Whatsapp tips & tricks

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WhatsApp sues Israeli firm over phone hacking claims

• 30 October 2019

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Facebook-owned WhatsApp has filed a lawsuit against Israel's NSO Group, alleging the firm was behind cyber-attacks that infected devices with malicious software.
WhatsApp accuses the company of sending malware to roughly 1,400 mobile phones for the purposes of surveillance.
Users affected included journalists, human rights activists, political dissidents, and diplomats.
NSO Group, which makes software for surveillance, disputed the allegations.
In a court filing, WhatsApp said NSO Group "developed their malware in order to access messages and other communications after they were decrypted on target devices".
It said NSO Group created various WhatsApp accounts and caused the malicious code to be transmitted over the WhatsApp servers in April and May.
"We believe this attack targeted at least 100 members of civil society, which is an unmistakable pattern of abuse," WhatsApp said in a statement.
The affected users had numbers from several countries, including Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Mexico, according to the lawsuit.
WhatsApp said it is seeking a permanent injunction banning NSO from using its service.
The firm, which was acquired by Facebook in 2014, said it was the first time an encrypted messaging provider had taken legal action of this kind.
WhatsApp promotes itself as a "secure" communications app because messages are end-to-end encrypted. This means they should only be displayed in a legible form on the sender or recipient's device.

• WhatsApp discovers surveillance attack
• Why the WhatsApp spies may have eyes on Iran

NSO Group said it would fight the allegations.
"In the strongest possible terms, we dispute today's allegations and will vigorously fight them," the company said in a statement to the BBC.
"The sole purpose of NSO is to provide technology to licensed government intelligence and law enforcement agencies to help them fight terrorism and serious crime."

WhatsApp sues Israeli firm over hacking claims

 

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Why India wants to track WhatsApp messages

• 30 October 2019

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GETTY IMAGES

Image captionPrivacy activists are worried that the new rules could be misused to curb free speech
India's plan to try to mandate the monitoring, interception and tracing of messages on social media has alarmed users and privacy activists - as well as the companies running the platforms. Prasanto K Roy looks at the potential impact of such a move.
The country's information technology ministry will publish, by January 2020, a new set of rules for intermediaries: platforms that allow people to send, or share, messages. It is a sweeping term, which also includes e-commerce and many other types of apps and websites.
The move is in response to an explosion of fake news that has caused mob violence and has even led to death. Most frequent were rumours about child kidnappers, circulated on WhatsApp and other platforms. Those messages, with no basis in fact, caused mobs to lynch innocent passers-by.
Such "forwards" spread to tens of thousands of users in hours, and became nearly impossible to counter once they had spread.
In one example in 2018, the victim of mob violence was a man who had been employed by government officials to go around villages with a loudspeaker and tell locals not to believe rumours being spread on social media.

There are more than 50 documented cases of mob violence triggered by misinformation spread over social media in India in the last two years. Many platforms, including Facebook, YouTube, or Sharechat, a vernacular language social media start-up and app, play a role.
But the Facebook-owned WhatsApp is by far the most popular of the platforms. With India accounting for 400 million of its global base of 1.5 billion users, it ends up being the focus of discussions on the spread of misinformation.

• How WhatsApp helped turn an Indian village into a lynch mob
• Who can stop India WhatsApp lynchings?
• The people trying to fight fake news in India

After a spate of rumour-driven mob violence in 2018, the government had asked WhatsApp to help halt the spread of "irresponsible and explosive messages" on its platform. The platform took several steps, including limiting the number of forwards allowed to five at a time, and putting a forwarded tag on those messages.
Not enough, said the government, which now wants WhatsApp to use automated tools to monitor messages, as China does, to take down specific messages. It also wants the company to trace and report the original sender of a message or video.
India's attorney general has told the Supreme Court in a related case that social media companies had "no business to enter the country and carry on if they can't decrypt information for investigative agencies, in cases of sedition and pornography, among other crimes".
"See, they've [social media companies] even gone to court to stop us," a government official told me off the record.
He added that online surveillance in China is far deeper and more sweeping. He is right about that: on its popular WeChat platform, messages famously disappear if they contain banned words.

