WhatsApp are locking out users attempting to access its service through the unauthorized WhatsApp Plus app for 24 hours. The messaging service – which is owned by Facebook – says that has acted to prevent private data being leaked to third-parties. WhatsApp Plus gives users extra ways to view conversations. Experts have warned Android users about third-party apps and advised them to exercise caution.
WhatsApp claims to have 700 million users. The service is used to send a reported 30 billion messages per day and charges $0.99 to users that have been with WhatsApp for over 12 months. Reports have suggested that WhatsApp has been downloaded more than 35 million times. It has been developed by a Spanish programmer called “Rafelense”. Some experts are worried about the integrity of the services.
A moderator of a development community that had supported WhatsApp Plus said that work on the app had come to a halt, posting: “We have received a cease and desist letter from WhatsApp and we are obligated to remove all download links and unfortunately delete this community… really sorry for this but it’s out of our hands and WhatsApp has pushed us into a corner that we can’t escape this time. It was a fun ride but it has come to an end.”
Have you been using WhatsApp Plus? Do you think WhatsApp have been too hasty by clamping down on WhatsApp Plus users? Let us know what you think below.
