Facebook Messenger Now Lets Users Avoid Harmful Interactions

Social media company Facebook announced on Thursday that its messenger app will keep a close eye on things behind the scenes to detect scammers using the communication system. Safety prompts will pop up in Messenger chats if the AI software system deems the activity behind the scenes suspicious, according to director of privacy and safety product management Jay Sullivan.

We’re introducing a new privacy-preserving safety feature that will help millions of people avoid potentially harmful interactions and possible scams. https://t.co/ajJagpJjJ9

— Messenger (@messenger) May 21, 2020

He also stated that this new feature “will help millions of people avoid potentially harmful interactions and possible scams without compromising their privacy”. Android based devices began to receive this feature in March, with this update heading to iPhones anytime from next week.

The Artificial Intelligence software scans for scammers based on account behaviour like sending messages in bulk targeting a certain demographic. Warning notices pop up before people respond to messages that may be of dubious origins, alerting them to the potential nature of the message before viewing its content.

Messenger already employs a number of software tools to fight off spam and prevent adults from contacting minors that they do not seem to know. These new security measures from Facebook are a welcome step to make the social media space safer for users around the world.

Facebook recently created its own “virtual rooms” which is very much like Zoom, and is aimed at bringing users closer in spite of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Alfa Baye

Staff Writer