Viber launches new tools to fight against spam. — Photo Courtesy Rakuten Viber

Rakuten Viber has recently launched number of tools to fight against spam and ensure user privacy, as well as an option to search for other users by name.

The new search capability will be protected with extra privacy measures in accordance with Viber’s strict commitment to ensuring privacy for its users, the company said.

Accordingly, Viber now allows its users to control who can add them to communities and group chats, whether anyone or only their saved contacts.

Additionally, new community and group chat invitations from unknown senders on Viber will automatically go under the new message requests inbox, to keep users’ main chat list tidy and free of unwanted requests.

The new ability to search people on Viber will open opportunities to expand networks, while retaining user privacy to the fullest. Once someone searches a user’s name in the Viber search bar, it will appear in the search results, alongside the user’s profile picture.

In the spirit of Viber’s strong stance on ensuring user privacy, any chats initiated through search will be subject to additional privacy measures.

As the world changes and messaging apps gain an outsize role in communication, people are constantly looking for additional ways to expand their circles and networks. Yet people today are also bombarded with more information than ever before, and avoiding spam and unnecessary overloads of information is crucial. The challenge lies not in finding connections online, but doing so in a safe and private way. With its new privacy tools, Viber provides the answer.

“It’s important for users to expand their social circles, but keeping their personal communication space spam-free is the other side of that coin. We are working tirelessly to find the optimal solutions, like the ones we are releasing now, which empower our users to expand their horizons while addressing their safety and privacy,” said Ofir Eyal, COO of Viber. — VNS