Telegram users on WhatsApp noticed something strange today. The messaging app blocked all links to Telegram.me, a rival app that has become quite popular.
The URLs continue to appear but do not function as hyperlinks and users cannot copy and paste them from Whatsapp to another application, treating them as malware or spam.
This did not happen on every device but was consistent on some devices, blocking usernames and links in individual messages and chat rooms.
Telegram have started with a “silent” update this morning. The update had the same version number as the last one (2.12.367) but a Telegram volunteer confirmed that a new 367 version was released this morning. The update likely didn’t reach every device, which explains why the block wasn’t apparent on all devices. A test revealed that Whatsapp was also blocking Telegram.com, a URL for a newspaper in Worcester, Massachusetts.
These blocked links are common on Facebook, which also owns WhatsApp, although they have been controversial in the past. In 2010, Facebook was criticized for blocking links from The Pirate Bay in messages, and earlier from similar apps in the News Feed. And more recently, it was criticized for blocking all mentions from the social network Tsu.com, which pays its users a percentage of its advertising revenue for each post. While such blocks are common on Facebook, this is the first time we've seen something similar on WhatsApp.
It remains to be seen whether this move was intentionally made against Telegram, but it doesn't seem to be worried!#
“Usually after a media outcry, Facebook backs down and blames its smart filtering for the problem,” a Telegram spokesperson said.
Facebook and Whatsapp have not yet commented.
