…No warning, specific reasons over ban.
by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
There is ongoing widespread outcry over the banning of Nigerian investigative Journalist’s WhatsApp account from using all WhatsApp services, without any prior warning, notification or specific reasons for the action.
“It’s expected that, a responsible international medium of connection, like WhatsApp, from phrase ‘What’s up,’ will not give sufficient notice or enough warning and specific reasons before banning a number of its customer, particularly Journalists, who use the medium for public good, if nothing attached to the ban politically,” the victim lamented.
Trouble started when WhatsApp, last week Thursday or there about, suddenly placed ban on MTN+234-7066810866 – a phone number belonging to a Nigerian Journalist, Idibia Gabriel, without any prior notification or reasons for the action.
Several efforts made to reconcile with WhatsApp on the ban since the unusual, unexpected incident proved abortive, as the ban remained stand, effective and without specific reasons hitherto.
Contacted, some WhatsApp responses received stated that, “If your account is banned, you’ll see the following message when you open WhatsApp: “This account is not allowed to use WhatsApp. We ban accounts, if we believe the account activity violates our Terms of Service; for example, if it involves spam, scams or if it puts WhatsApp users’ safety at risk.”
Further engagement about WhatsApp stated that, “More than 3 billion people in over 180 countries use WhatsApp1 to stay in touch with friends and families, anytime and anywhere. WhatsApp is free2 and offers simple, secure, reliable messaging and calling, available on phones all over the world.
“And, yes, the name WhatsApp is a pun on the phrase ‘What’s Up,’ it stated. The affected Investigative Journalist, who is also suspicious of political detractors, who may be responsible (behind the scene), strongly appealed to founders of WhatsApp, Jan Koum and Brian Acton to temper justice with mercy, if responsible.
Mr. Idibia, however, argued that the ban could be done out of mistake, saying, he could not remember taken time out of his busy journalistic work to posting or chatting any offensive content messages in WhatsApp prior to the ban.
According to him, the latest WhatsApp display showing is “This Account can no longer use WhatsApp,” stressing that, WhatsApp has completed review of the account and found out its activities did not follow WhatsApp’s terms of service.
Contacted, MTN centre for help, the network which found no fault on line after verification, pleaded and expressed hope that the line will perhaps be reopen after 7 days after the ban.