WhatsApp is the popular messaging app, used by billions of people around the world.
With that many users, it's not unexpected if people can get automated messages sent to their phones. And sometimes, these messages can come in bulks. This annoying circumstance is annoying, and is certainly one of the drawbacks of modern messaging system, where things can be done cheaply and fast.
To create a better platform for its users, WhatsApp is taking additional measures to prevent people and businesses from abusing its system with those bulk automated messages.
First, WhatsApp needs to deal with its own end-to-encryption.
Using methods, the company can still identify abuse to some degree using unencrypted information – such as profile photos or user reports – and also AI. The company said that it successfully stopped “millions of abusive accounts” from running on its service.
But still, there are many accounts that have found ways to circumvent these preventive measures.
Read: The Methods WhatsApp Use To Catch Spammers Without Reading Their Messages
In its updated Terms of Service, the company said that it can take legal actions against abusers, even if it discovers that information outside its platform.
In the company‘s own words at a dedicated FAQ page:
WhatsApp is a private messaging platform originally built to help people message their friends and loved ones.
Because people use WhatsApp for both personal and business, the company created two additional tools beyond the original app: the WhatsApp Business app and the WhatsApp Business API.
These tools are built "to help companies manage customer interactions."
However, the tools aren't intended for bulk or automated messaging, both of which have always been a violation of its Terms of Service.
With its commitment in reinforcing the private nature of its platform and keeping users safe from abuse, WhatsApp has detailed its on-platform capabilities to identify and ban accounts in a white paper.
"We're aware that some companies attempt to evade our machine learning systems, even as we work tirelessly to improve them," explained WhatsApp.
And for this reason, WhatsApp wants to use the resources at its disposal, including legal action, to prevent abuse and violators from thriving on its platform.