Media captionThe India WhatsApp video driving people to murder
WhatsApp says the steps it has taken are working.
The labels and limits have reduced the number of forwarded messages on the platform by 25%, a spokesperson said. She added that the company actively bans two million accounts a month for "engaging in bulk or automated messaging", and runs a big public education campaign that has reached hundreds of millions of Indians.
Meanwhile, privacy activists are most worried about the demands to "trace" the original sender of a message.
The government says it wants to trace messages that cause violence and deaths, but activists fear it will then track down critics, with a chilling effect on free speech.
This is no unfounded worry, given the spate of cases where those criticising government actions, such as its crackdown in Kashmir last August, or those writing a letter of protest to the prime minister, end up facing a sedition charge.
"What [they want] is not possible today, given the end-to-end encryption we use," says Carl Woog, WhatsApp's global head of communications.
"It would require us to re-architect WhatsApp, leading us to a different product, one that would not be fundamentally private. Imagine if every message you sent was kept with a record of your phone number. That would not be a place for private communications."
Image captionThe new rules could have sweeping effects on various platforms
Since 2011, India's laws have allowed platforms some safe harbour. A phone company cannot be held responsible for what its customers discuss over its phone lines; nor an email provider for the content of emails a person sends to another.
As long as the company complies with laws, such as sharing phone records on demand with the authorities, it is safe from legal action. The new proposed rules will make conditions for such safe harbour tougher.
Complying with the proposed rules would weaken the apps or platforms globally, given the difficulties of maintaining different apps for different countries.
And that's not the only problem. The draft rules demand a local India office for any platform which has more than five million users in India. This is ostensibly to find someone to hold accountable when there's a problem.
Image captionWhatsApp says its steps to combat the spread of rumours is working
But India's technology laws define intermediary in a sweeping manner, spanning any platform used to share information.
So all of this would end up affecting others too: Wikipedia being an example of a platform that might have to shut down access to Indians, if such a law is enforced. It's also not clear what would be done if a messaging platform, such as the increasingly popular Signal or Telegram, did not comply with this rule.
It's likely that internet service providers would then be directed to shut down access to them.
While privacy activists have taken a hard stance against the contentious provisions - monitoring and traceability - public policy professionals say the government is keener to find a solution than to shut down or seriously disrupt platforms.
"They all use WhatsApp: bureaucrats, politicians, cops," the India policy head of a global tech company told me. "No one wants to shut it down. They just need to see WhatsApp taking more serious steps to tackle a real, serious problem."
Like many others, though, he wasn't able to spell out what those steps should be.

Prasanto K Roy (@prasanto) is a technology writer


Why India wants to track WhatsApp messages

 

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WhatsApp Payments will launch in India soon: Mark Zuckerberg
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has confirmed that WhatsApp's Payments service will be rolled out in India soon. Here's what to expect.
By Tech Desk |New Delhi |Updated: October 31, 2019 8:18:10 pm

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WhatsApp Payments, which is still in a beta mode, is under scrutiny from the government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) over concerns of data processing.
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Wednesday that WhatsApp’s Payments service will be rolled out in India soon. During the question and answer session with analysts, Zuckerberg was asked about the social media giant’s progress in payments space, in relation to WhatsApp Payments.

He responded that Facebook is currently testing out the service in India and the plan is to roll out an in-app payment service in WhatsApp soon. Zuckerberg did not reveal any specific timeline of the launch related to WhatsApp Payments.
“We’re, of course, working on payments in WhatsApp. We have our tests going in India. The test really shows that a lot of people are going to want to use this product, Zuckerberg told analysts during a third-quarter earnings call.
WhatsApp’s global head Will Cathcart, during his visit to India earlier this year, had confirmed to Indian Express about the launch of its payments service to all users in 2019. Facebook-owned WhatsApp is currently pilot testing the UPI-based payments service with over 100 million users in the country. India is WhatsApp’s biggest market with over 400 million users, out of its 1.5 billion users globally.

WhatsApp Payments, which is still in a beta mode, is under scrutiny from the government and Reserve Bank of India (RBI) over concerns of data processing. The government has clarified that Indian financial data needs to be stored onshore and if it is processed outside, it needs to be brought back within 24 hours. Regulators have raised concerns over WhatsApp’s clauses, which is why the service has been delayed in India.
But Zuckerberg seems to be optimistic about WhatsApp’s long-delayed payments service and its future in the world’s second-most populous market. In India, digital payments have exploded post the demonetization drive in 2016. According to investment banking firm Credit Suisse, India’s digital mobile payments market is set to reach $1 trillion by 2023. Paytm, PhonePe, Google Pay, NPCI’s Bhim app are the most dominant digital payment apps in the country.


