iWorld
WhatsApp adds new feature, allows only admin to send messages in group
MUMBAI: Facebook-owned messaging service WhatsApp has recently announced that the app will now have a feature in the group settings, which will allow only admins to converse in a group chat. The company announced the update in a Friday blog post. WhatsApp is trying out a number of small additions to give admins greater control of their respective groups as the company was recently spotted testing a feature that allows senior group admins to strip newer admins of their status in the settings option.
Members will not be able to participate in any group discussions or chats after the feature has been enabled by the admin. None can respond to the messages but they can only read the message sent by the admin. Until now the feature was in works, WhatsApp has now officially launched the feature for all, including users India.
“Today, we’re launching a new group setting where only admins are able to send messages to a group. One way people use groups is to receive important announcements and information, including parents and teachers at schools, community centres, and non-profit organizations. We’ve introduced this new setting so admins can have better tools for these use cases” reads the blog.
To enable the setting, WhatsApp users on Android and iOS have to update their apps to the latest version. Then they can open a group chat and click on “Group Info,” tap Group Settings and find the “Send Messages” option and then select “Only Admins.” This will allow only group admins to converse while other participants will receive a footer which reads that the admin has disabled others from chatting in the group.
Over the last few months, the company has added new features that improve the groups’ experience. Some of these include group descriptions, a catch up feature, and protection for people who are being added repeatedly to groups they’ve left.
Also Read:
WhatsApp number launched for overseas listeners of Urdu service of All India Radio
WhatsApp’s 200m users catalysed ASCI’s digital initiative
iWorld
Netflix cuts jobs in product division amid restructuring
Layoffs hit creative studio unit as leadership and strategy shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: The streaming wars may be fought on screen, but the latest plot twist is unfolding behind the scenes. Netflix has reportedly begun laying off several dozen employees from its product division as part of an internal reorganisation, according to a report by Variety. The cuts are believed to have primarily affected the company’s creative studio unit, which works on marketing assets such as in app trailers, promotional visuals and live experience content for the streaming platform.
The company has not disclosed the exact number of employees impacted.
According to the report, the layoffs were not tied to employee performance. Instead, the restructuring eliminated certain roles while other employees were reassigned to different teams within the organisation.
The roles affected are understood to include designers, producers and creative specialists responsible for marketing and brand experience initiatives.
The job cuts come as Netflix adjusts its leadership structure and reshapes its product and creative teams. Last month, Elizabeth Stone was promoted from chief technology officer to chief product and technology officer, giving her oversight of product, engineering and data operations across the company.
Earlier, in December 2025, Netflix also appointed Martin Rose as head of creative for global brand and partnerships, a move seen as part of a broader restructuring of the company’s brand and product functions.
Despite the layoffs, Netflix remains one of the largest employers in the streaming sector. The company is estimated to employ around 16,000 people globally, with roughly 70 percent of its workforce based in the United States and Canada. In 2023, the company reported approximately 13,000 employees, indicating that its headcount had grown significantly before the latest restructuring.
The workforce changes arrive at a time when Netflix is navigating a shifting financial and strategic landscape in the global entertainment industry.
The streaming giant recently secured $2.8 billion in additional cash after receiving a breakup fee from Paramount Skydance following its withdrawal from a deal involving Warner Bros. Discovery.
Speaking to Bloomberg, Netflix co chief executive Ted Sarandos explained that the company had evaluated multiple scenarios during the negotiations but chose not to match the competing offer once it learned that a higher bid had been submitted.
Netflix had capped its offer at $27.75 per share and ultimately stepped back rather than pursue Paramount’s $111 billion acquisition deal, which included a personal guarantee.
Sarandos also cautioned that the financing structure behind the Paramount Skydance transaction could have ripple effects across the entertainment industry.
According to him, the debt heavy deal could trigger significant cost cutting, with David Ellison, chief executive of Paramount Skydance, expected to eliminate about $16 billion in costs and potentially cut thousands of jobs as part of the integration process.
For Netflix, the current restructuring appears to be part of a broader attempt to streamline operations while continuing to invest in product, technology and global content even as the streaming industry enters a new phase of consolidation and financial discipline.
