Like email, SMS, and just about every other method of communication, WhatsApp suffers from spam. There are certainly things that can be done by users to stem the flow of spam that makes its way to their inboxes, but WhatsApp is also trying to help.
The platform has already introduced a system designed to automatically detect and block spam, but it is not perfect; no system is. And so, WhatsApp is trying another approach that will apply to businesses and individuals alike.
Currently in development, WhatsApp is working on a new anti-spam technique that will place a limit on the number of messages that can be sent each month. The approach takes into account that if and when spam is received, the recipient is not going to respond to it – or is very unlikely to.
As such, rather than imposing a monthly limit on the number of messages that can be sent, WhatsApp will instead keep a count of the number of messages sent by a business or individual that do not receive a reply. It is these messages – those which are ignored – that will count towards the monthly limit.
WhatsApp has provided TechCrunch with some information about the system it is working on, but it is important to remember that this is a work in progress, and everything is subject to change. TechCrunch explains:
WhatsApp is attempting to solve its spam problem by curbing how many messages individual users and businesses can send to unknown people without getting a response.
While the app started as an easy way to send messages to personal contacts, over time, it has become more complex with groups, communities, and business messaging. With those changes, people are getting more messages than ever, and it is hard to catch up with all of them.
All messages users and businesses send to others will count against this new per-month limit, unless they get a response. For instance, if you meet someone at a conference and send three messages, that counts against the limit.
WhatsApp hasn’t said what the limit will be, as it’s testing different limits during this time.
Although we do not yet know quite when the new system will be in place, WhatsApp says that in the “coming weeks” it should be live in several countries.
When the “spam” limit is almost reached, a warning message will be displayed so a user can take action to avoid having future messages blocked. WhatsApp stresses that the average user’s ability to send messages should not be affected by the anti-spam system – but this still needs to be tested in the real world on a large scale.
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