WhatsApp Payments will launch in India soon: Mark Zuckerberg

 

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WhatsApp Fingerprint Lock feature now available on Android, here’s how to activate it
WhatsApp is providing Android users with an option to choose after how much time the app will automatically lock.
By Tech Desk |New Delhi |Published: October 31, 2019 8:22:24 pm

After you have updated the app, you can now head to Settings > Account > Privacy > Fingerprint lock to enable the feature.
WhatsApp has finally rolled out its Fingerprint Lock feature for Android. The company had rolled out both Touch ID and Face ID authentication for iOS back in February. With the help of the Fingerprint Lock feature users Android users can now have the app lock automatically and open only after biometric authorisation.

The company is providing users with an option to choose after how much time the app will automatically lock. These include immediately, one minute, and 30 minutes. It also offers them the ability to choose whether the content of their messages will be visible in notifications or not.
To get the new feature, you first need to ensure that your WhatsApp app is on its latest version. To do so head over to the Google Play Store and search for ‘WhatsApp’ if it shows an update, press the update button and wait for it to finish installing.

After you have updated the app, you can now head to Settings > Account > Privacy > Fingerprint lock to enable the feature. Once you enable it the app will ask for a confirmation and then you are done.
To recall, the Fingerprint Unlock feature first appeared back in August in the beta version of the app. Now, the company is rolling it out to everyone in the stable version of the app. If you still don’t see the feature, wait a bit as wide roll-out does take some time.



WhatsApp Fingerprint Lock feature now available on Android, here’s how to activate it

 

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Pegasus Spyware Can Track Up To 50 Phones At One Price And All You Need To Know

Cost is more than 56 Crores Rupees ( $7-8 Million )

जिस सॉफ्टवेयर से हैक हुआ WhatsApp, उसकी कीमत 56 करोड़ से भी ज्यादा
टेक डेस्क, अमर उजाला Updated Sat, 02 Nov 2019 06:19 PM IST

Pegasus Software - फोटो : amar ujala


व्हाट्सएप के जरिए भारत समेत दुनियाभर के 1,400 पत्रकारों और कार्यकर्ताओं की जासूसी हुई है। इसकी जानकारी व्हाट्सएप ने खुद अमेरिकी फेडरल कोर्ट में दी है। व्हाट्सएप ने इजरायल की एनएसओ नाम की कंपनी पर पिगासस सॉफ्टवेयर (स्पाईवेयर) के जरिए जासूसी करने का आरोप लगाया है। व्हाट्सएप ने अपने एक बयान में कहा है कि व्हाट्सएप एप के कॉलिंग फीचर में एक कमी के कारण यह जासूसी हुई है। अब सवाल यह है कि पिगासस सॉफ्टवेयर है क्या, इसके लाइसेंस की कीमत क्या है, यह क्या-क्या कर सकता है, इसकी मदद से कौन-कौन सी डिवाइस हैक हो सकती है? आइए जानते हैं...

56 करोड़ से भी अधिक है पिगासस सॉफ्टवेयर की कीमत

pegesus - फोटो : citizenlab
इकोनॉमिक्स टाइम्स में छपी एक रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक पिगासस (Pegasus) सॉफ्टवेयर की कीमत 7-8 मिलियन डॉलर यानी करीब 56 करोड़, 56 लाख, 40 हजार रुपये है। इस कीमत में पिगागस सॉफ्टवेयर का एक साल के लिए लाइसेंस मिलता है। एक लाइसेंस पर आप एक साल में 500 फोन को मॉनिटर कर सकते हैं। पिगासस के जरिए एक बार में 50 मोबाइल फोन पर पल-पल नजर रखी जा सकती है। पिगासस सॉफ्टवेयर यूजर की परमिशन के बिना उसके फोन को ऑफ/ऑन के अलावा फॉर्मेट भी मार सकता है। व्हाट्सएप हैकिंग मामले में हैकर्स ने लोगों को निशाने पर लेने के लिए अलग-अलग नंबर्स से अकाउंट्स बनाए थे जो कि ब्राजील, इजरायल, स्वीडन और इंडोनेशिया जैसे देशों में एक्टिव थे। व्हाट्सएप को हैक करने के लिए पिगासस ने व्हाट्सएप के सर्वर का इस्तेमाल किया।




