Two billion WhatsApp users have been warned to watch what they send as it could land them in hot water with the law.
If you send restricted or banned content on the app and it gets reported, you could face a fine or even legal damages.
More than 100 billion messages are sent every day on the platform, which is encrypted to keep user chats private.
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However, if one of your messages is reported by a contact, you could not only get banned from the app but face some major financial consequences.
Sending copyrighted content on WhatsApp could, for example, see you slapped with a legal complaint by the copyright owner, forcing you to pay damages.
Or, if you send something that's against WhatsApp's terms and conditions such as adult images, bulk messages or threatening texts, you might even get a visit from the police.
This is because while WhatsApp does hide users' messages from unwanted eyes, its report function can make individual texts visible to moderators along with the context of the message.
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If you do get banned from WhatsApp for violating the app's terms of service, you'll see the following message: "Your phone number is banned from using WhatsApp. Contact support for help."
According to WABetaInfo, WhatsApp is working on a new feature which will make it easier for banned users to appeal their removal from the messaging app.
It will give you the opportunity to submit additional evidence and notes to WhatsApp moderators and get your name cleared for good.
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