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WhatsApp sends Cease and Desists for apps that use native Android APIs

xda-developers.com

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Re: WhatsApp sends Cease and Desists for apps that use native Android APIs

#11

Post by [deleted] »

tallanvor wrote: post #4
robin_reala wrote: post #2

The legal claims seem spurious at best. The letter provides a list of infringements and claims that each of them is violated. I’ve not used the (claimed) offending apps, but from an overview understanding of how they work it seems like precisely no items from the list would be true.

Hopefully the app creators that received those notices are in a jurisdiction with good anti-SLAPP laws. If they really are only using Android APIs and not accessing WhatsApp through any other means, the claims are clearly designed to intimidate them into removing their apps and settling rather than go through a prolonged lawsuit that Facebook can easily afford, but small developers can't.

[deleted]

Re: WhatsApp sends Cease and Desists for apps that use native Android APIs

#12

Post by nmtlc »

tallanvor wrote: post #4
robin_reala wrote: post #2

The legal claims seem spurious at best. The letter provides a list of infringements and claims that each of them is violated. I’ve not used the (claimed) offending apps, but from an overview understanding of how they work it seems like precisely no items from the list would be true.

Hopefully the app creators that received those notices are in a jurisdiction with good anti-SLAPP laws. If they really are only using Android APIs and not accessing WhatsApp through any other means, the claims are clearly designed to intimidate them into removing their apps and settling rather than go through a prolonged lawsuit that Facebook can easily afford, but small developers can't.

In the first world anti-SLAPP laws are not necessary because SLAPPs don't exist to begin with.

Re: WhatsApp sends Cease and Desists for apps that use native Android APIs

#13

Post by antpls »

At first, I thought WhatApps wanted to slow down automation and bots because they just don't want people to be helped in their communications (which would be weird, given their mission is to help people to communicate).

However, after the recent news about spreading misinformation in India which did lead to injustices, I can see how bots may harm uninformed users more than it would help them.

Shame on WhatApps for not being able to provide an official, controlled automation solution.

Re: WhatsApp sends Cease and Desists for apps that use native Android APIs

#14

Post by icebraining »

antpls wrote: post #13

At first, I thought WhatApps wanted to slow down automation and bots because they just don't want people to be helped in their communications (which would be weird, given their mission is to help people to communicate). However, after the recent news about spreading misinformation in India which did lead to injustices, I can see how bots may harm uninformed users more than it would help them. Shame on WhatApps for no…

I don't see what any of these apps being targeted have to do with bots.

Re: WhatsApp sends Cease and Desists for apps that use native Android APIs

#15

Post by kartan »

TLDR: Two apps are integrated with Android. WhatsApp is integrated with Android. Facebook wants the integration to stop, so they sue this other apps integrated with Android.

The solution is easy. Facebook should remove the integration from WhatsApp. Problem solved. If you don't want other apps to extend your functionality, you should not integrate with other systems.

The reality is that when a behemoth like Facebook tells you to do something and that they know were you live (probably literally), your company is at risk independently of how crazy the claims are.

Corporations are the new big abusive government. But we can't vote them out.

Re: WhatsApp sends Cease and Desists for apps that use native Android APIs

#16

Post by dogma1138 »

ashraymalhotra wrote: post #6
pmontra wrote: post #5

> This letter is not a complete list of all of WhatsApp's rights you might have violated. Fortunately they added this statement because (IANAL) I believe those developers didn't perform any of the activities listed in the bullet points of the letter. However all of third party WhatsApp automation is a gray area. Everybody knows that WhatsApp doesn't welcome it (I really don't know why) and they have the money to liti…

> I wouldn't be surprised if the plan is to move all WhatsApp users to Messenger. People use WhatsApp over messenger primarily because how "light" the app feels. It feels exactly like SMS for free, which was always the appeal of the app. Given the trend to make a Lite version of every Android app, Facebook should be prioritising WhatsApp, not planning to migrate it to Messenger. PS - Has a mass migration of community…

WA doesn’t require a Facebook account if FB does that they’ll end up losing quite a bit of users.

Re: WhatsApp sends Cease and Desists for apps that use native Android APIs

#17

Post by mcintyre1994 »

dogma1138 wrote: post #16
ashraymalhotra wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I wouldn't be surprised if the plan is to move all WhatsApp users to Messenger. People use WhatsApp over messenger primarily because how "light" the app feels. It feels exactly like SMS for free, which was always the appeal of the app. Given the trend to make a Lite version of every Android app, Facebook should be prioritising WhatsApp, not planning to migrate it to Messenger. PS - Has a mass migration of community…

WA doesn’t require a Facebook account if FB does that they’ll end up losing quite a bit of users.

Nor does Messenger.

Re: WhatsApp sends Cease and Desists for apps that use native Android APIs

#18

Post by Rjevski »

The affected developers should “cease and desist” by stopping further development and releasing the code as open-source.

WhatsApp/Facebook will then have to send C&Ds to hundreds of potentially anonymous contributors if they want any chance of taking the open-sourced app down.

Re: WhatsApp sends Cease and Desists for apps that use native Android APIs

#19

Post by codegladiator »

pmontra wrote: post #5

> This letter is not a complete list of all of WhatsApp's rights you might have violated. Fortunately they added this statement because (IANAL) I believe those developers didn't perform any of the activities listed in the bullet points of the letter. However all of third party WhatsApp automation is a gray area. Everybody knows that WhatsApp doesn't welcome it (I really don't know why) and they have the money to liti…

> For example a bot API. I never understood why they didn't implement one.

I think bot API exists but is only available to selected merchants. I get an automated ping on whatsapp from BookMyShow after booking a ticket with the ticket details.

Re: WhatsApp sends Cease and Desists for apps that use native Android APIs

#20

Post by r_c_a_d »

kartan wrote: post #15

TLDR: Two apps are integrated with Android. WhatsApp is integrated with Android. Facebook wants the integration to stop, so they sue this other apps integrated with Android. The solution is easy. Facebook should remove the integration from WhatsApp. Problem solved. If you don't want other apps to extend your functionality, you should not integrate with other systems. The reality is that when a behemoth like Facebook…

But we can stop using their services.
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