पिगासस जैसे खतरनाक सॉफ्टवेयर को किसने तैयार किया है?

pegasus - फोटो : kaspersky
पिगासस सॉफ्टवेयर को इजरायल की एनएसओ नाम के एक ग्रुप ने तैयार किया है। इसी साल फरवरी में एनएसओ का अधिग्रहण इसी की मैनजमेंट फ्रांसिस्को पार्टनर ने किया है। फ्रांसिस्को पार्टनर के को-फाउंडर दिपंजन देव हैं, जबकि एनएसओ के को-फाउंडर शलेव हुलिओ और ओमरी लैवी हैं। एनएसओ ग्रुप ने ही पिगासस को तैयार किया है। ग्रुप का दावा है कि उसने यह सॉफ्टवेयर सरकार की मदद के लिए बनाया है ताकि सरकार और सुरक्षा एजेंसियां आतंकवाद जैसी गतिविधियों से निपट सकें। इस ग्रुप की शुरुआत 2010 में तीन दोस्तों ने साइबर सिक्योरिटी इंटेलिजेंस फर्म के रूप में की थी। जिन लोगों ने इसकी शुरुआती की थी उनके नाम शलेव हुलिओ निव कार्मी और ओमरी लैवी है।


हमेशा से शक के घेरे में एनएसओ ग्रुप

Jamal Khashoggi

ऐसा पहली बार नहीं हुआ है जब इजरायल की एनएसओ ग्रुप को पर संदेह किया जा रहा है। इससे पहले भी मानवाधिकार संगठनों का कहना है कि सऊदी अरब और संयुक्त अरब अमीरात इसराइली कंपनियों के स्पाइवेयर ग्राहकों में शामिल हैं। इस लिस्ट में एनएसओ का भी नाम है। बता दें कि इस्तांबुल में मौजूद सऊदी अरब वाणिज्य दूतावास में मारे गए चर्चित पत्रकार जमाल खशोगी के स्मार्टफोन को भी पिगासस सॉफ्टवेयर के जरिए ही ट्रैक किया गया था। स्थानीय मीडिया में कई बार यह चर्चा रही है कि कुछ देशों ने NSO के स्पाइवेयर पिगासस का इस्तेमाल अपने राजनैतिक विरोधियों को मौत के घाट उतारने के लिए भी किया है। फाइनेंसियल टाइम्स ने अपनी रिपोर्ट में बताया की रवांडा की सरकार ने भी इसका बहुत इस्तेमाल किया।

NSO ने अपनी सफाई में क्या कहा?

nso group israel - फोटो : haaretz
इजराइली साइबर इंटेलिजेंस कंपनी NSO ने अपनी प्रतिक्रिया में खुद पर लगे आरोपों का खंडन किया है और कहा है कि वह इन आरोपों के खिलाफ मजबूती से मुकाबला करेगी। एनएसओ की तरफ से जारी बयान में लिखा है, "हम कड़े शब्दों में आरोपों का खंडन करते हैं और इनके खिलाफ लड़ेंगे। एनएसओ का एकमात्र उद्देश्य लाइसेंस प्राप्त सरकारी खुफिया और कानून लागू करने वाली एजेंसियों को आतंकवाद और गंभीर अपराध से लड़ने में मदद करने के लिए टेक्नोलॉजी देना है। हमारी तकनीक मानवाधिकार कार्यकर्ताओं और पत्रकारों के खिलाफ इस्तेमाल करने के लिए डिजाइन नहीं की गई है और न ही इसकी इजाजत है हमारी तकनीक ने हाल के वर्षों में हजारों लोगों की जान बचाने में मदद की है।"


जिस सॉफ्टवेयर से हैक हुआ WhatsApp, उसकी कीमत 56 करोड़ से भी ज्यादा

 

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WhatsApp is now blocking users in groups with 'suspicious' names; here's how you can ensure you're safe

