WhatsApp threatens legal action against entities that abuse its platform

WhatsApp stated in an article entitled "unauthorized use of WhatsApp" that, as of December 7, it would take action, even if an entity only publicly stated that it was able to abuse its platform.

NEW DELHI:

WhatsApp has threatened to sue those who publicly claim to abuse its messaging platform, following the emergence of a large number of companies offering products that circumvent usage restrictions.

A Reuters investigation revealed in May that WhatsApp software and clones were helping Indian digital marketers and political activists circumvent anti-spam restrictions ahead of India's general election.

So far, WhatsApp has focused its legal actions on abuses for which it had found internal evidence.

However, the Facebook-owned company stated in an article entitled "unauthorized use of WhatsApp" that it would take action from December 7, even if an entity only publicly stated that it was able to abuse its platform.

The company said that it "serves to notify that we will institute legal proceedings against companies" for such abuses. A WhatsApp spokesperson did not specify what kind of legal action he could take.

In May, Reuters announced that WhatsApp was being misused prior to the Indian general election through free clone applications and a $ 14 software tool that allows users to automate the delivery of bulk WhatsApp messages.

Tools to circumvent the WhatsApp restrictions were also announced in videos and online forums for users in Indonesia and Nigeria, both of which held elections this year.

Some companies in India have also offered the possibility of sending bulk WhatsApp messages from anonymous numbers via a website, revealed Reuters.

The fight against spam is a major problem for WhatsApp, especially in India, where it has more than 200 million users.
Last year, fake messages on WhatsApp sparked mob killings in India, as a result of which the Company Limited the transmission of a message to only five users.