OpED: Here’s Why WhatsApp’s New Self-Destruct Feature Is Self-Destructive

WhatsApp’s newest update allows users to schedule messages to self-destruct within a certain time frame, say one hour.

This seems like a follow-up to a previous update that allows users to delete messages that have already been sent.

However, I don’t think allowing people to delete and schedule messages for deletion is a very good trend.

No Accountability

Yes, the delete feature is useful for when you make an embarrassing typo or send a message to the wrong person, but what about more serious situations?

It allows one to literally take back their words, freeing them from accountability for their statements.

Unless the receiver has taken a screenshot, there is no way to prove that the sender actually said what was said before the message was deleted.

Gives Room For Cheating

Sometimes, people buy and sell goods and services over WhatsApp, and the scheduled message and deletion features allow one to quote a price and then take it back, leaving the other party high and dry.

I don’t see what’s wrong with not having a delete feature in the first place.


Read More: What Is A Digital Footprint, And How To Clean It


If we make a typing error, we can just apologise and move on.

Deleting, scheduling for deletion and so on are just unnecessary complications that give users the space to be dishonest on WhatsApp.

Conveying Sensitive Information

In case of conveying sensitive information, WhatsApp was never safe to start with, as its encryption can be broken. Also, even if we delete a message from our phone and even for the recipient(s), it still remains on the server, a perfect record of whatever sensitive details were conveyed.

So let’s not pretend that this new update is a high-security feature.

Watch my OpED video here:


Image Credits: Google Images

Sources: Livemint , The News Minute

Find the author online at: @samyukthanair_

Find the editor online at: @YaddyVirus


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