WhatsApp users have been urged to check their privacy settings after the platform's reportedly "secret" update.
The Facebook-owned platform, which made headlines earlier this month after controversially updating to facilitate data sharing with its owner, has come under fire a second time, with social media users declaring it recently changed its group settings to include "everyone" by default – meaning people you don't know can add you to a group without your knowledge.
"These people may include scam messages, loan sharks, etc," Mobberley NW wrote on Twitter.
According to Forbes, though, it's not a recent change – the default setting was introduced back in 2019.
![WhatsApp users have been urged to check their privacy settings. Photo / Getty Images](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/BFL6U3OSZ5KJULATLQKQGWQ2WI.jpg?auth=c572e4b8f5df10bc1eee4bffbcaea0aaf8963c890c93d001d16108df62d2e1eb&width=16&height=12&quality=70&smart=true)