Mark Zuckerberg has issued an advisory to Messenger users, urging them not to take screenshots of their conversations.
Zuckerberg, who launched Facebook with college friends, now serves as the chairman, CEO, and major shareholder of its parent entity, Meta Platforms.
His notable ascent in the tech world has drawn significant attention, including from political and legal sectors.
He is now highlighting a major caution for users of Facebook: refrain from screenshotting your chat interactions.
This advice follows the introduction of a feature on WhatsApp, another app under the Meta umbrella, that causes messages to disappear after a week.
A representative stated (via The Verge), “We chose a seven-day period because it balances the benefits of not having permanent conversations with the practicality of remembering the discussion’s context.
“Our aim is for WhatsApp conversations to mirror face-to-face interactions as closely as possible, which includes not having them last indefinitely.”
Similarly, Facebook Messenger has introduced a feature akin to Snapchat’s, where messages fade over time.
Recently, Messenger has enabled users to set messages to vanish, a development fueled by security concerns and broader debates over free speech and online security.
The feature, known as Vanish Mode, is activated by simply swiping up in an existing chat thread on your device. A second swipe upwards will revert it back to normal mode.
Bridget Pujals, Messenger Product Manager, and Manik Singh, Instagram Product Manager, shared in a statement (via USA Today), “Vanish mode was created with safety and user choice in mind, allowing users to dictate their own interactions.”
Facebook also mentioned, “We’ve enhanced our expiring message feature within our end-to-end encrypted chats.
“Not everyone needs their messages to remain indefinitely, and the adjustable timer lets users decide when their messages will expire in the chat, from as briefly as 5 seconds to up to 24 hours.”
Zuckerberg’s stark warning comes with the update that Messenger will alert users if someone screenshots a disappearing message, which is intended to vanish after a set duration.
The update has elicited a range of reactions from the public.
One user exclaimed, “I really needed this feature in 2009 when I used to send messages impulsively!”
Another thanked Zuckerberg, “Appreciate the warning, Mark! Thanks for helping us avoid embarrassing ourselves by taking screenshots.”
Another user requested, “Please introduce this feature on WhatsApp too, we’d like to know if someone screenshots our chats.”
Zuckerberg announced in a post, “There’s a new update for end-to-end encrypted Messenger chats that will send a notification if someone screenshots a disappearing message.
“We’re also incorporating GIFs, stickers, and reactions into encrypted chats.”
Zuckerberg shared a conversation with his wife, Priscilla Chan, where he made a playful joke about a supercomputer, and she took a screenshot, showcasing how the notification feature functions.