MAM
An overview of WhatsApp’s safety and privacy campaigns this year
Mumbai: In an age where privacy and online security have become paramount, WhatsApp is at the forefront of innovating features that continually help enhance the safety and privacy for users globally. From chat lock to disappearing messages, silence unknown callers to privacy checkup, every new feature adds to WhatsApp’s multiple layers of protection.
Understanding that launching innovative features alone is not enough, WhatsApp has invested time and effort to educate users and drive awareness around some of its key safety and privacy features. This strategic effort involves multiple safety and privacy campaigns designed to empower users to take control of their online safety and privacy.
Stay safe with WhatsApp campaign:
• On 12 April, WhatsApp rolled out their three-month ‘Stay safe with WhatsApp’ that focused on creating user awareness around safer digital practices, highlighting product features that empower users to take control of their online safety and ensure a safer messaging experience.
• WhatsApp collaborated with influential figures such as Rajiv Makhni, Manoj Chugh, Jaspreet Bindra, Akancha Shrivastava, Pankaj Gupta, and Deepak Maheshwari to amplify awareness of WhatsApp’s safety and privacy features.
• As part of this campaign, WhatsApp released educational user guides highlighting safety tools and product features to secure users’ WhatsApp accounts. Additionally, it offered insights on how to stay protected from scams using WhatsApp’s safety features.
Privacy campaign highlighting WhatsApp’s “Multiple layers of protection”
• WhatsApp launched a global campaign focused on the importance of secure communication and WhatsApp’s multiple layers of privacy. The campaign shows how a private conversation with a friend or loved one on WhatsApp creates a safe space for people to communicate with one another.
• Mirrors Activation and partnership with Anushka Sharma to highlight the power of private messaging. WhatsApp partnered with actor Anushka Sharma to launch a series of mirrored messages appearing in private spaces – women’s restrooms – in malls across Delhi. Mirrored messages with QR codes appeared in women’s restrooms in Delhi malls, offering suggestions for checking in via a private WhatsApp message. These messages disappeared afterward, similar to the Disappearing Messages feature on WhatsApp.
• 3D Anamorphic installations at the Gateway of India: WhatsApp hosted an immersive storytelling experience at Mumbai’s iconic Gateway of India, where anamorphic privacy installations and projection mapping on the monument facade vividly showcased the layers of privacy WhatsApp offers:
For the final leg of the privacy campaign, on 4 September, WhatsApp will announce a partnership with Ranveer Singh to promote message privacy where he talks about how WhatsApp’s multiple layers of protection give him control over his most private conversations.
In a candid conversation the actor opens up about what’s in his phone and how he protects his most private conversations on WhatsApp. The entertaining video almost has Ranveer spilling the beans but instead educates people on the importance of private and secure messaging with simple privacy features like end-to-end encryption, chat lock, screenshot blocking for view once messages on WhatsApp.
Talking about the collaboration with WhatsApp, Ranveer Singh, said, “With more and more private conversations happening online, our privacy needs are also evolving. From sharing my most private thoughts with my friends and family to discussing work, my WhatsApp has private information like film scripts, my financial details. The cool thing about WhatsApp is that with its layers of privacy I know my conversations are always secure and with features like chat lock, I can password protect my most private and important chats so that even though my phone changes hands, my chats don’t.”
Meta director, consumer marketing Vyom Prashant said, “We’re thrilled to partner with Ranveer to bring alive the multiple ways in which WhatsApp protects our users’ privacy, in an entertaining, informative, and relatable manner. We believe this partnership along with our campaign on privacy, demonstrates to our users that they always have a safe and private space on WhatsApp for their conversations.”
MAM
BLR Airport Launches ‘Connections’ Service to Ease Transit Travel
New initiative targets smoother transfers as Bengaluru hub traffic rises 30 per cent.
MUMBAI: Missed connections may be a traveller’s nightmare but Bengaluru is trying to make them a thing of the past. Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR Airport) has rolled out ‘Connections by BLR’, a new transfer programme designed to take the friction out of connecting journeys. Built around three pillars ease, efficiency and experience,the initiative aims to simplify what is often the most stressful leg of air travel.
The move comes as transfer traffic at BLR Airport climbs sharply, up more than 30 per cent year-on-year. Transfers currently account for around 15 per cent of total passenger traffic and are projected to touch 20 per cent by 2026, signalling a clear shift in how the airport is positioning itself within airline networks.
At its core, the programme focuses on making navigation intuitive and downtime more comfortable. Dedicated transfer desks have been set up across terminals, supported by colour-coded wayfinding blue and yellow signage designed for quick recognition. Inter-terminal movement is being streamlined through complimentary shuttle services with predictable wait times, while designated transfer zones aim to reduce passenger confusion.
Beyond logistics, the airport is leaning into experience. Travellers in transit now have access to a wider choice of lounges, curated retail and food and beverage options, as well as sleeping pods for short stays. For longer layovers, transit hotels in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 offer boutique in-terminal accommodation, an increasingly sought-after feature as global travel patterns evolve.
The timing is strategic. BLR Airport now connects to 114 passenger destinations 80 domestic and 34 international with key routes spanning Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Pune domestically, and Singapore, London Heathrow, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur internationally. Recent additions such as Hindon, Bidar and Silchar within India, alongside Dammam, Hanoi and Riyadh overseas, are further expanding its reach.
Infrastructure is also catching up with ambition. Developments including the West Cross Taxiway, Terminal 1 refurbishment and Terminal 2 expansion are laying the groundwork for higher capacity and smoother operations critical for any airport aiming to become a serious transfer hub.
Bangalore International Airport Limited chief operating officer Girish Nair framed the initiative as both a response to demand and a forward-looking play. He pointed to the growing depth of the airport’s network and the opportunity to build a more reliable transfer ecosystem that benefits both passengers and airline partners.
In an era where travel is as much about transitions as destinations, BLR Airport is betting that a seamless connection might just be the journey’s most important upgrade.
