This may be WhatsApp’s new plan to tell users that their chats are safe – Times of India

WhatsApp chats and calls are end-to-end encrypted. It means that the conversations remain between you and the person or group you chat with. The company says that not even WhatsApp or Facebook (now Meta) can read them.
As per a report by WaBetaInfo, the online WhatsApp feature tracker, the instant messaging platform is planning to introduce two indicators for end-to-end encryption. WhatsApp, as per the report, will add new indicators in the Status and Calls section. These will emphasise to WhatsApp users that their status updates, personal and group calls are always end-to-end encrypted, and this will never change.
The feature is currently under development and will be available in a future version of WhatsApp for Android and iOS. WhatsApp is also planning to add the same notice in the Chats section as well.
Recently, WhatsApp enabled a new feature to protect its users, “preventing unknown contacts to get your last seen and the online status if you have never chatted with them.” The new feature eliminates the ability of certain apps on the App Store and Google Play Store to check last seen or online status of select contacts on WhatsApp.
Unless a user has an active chat with a person or if they have chatted with the person, they will not be able to check last seen or online status. With the feature, no unknown person will be able to see when you were last seen on WhatsApp or your online status.