WhatsApp is blocking billions of its users from taking screenshots of profile pictures.

Engineers at parent company Meta have seemingly flipped a switch and started to roll out the feature globally, despite no official announcement. The block leverages the same privacy-focused functionality used by banking software and streaming services like Netflix to prevent screenshots.

WhatsApp has introduced the block to stop people from impersonating or harassing other users.

This type of scam has become so widespread that multiple high street banks, including NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland, have shared detailed instructions for customers to help them avoid impersonation scams on WhatsApp.