Free Press Journal13 November 2019

There have been several cases recently where WhatsApp users have found themselves banned for being members of suspiciously named groups.
Several posts on Reddit now discuss how people got banned for using inappropriate group names that are suggestive of child pornography.
Though most users emphasised that the nomenclature had been a joke, WhatsApp is not amused. The issue is a part of the bigger fight against child exploitation that WhatsApp has undertaken.
On its website, the social media app writes, "WhatsApp has a zero-tolerance policy around child sexual abuse. We ban users from WhatsApp if we become aware they are sharing content that exploits or endangers children. We also report tips to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which plays an important role in helping victims of abuse."
Over the last three months, the app has banned approximately 250,000 accounts each month for suspected sharing of child exploitative imagery. In such a situation, here are a few things you can do to continue being able to access WhatsApp:
1. Be careful that your humorous group name is really that. What might simply be meant as a joke can get you blocked if it comes across as insensitive or offensive. Please make sure that your WhatsApp usage is in compliance with the company's guidelines. Perusal of their security blog can be of help here.
2. If you're the admit of a group, please make sure that only you (or a select few members of the group) have the ability to modify group details. This will help ensure that mischief-makers cannot tamper with the same and endanger the members of the group. Simply go to the 'Group Settings' and then tap 'Edit group info' before selecting 'Admins only' to change the settings.
3. For all other users, please take note of groups that you're a part of. If you don't wish to be added to groups without your permission WhatsApp's new feature can enable you to select exactly who can add you to a group. Simply go to the 'Settings' section of your app and then tap Account > Privacy > Groups and select one of three options: “Everyone,” “My Contacts,” or “My Contacts Except”. With the third option, you can ensure that anyone outside of a select few has to send you a personal invite that you can accept if you wish to.
4. If you've already been banned, you can appeal to WhatsApp via the app by submitting proof that your group is not based on or encouraging child sexual abuse. You can also write to WhatsApp through their official channels and seek assistance.







WhatsApp is now blocking users in groups with 'suspicious' names; here's how you can ensure you're safe

 

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New WhatsApp Bug Could Have Let Hackers Secretly Install Spyware On Your Devices

Android versions before 2.19.274
iOS versions before 2.19.100



Hackers remotely exploit the vulnerability, all an attacker needs is the phone number of targeted users and they send a maliciously crafted MP4 file over WhatsApp, which eventually can be programmed to install a malicious backdoor or spyware app on the compromised devices silently.

So, Dont open any MP4 Files if you recive from Unknown numbers

 

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कश्मीर में लोगों के WhatsApp अकाउंट खुद से डिलीट हो रहे हैं, जानें वजह
कश्मीर में वॉट्सऐप यूजर्स इन दिनों इस चैटिंग ऐप को लेकर परेशान हैं. यूजर्स शिकायत कर रहे हैं कि अकाउंट खुद से ही डिऐक्टिवेट किया जा रहा है.

Representational Image

aajtak.in
नई दिल्ली, 05 दिसंबर 2019, अपडेटेड 18:11 IST

• कश्मीरी वॉट्सऐप अकाउंट हो रहे हैं ऑटो डिऐक्टिवेट.
• कंपनी ने दिया अपनी पॉलिसी का हवाला.

WhatsApp ने कश्मीर के कुछ यूजर्स का अकाउंट डिऐक्टिवेट करना शुरू कर दिया है. सोशल मीडिया पर अचानक से लोगों कशमीर के लोगों ने WhatsApp का स्क्रीनशॉट शेयर करना शुरू किया. स्क्रीनशॉट के साथ वहां के लोग ये शिकायत कर रहे हैं कि वॉट्सऐप उनका अकाउंट डिऐक्टिवेट कर रहा है.
गौरतलब है कि कश्मीर में कुछ महीनों के लिए मोबाइल सर्विस बंद कर दी गई थी. हालांकि अब मोबाइल सर्विस शुरू कर दी गई हैं. बजफीड की एक रिपोर्ट के मुताबिक वहां के लोगों के वॉट्सऐप अकाउंट खुद से डिलीट हो रहे हैं.
ट्विटर यूजर खालिद शाह ने लिखा है, 4 महीने से इनऐक्टिव रहने के बाद कश्मीर के लोगों के वॉट्सऐप अकाउंट डिलीट हो रहे हैं. एक दूसरे ट्विटर यूजर डॉ. शहनवाज ने लिखा है कि सिर्फ ग्रुप्स ही नहीं, बल्कि वॉट्सऐप अकाउंट्स भी डिऐक्टिवेट हो रहे हैं. जो नंबर पहले वॉट्सऐप कॉन्टैक्ट्स में दिख रहे थे अब यहां Invite to WhatsApp का ऑप्शन दिख रहा है.

