Businesses engaging in bulk messaging on WhatsApp to face legal action

News Network

December 12, 2019

New Delhi, Dec 12: WhatsApp will take legal action against businesses engaged in or assisting others in abusing automated or bulk messaging on its platform.

The company has built two tools -- the WhatsApp Business app and the WhatsApp Business API -- to help companies manage customer interactions.

The company said that its products are not intended for bulk or automated messaging, both of which have always been a violation of its terms of service.

"WhatsApp will take legal action against those we determine are engaged in or assisting others in abuse that violates our terms of service, such as automated or bulk messaging, or non-personal use, even if that determination is based on information solely available to us off our platform," the Facebook-owned platform said in a statement.

For example, off-platform information includes public claims from companies about their ability to use WhatsApp in ways that violate its terms.

"This serves as notice that we will take legal action against companies for which we only have off-platform evidence of abuse if that abuse continues beyond December 7, 2019, or if those companies are linked to on-platform evidence of abuse before that date," said WhatsApp.

The platform, on an average, bans over two million accounts per month for bulk or automated behaviour and over 75% of those accounts did not have any recent user reports.

An account that registered five minutes before attempting to send 100 messages in 15 seconds is almost certain to be engaged in abuse, as is an account that attempts to quickly create dozens of groups or add thousands of users to a series of existing groups.

"Using the on-platform information available within WhatsApp, we've found and stopped millions of abusive accounts from operating on our service," it said.

In addition to technological enforcement, said WhatsApp, it also takes legal action against individuals or companies that it links to on-platform evidence of such abuse.

"We will continue to provide capabilities to help businesses communicate with their customers," said WhatsApp.

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Mangaluru NRI returning from Saudi Arabia arrested over Instagram post

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru police have arrested a 27-year-old NRI on his return from Saudi Arabia in connection with an Instagram post allegedly containing derogatory and provocative remarks about the Hindu religion, officials said on Monday.

The accused, Abdul Khader Nehad, a resident of Ulaibettu in Mangaluru, was working in Saudi Arabia when the post was uploaded, police said.

A suo motu case was registered at the Bajpe police station on October 11 after an allegedly offensive post circulated from the Instagram account ‘team_sdpi_2025’. Police said the content was flagged for being provocative and derogatory in nature.

During the investigation, technical analysis traced the Instagram post to Nehad, who was residing abroad at the time, a senior police officer said. Based on these findings, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him.

On December 14, Nehad arrived from Saudi Arabia at Calicut International Airport in Kerala, where he was taken into custody on arrival. Police said further investigation is underway.

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Mangaluru police issue alert over fake traffic fine payment Apps and links

coastaldigest.com news network

December 20,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 20: City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy has issued a high-alert warning to vehicle owners regarding a surge in cyber fraud targeting those looking to pay traffic violation fines. Fraudsters are reportedly exploiting recent government discount schemes on traffic penalties to deceive citizens.

The Scam: How Fraudsters Strike

Criminals are using SMS, WhatsApp, and social media to circulate suspicious links and APK files (Android application packages). They claim these apps allow users to pay e-challans at a discount.

• Device Hacking: Downloading these unauthorized apps gives hackers full access to the victim's smartphone.

• Financial Theft: Once the phone is compromised, fraudsters intercept OTPs and personal data to drain bank accounts.

• Phishing Sites: Fake websites mimicking official portals are also being used to harvest banking credentials.

Already, two residents within Mangaluru city limits have reported significant financial losses after falling victim to these fraudulent apps.

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