Since the start of 2019, the popular messenger WhatsApp has been facing multiple and uncountable misuse incidents where the platform was utilized to spread misinformation, fake news and hate messages and threats. And despite the continuous attempts and countermeasures taken by the developers of the messaging app, the platform is still, to a certain extent, prone to misuses, hackers and trackers who intimidate the WhatsApp users by interfering with their chats and accounts.
However, many countries and big WhatsApp communities around the world have started to aid the messenger company in the battle of preventing the misuses of the platform. In India, for example, which is considered one of the biggest markets for the Whats-App messenger, officials and mobile networks owners have initiated a series of collaborations in order to educate the WhatsApp users of the importance of not forwarding any anonymous messages and reporting suspicious and unknown users.
And as India is considered to be one of the most important markets for the WhatsApp company, many institutes and organizations are coming together to increase the people’s awareness of the ups and downs of technology and messaging apps such as WhatsApp. The Indian officials have also demanded that WhatsApp messenger must roll out some severe countermeasures and penalties for misusing the platform or utilizing it for any illegal and immoral tasks. Consequently, the developers of the app have already started to release some major guidelines regarding the right utilization of the app. The new WhatsApp guidelines include a total and absolute ban from using the platform if any user starts to spread misinformation, hate messages or obscene data throughout the chats.
Two months ago, the WhatsApp company partnered with the Indian company “Reliance Jio” in order to start an educational campaign to enlighten people on how to use WhatsApp correctly and how to act towards illegal and unethical behaviors on the platform. The Indian company has started to provide people with affordable phones since last year which has resulted in the huge spread of the newly created WhatsApp accounts. So, “Reliance Jio” collaborated with WhatsApp to prevent the misuse of the app that’s allegedly facilitated by the wide spread of Jio’s affordable phones. In 2018, more than 32 people were murdered due to the violence incited by fake news, misinformation and hate content on the social media apps and the WhatsApp messenger which, as a result, prompted the WhatsApp company to take some immediate defense and protection measures.
