Aiming to take on encrypted messaging platform Telegram, WhatsApp has released a new feature for its groups which is essentially a "one-way broadcast" communication stream.

"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 organisations," the Facebook-owned company wrote in a blog post late on Friday.