By Sultan Usman
Claim
A message is making the rounds on WhatsApp claiming that a new communication rules for WhatsApp calls (Voice and Video calls) will be implemented from tomorrow.
Verdict
False
Full Text
A screenshot of a message is making the rounds on WhatsApp claiming that new communication rules for WhatsApp calls (Voice and Video calls) will be implemented from tomorrow.
The viral message, which was purportedly sent by the Federal Ministry of Information, also lists 11 rules and regulations for users to follow.
Verification
FactCheckAfrica Google searched the opening paragraph of the message, the results showed a series of publications debunking it as far back as 2021. A careful observation of the results also indicated that the message may have first originated from India.
According to a 2021 report by TheIndianExpress “all of the claims made in the viral message are fake.”
Similarly, Africa Check also published a report in 2022 debunking the resurfacing claims in the message. The report stated that the message is fairly old and it has been doing the rounds online in several countries across the world since at least May 2021. It also added that it reappeared in Kenya in September 2022 coinciding with political anxiety about digital surveillance by the government.
When the fact checking platform reached out to WhatsApp to ascertain the veracity of the claims made in the message, a spokesperson of the social network platform said: “This is false, all messages on WhatsApp are end-to-end encrypted, meaning only the sender or the receiver can see or hear your messages, nobody else. Not even WhatsApp.”
Conclusion
The claims made in the viral WhatsApp message are false. WhatsApp is fully encrypted. The government nor private individuals cannot record or monitor your messages and calls on the app.
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