednesday said it will now allow its users to decide whether they want to get added to groups on the instant messaging platform.

The move assumes significance, especially ahead of elections in the country, as social media platforms are expected to play a major role in political campaigns to reach out to citizens in large numbers.

The messaging app has added that a new privacy setting in which an invite system will help users decide who can add them to groups. Previously, WhatsApp users could be added to groups without their consent.

To enable the feature, users can go to the 'settings' option in the WhatsApp app and select one of three options - nobody, my contacts, or everyone.

If they choose nobody, users will have to approve joining every group to which they are invited.

Upon choosing my contacts option, users from the person's address book will be able to add them to groups.

In these cases, the person inviting you to a group will be prompted to send a private invite through an individual chat, giving the user a choice of joining the group.

The user will be given three days to accept the invite before it expires, the statement said.

"With these new features, users will have more control over the group messages they receive," WhatsApp said.