How can developers protect sensitive user information, such as passwords, when implementing features like friend requests in an app?

Developers can protect sensitive user information, such as passwords, by implementing secure authentication and encryption methods. When implementing features like friend requests in an app, developers should ensure that sensitive information is encrypted before being stored in a database and transmitted securely over the network.

// Example of encrypting and securely storing passwords in a database

$password = "user_password";

// Hash the password using bcrypt
$hashed_password = password_hash($password, PASSWORD_DEFAULT);

// Store the hashed password in the database
// $query = "INSERT INTO users (username, password) VALUES ('$username', '$hashed_password')";