WhatsApp Bans Users Of Unofficial App

WhatsApp is banning users using its service through unofficial client for 24 hours. Users of popular third party clients of WhatsApp, like WhatsApp+ and WhatsappMD were afflicted.

Explaining the reason behind banning users of Whatsapp+, WhatsApp said: "WhatsApp Plus is an application that was not developed by WhatsApp, nor is it authorized by WhatsApp. The developers of WhatsApp Plus have no relationship to WhatsApp, and we do not support WhatsApp Plus. Please be aware that WhatsApp Plus contains source code which WhatsApp cannot guarantee as safe and that your private information is potentially being passed to 3rd parties without your knowledge or authorization."

The unofficial app offers extra ways of customization options such as wide support for themes and emojis and some users preferred it over the official WhatsApp interface.

 However, WhatsApp+ developer indicated that the work on the app would now be put on hold.

"We have received a cease and desist letter from WhatsApp and we are obligated to remove all download links and unfortunately delete this community," Dr. Mounib Al Rifai, owner of the Official Whatsapp+ Development Community group on Google Plus wrote.

By controlling the clients its users can use, WhatsApp can make upgrades and deploy updates more easily.

WhatsApp has never invited other developers to produce third-party clients and its official API doesn't allow it. Last year, the Facebook owned messaging service used DCMA takedowns to remove several unofficial APIs from GitHub.