Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Whatsapp Needs to Change!

Whatsapp can cause legal troubles. Frankly, as an administrator for a couple of Whatsapp Groups, I am scared. And if you are one like me, be scared. Yes, Whatsapp needs to change for I don't want to be added into some weird group that says - shoes or loan or some such thing - by some unscrupulous marketer. 
As I wrote in a previous post on the need for moderation tools, Whatsapp needs to introduce settings that allows users more control, especially as far as visibility is concerend.  
Here is why.
1. There are no moderation tools. Without moderation tools, there is no way an 'undesired' message can be flagged and deleted from the timeline. 
2. As a user, I don't have enough privacy. Of course, I have used this weak privacy setting to reach out to acquaintances who have just shared their numbers. But the recent trend of marketers creating groups and adding people without consent is unacceptable.  
3. Leaving a group. If you 'Unfriend' anyone on Facebook, it goes unnoticed. If you block someone on LinkedIn, it goes unnoticed. Same is the case when you block someone on Whatsapp. But if you leave a group, the whole world notices. As much addition should be by consent, leaving a group must be very discreet.
Have you noticed that as long as any medium remains uncorrupted by marketers, it is wonderful. Once marketers become aggressive, it becomes a nuisance. In Whatsapp's case it also can be dangerous!