WhatsApp is the most popular cross-platform messaging service in the world. Even though its official app is available for a wide variety of platforms some users like to use third-party apps which provide access to the service along with some extra features. WhatsApp isn’t fond of these unofficial clients and earlier this year it started temporarily banning users from the service who were using these apps. Some recent reports have suggested that WhatsApp has now started to permanently ban users from its service who use such apps but the Facebook-owned company has clarified that it’s not doing that.
Several reports were published online earlier this week claiming that WhatsApp had made the punishment for using third-party apps more severe, that it was banning users for life from the service, but this isn’t the case.
WhatsApp is not banning users for life. It will just not allow them to use the service until they give up the third-party client. Previously users were temporarily banned from the service and were even shown 24 hour countdown timer. Now users won’t be able to use WhatsApp’s services until and unless they remove all third-party clients and come back to the official app.
The company’s reason for this is simple. It says that since it doesn’t control the source code of these third-party apps it can’t guarantee users’ safety, privacy and the security of their data. This is why it can’t allow them to use such apps.
The official word from WhatsApp is that it will not ban accounts or associated phone numbers for life. Those who can’t use the service just have to remove any and all third-party clients, and once they do that, they can start using WhatsApp once again.
Filed in . Read more about Apps and Whatsapp. Source: techcrunch