All Viber messages are end-to-end encrypted, so they can only be read by the person who sends the message and the person who receives it, no one in between. Users can hide their chats with a pin number and create ‘disappearing messages’, meaning they cannot be viewed after a set time. People can pay for ‘Viber Out’ to make international phone calls using the app.
New users provide a phone number and must confirm whether they are over or under 16. Under 16 accounts are not shown mature adverts and their personal data is not collected. However, a user can change these settings and change their date of birth.
Viber has some safety settings but no parental controls. Using the settings feature they are able to prevent other people from seeing their phone number, profile image, when they are online, their location and if they have read someone’s message. They can also block users and control who can add them to a group, whether friends are notified on their birthday and turn on the spam filter. Users can prevent the app from gathering their personal data in order to show them personalised adverts.