Dr. Shahnawaz B. Kaloo@DrKaloo

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1202305711025184769

After 4 months of total communication blackout, @WhatsApp is automatically deleting Kashmiris from groups.#Kashmir

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12:46 AM - Dec 5, 2019
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आपको बता दें कि WhatsApp की पॉलिसी के मुताबिक अगर कोई WhatsApp अकाउंट 120 दिन तक इनऐक्टिव रहता है तो उसे कंपनी डिऐक्टिवेट कर देती है. चूंकि कश्मीर में कुछ महीने तक के लिए मोबाइल सर्विस बंद थी इसलिए वहां के लोग जाहिर है वॉट्सऐप ऐक्सेस नहीं कर रहे होंगे और इस स्थिति में उनका वॉट्सऐप अकाउंट डिऐक्टिवेट किया जा रहा है.

WhatsApp के प्रवक्ता ने कश्मीर में WhatsApp डिऐक्टिवेशन पर कहा है, 'सिक्योरिटी और डेटा रिटेंशन को बनाए रखने के लिए WhatsApp अकाउंट्स आम तौर पर 120 दिन तक इनऐक्टिव रहने के बाद एक्सपायर हो जाते हैं. ऐसा होने पर वो अकाउंट्स वॉट्सऐप ग्रुप्स से ऑटो एग्जिट हो जाते हैं. '.
वॉट्सऐप की तरफ से ये भी कहा गया है कि ऐसी स्थिति में वॉट्सऐप फिर से ज्वाइन करना होगा. यानी जिन यूजर्स के अकाउंट एक्स्पायर हो गए हैं उन्हें फिर से वॉट्सऐप अकाउंट बनाना होगा और ग्रुप में भी फिर से ऐड होना होगा.




कश्मीर में लोगों के WhatsApp अकाउंट खुद से डिलीट हो रहे हैं, जानें वजह

 

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Why Kashmiris are mysteriously losing their WhatsApp accounts
Some Kashmiris living in other states have taken to social media platforms to share screenshots of people from the Valley leaving WhatsApp groups.
UNNATI SHARMA 5 December, 2019 2:23 pm IST

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New Delhi: Accounts of Kashmiris on messaging service WhatsApp have begun to disappear as of Wednesday owing to their inactivity, as the internet lockdown in the region enters its fourth month.
Some Kashmiris took to social media platform Twitter and shared screenshots of people mysteriously leaving WhatsApp groups.

Dr. Shahnawaz B. Kaloo@DrKaloo
https://twitter.com/DrKaloo/status/1202305711025184769

After 4 months of total communication blackout, @WhatsApp is automatically deleting Kashmiris from groups.#Kashmir


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12:46 AM - Dec 5, 2019
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Asked about the matter, first reported by Buzzfeednews Thursday, a WhatsApp spokesperson told ThePrint, “To maintain security and limit data retention, WhatsApp accounts generally expire after 120 days of inactivity. When that happens, those accounts automatically exit all their WhatsApp groups.”
“People will need to be re-added to groups upon regaining access to the internet and joining WhatsApp again,” the spokesperson said.
What the Kashmiris say
Speaking to ThePrint, Dr. Shahnawaz Kaloo, who is from Kashmir but works in Delhi, said he observed people leaving WhatsApp groups Wednesday evening.
“Initially, I thought people were voluntarily leaving, but then I realised that the internet is still not functioning in Kashmir. So they cannot leave the groups by themselves,” said Kaloo.

“Then it struck me that the internet shutdown has completed four months, and I understood why this might be happening. Even the previously registered accounts are now showing an ‘invite’ option.”
The ‘invite’ option on the app sends a text to those who are not registered users on the platform.
Twitter users including Shehla Rashid also shared the issue on the microblogging site. Rashid said the accounts of Kashmiris are being removed for no fault of their own.

