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Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
Lifestyle
David Coleman

Six mistakes that could see you banned from Whatsapp including spreading 'falsehoods'

Unless you're one of the few people still without smartphones, you probably use Whatsapp to communicate.

The messaging provider is now the most popular way to keep up to speed with family and to have a laugh with friends.

We all use it - but there are a few things that could get you booted off the app.

According to the official Whatsapp website, here are the six things that could get you banned.

"Unwanted messages: If a contact asks you to stop messaging them, you should remove the contact from your address book and refrain from contacting them again.

"Automated or bulk messages: Don't bulk message, auto-message, or auto-dial using WhatsApp. WhatsApp uses both machine learning technology and reports from users to detect and ban accounts that send unwanted automated messages. Also, don't create accounts or groups in unauthorized or automated ways, or use modified versions of WhatsApp. For more information on how WhatsApp prevents abuse of automated and bulk messaging, you can read this white paper.

"Using contact lists that aren’t yours: Don’t share phone numbers without consent or use data obtained from illicit sources to message users on WhatsApp or add them to groups.

"Over-using broadcast lists: Messages sent using a broadcast list will only be received when users have added your phone number to their contact list. Please keep in mind, frequent use of broadcast messages may lead people to report your messages, and we ban accounts that are reported multiple times.

"Harvesting personal information: Avoid extracting information from WhatsApp at scale, using an automated or manual tool, for any unpermitted purposes. The acquisition of information from users in this way, including phone numbers, user profile pictures, and statuses from WhatsApp violates our Terms of Service.

"Violating our Terms of Service: As a reminder, our Terms of Service prohibit, amongst other things, publishing falsehoods and engaging in illegal, threatening, intimidating, hateful, and racially or ethnically offensive behaviour. You can review our Terms of Service here."

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