The recent surge of WhatsApp account suspensions in Israel over the weekend has sparked a wave of anxiety among users, who now find themselves questioning the security of their own accounts. The Israel Internet Association responded promptly, advising users to safeguard their important data stored within the messaging app, as the risk of suspension looms large.
In a discussion on 103FM, Yonatan Ben-Horin from the Safe Internet Hotline shared insights into the unusual nature of the inquiries received during this period. He noted that the weekend’s reports diverged significantly from the usual complaints, which typically revolve around harmful content or abusive accounts on social media platforms.
“Most of the inquiries we usually receive involve reports of harmful content, abusive accounts, or harmful trends on social media,” Ben-Horin explained. “However, this past weekend was different. We began to receive a steady stream of reports from individuals whose accounts had been suspended after sending completely innocuous messages to businesses or contacts.”
WhatsApp account suspensions tied to sending messages to businesses
Upon further investigation, it became clear that the suspensions were linked to the recipients of the messages. “We discovered that all the messages leading to suspensions were directed towards businesses and similar entities,” Ben-Horin elaborated. “The recipients were not unfamiliar numbers; rather, they were businesses or individuals that senders believed they were contacting. Initially, we suspected that many users had sent messages to numbers not saved in their contacts.”
“It’s completely crazy because we’re all dependent on WhatsApp to communicate with practically the entire world,” he added, highlighting the platform’s integral role in daily communication.
In light of the widespread impact of these suspensions, the Israel Internet Association has established reporting channels with various platforms. Given the scale of the issue, they reached out to Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, to address the situation. “They asked us to compile the numbers of the suspended accounts. Unfortunately, we still haven’t received any answers, and I’m continuing to collect reports from people whose accounts were suspended over the weekend,” Ben-Horin stated.
He also emphasized the critical need for users to maintain independent backups of their information. “It’s always the right thing to back up your information because many people also use WhatsApp as a personal reminder system,” he advised. “Any important information should be backed up outside of WhatsApp, not just in Google’s or Apple’s cloud services. Those daily, weekly, or monthly cloud backups are only relevant to WhatsApp itself.”
