WhatsApp Sends Legal Notice To Third-Party Notification Apps That Use Native Android APIs

We are all a fan of apps which aggregate notifications from different apps, brings them to u.s. in one neat parcel. Just WhatsApp seems to be uneasy with the thought of third-political party apps interacting with its service, despite them really non even using WhatsApp APIs.

WhatsApp has reportedly started sending 'Terminate and Desist' notice to developers whose apps interface with WhatsApp in any style, despite these apps using standard Android APIs such as Notification Listener and functionality such equally Direct Reply which are certified by Google.

WhatsApp'south reasoning is that such apps might extract code from its app, gain unauthorized access to systems and collect user information among a host of other reasons. Y'all can run into the letter reproduced in the embedded post below:

Follow upwardly: Whatsapp Cease and Desist FULL LETTER + cocky-help group discord invitation from r/Android

Among the developers that have received WhatsApp's legal find is the squad behind DirectChat, an app which hosts notifications from different apps and provides a Conversation Caput-like interface. DirectChat said information technology uses standard Android APIs to access notifications and does not provide access to deep settings or tools of an app, opposite to WhatsApp's claims of potential information theft, system hack, etc. which border on paranoia.

As per WhatsApp's legal find, developers of such apps are hereby 'prohibited from using (or profitable others in using) WhatsApp'south apps, services, features, software, or website ' that violate the rights of WhatsApp or its users, including privacy, publicity, intellectual property, or other proprietary rights.'Moreover, WhatsApp has demanded the developers to cease the development, distribution, and operation of all such software products that interact with WhatsApp.

And as if that was not enough, WhatsApp has revoked the developers' limited license to access WhatsApp services, and has directed them to ensure compliance inside seven days. What this substantially means is, any app which interacts or whose interface is linked with WhatsApp volition at present have to either shut down or remove the integration, even if it relies on standard Android developer tools, unless they determine to accept their ain legal action against WhatsApp.