Shehla Rashid

@Shehla_Rashid
https://twitter.com/Shehla_Rashid/status/1202437971787407360

@WhatsApp Please pay attention to this. There is no Internet in Kashmir for the past 4 months now, and your algorithm is deleting Kashmiri Whatsapp accounts which have been inactive for over 120 days, for no fault of theirs.@evgenymorozov @zeynep @Snowden @AOC @PopTechWorks https://twitter.com/PranavDixit/status/1202405878756003841 …
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

@PranavDixit

Scoop: Kashmiris disappeared from WhatsApp overnight due to a FB policy that deletes inactive accounts automatically after 120 days. The internet has been shut down in Kashmir for 4 months now. No word on any concessions given the circumstances in Kashmir https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/pranavdixit/hundreds-of-kashmiris-are-disappearing-from-their-whatsapp …

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Sajjad Iqbal (سجاد اقبال)@realsajjadiqbal
https://twitter.com/realsajjadiqbal/status/1202459083728515073

4 months of inactivity, @WhatsApp accounts from Jammu amd Kashmir are getting deleted.


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10:56 AM - Dec 5, 2019
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Darab Bakhshi@DarabArzHai
https://twitter.com/DarabArzHai/status/1202452706993946624

Error 377. Voices not found.

Whatsapp accounts removed from groups due to inactivity.#KashmirGagged #kashmir


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Internet services in the region were snapped on the night of 4 and 5 August. The government announced the scrapping of Article 370, withdrawing special status granted to the former state of Jammu & Kashmir, on 5 August. The state was bifurcated into two union territories — Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh — on 31 October.
On Wednesday, Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor G.C. Murmu said the internet services will be restored once the situation turns “more normal”.





Why Kashmiris are mysteriously losing their WhatsApp accounts

 

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WhatsApp won't work on these smartphones from 2020. Is yours on the list?

livemint.com

Dec 11, 2019 8:11 AM

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WhatsApp also mentioned that it would 'no longer create new accounts, nor re-verify existing accounts after February 1, 2020' on certain Android and iOS smartphones

NEW DELHI : Just a few weeks are left before WhatsApp will stop working on a number of smartphones. As updated on the FAQ section of the app, there are several Android and iOS phones that may not be able to run the app as the company will withdraw support for some older mobile platforms from 1 February, 2020.

According to the information on WhatsApp FAQ section, Android phones running on Android 2.3.7 operating system and iPhones running on iOS 7 will not support WhatsApp from next year.

Moreover, the FAQ also emphasised that these older version of Android and iOS operating systems "can no longer create new accounts, nor re-verify existing accounts after February 1, 2020."

In addition to this, WhatsApp is withdrawing support for all Windows phones from December 31, 2019 — the same month that Microsoft ends support of its Windows 10 Mobile OS. The company also added that the app "might not be available in the Microsoft Store after July 1, 2019."

But, if you have a Windows smartphone, and don’t want to lose all your chats and information on 31 December, 2019 there is an option to save your chats.

Open the chat you wish to export, and tap on Group Info.

Tap ‘Export Chat’. You’ll then be given the option to download the chat with or without media. Choose your option and export all your chats.

Furthermore, the Facebook-owned instant messaging platform will keep the app running for select phones with KaiOS 2.5.1+ OS, including JioPhone and JioPhone 2.

WhatsApp also highlighted that the decision to end WhatsApp support for these Android phones and iPhones will not affect/impact a lot of users.

To recall, the following operating systems will not support WhatsApp from next year:

-Android versions 2.3.7 and older

-iOS 8 and older

-All Windows OS phones from 31 December, 2019

WhatsApp also listed the operating systems that the app supports and recommends users to use the following updated devices:

-Android running OS 4.0.3+

-iPhone running iOS 9+

-Select phones running KaiOS 2.5.1+, including JioPhone and JioPhone 2

In other news, the Facebook-owned company constantly keeps updating its software to include new features in order to provide smooth messaging and call experience to its users. The instant messaging app is currently working on rolling out the much-awaited 'Dark Mode' feature soon.

WhatsApp won't work on these smartphones from 2020. Is yours on the list?

Additionally, WhatsApp will completely stop working on all Windows-supported phones from 31 December, 2019.The popular messaging app will also not work on a number of Android and iOS phones from 1 February, 2020

www.livemint.com