WhatsApp, the messaging platform with more than 3 billion monthly active users globally, experienced a disruption on August 3 in which many accounts were suspended for about 24 hours. The exact number of affected accounts is not known, and reports differ on the scale.
Users saw a message on the app stating that their account activity and device information had been taken under review to check compliance with WhatsApp's Terms of Service, and that results would typically be sent within 24 hours.
3 billion monthly active users
WhatsApp's global user base, which makes disruptions like this highly visible.
Meta, WhatsApp's parent company, confirmed the disruption to TechCrunch and said it had begun working to restore access to affected accounts. The company attributed the issue to an error in its AI-based security systems and automated moderation mechanisms, though reports differ on whether Meta provided these details or avoided specifying the technical cause.
We prioritize user safety; systems can make errors, and we've started resolving them.
— WhatsApp spokesperson
Updates
Meta has not entirely ruled out the possibility that its AI-supported security system mistakenly flagged normal accounts as suspicious during the disruption. Additionally, users have reported receiving a specific warning message stating their accounts are under review to verify compliance with terms of service. Some reports suggest that waiting between 1 to 6 hours may allow the issue to be resolved automatically before contacting support teams.
Meta has not entirely ruled out the possibility that its AI-supported security system mistakenly flagged normal accounts as suspicious during the disruption. Additionally, users have reported receiving specific warning messages stating their accounts are under review to verify compliance with terms of service, with results typically provided within 24 hours. Some reports suggest that waiting between 1 to 6 hours may resolve the access issue automatically before needing to contact support teams.
Meta has not ruled out the possibility that its AI-supported security system mistakenly flagged normal accounts as suspicious. Additionally, users reported receiving a warning that their accounts were 'under review,' with some facing a potential 1 to 6 hour wait for automatic resolution. Sources also suggest that WhatsApp is developing a feature to edit status descriptions for shared media within 15 minutes of publication, alongside various planned updates for WhatsApp Web such as browser-based calling and screen sharing.
Users reported receiving warnings that their accounts were 'under review' while Meta admitted to TechCrunch that its AI-supported security system might have mistakenly flagged normal accounts as suspicious. Additionally, some reports suggest the issue may resolve automatically within 1 to 6 hours before requiring contact with support teams.
The technical disruption affected millions of users and caused widespread access restrictions in many countries, including Turkey. Meta officials stated that the decision to place accounts under review was taken to ensure platform security and prevent malicious software, while engineers are now conducting a comprehensive system update to restore access to unfairly locked profiles. Additionally, Meta did not rule out the possibility that its AI-supported security system mistakenly flagged normal accounts as suspicious.
Technical disruption affected millions of users, including widespread access restrictions in countries such as Turkey. While Meta officials stated the decision to review accounts was taken to ensure platform security and prevent malicious software, they did not entirely rule out the possibility that its AI-supported security system mistakenly flagged normal accounts as suspicious. Company engineers are currently conducting a comprehensive system update to identify and restore access to unfairly locked profiles.
The technical disruption affected millions of users and caused widespread access restrictions in several countries, including Turkey. Meta officials stated the sudden account reviews were implemented to ensure platform security and prevent malicious software, while engineers are currently conducting a comprehensive system update to identify and restore access to unfairly locked profiles. Additionally, Meta's statement to TechCrunch did not entirely rule out the possibility that its AI-supported security system mistakenly flagged normal accounts as suspicious.
The technical disruption, which affected millions of users including those in Turkey, involved accounts being suddenly blocked with 'under review' warnings. Meta officials stated the decision was taken to prevent malicious software, and while engineers work to restore unfairly locked profiles, the company has not ruled out that AI-supported security systems might have mistakenly flagged normal accounts.
The technical disruption, which affected millions of users including those in Turkey, prompted Meta officials to state that the sudden account reviews were intended to ensure platform security and prevent malicious software. Meta engineers are currently conducting a comprehensive system update to identify and restore access to unfairly locked profiles, committing that accounts found to be in compliance will be automatically reactivated within 24 hours. Additionally, Meta has not entirely ruled out the possibility that its AI-supported security system mistakenly flagged normal accounts as suspicious.
The technical disruption, which affected millions of users globally including those in Turkey, impacted both personal and business accounts, leading to some users being suddenly logged out during chats. Meta officials stated the decision to place accounts under review was intended to ensure platform security and prevent malicious software, while also acknowledging that AI-supported security systems may have mistakenly flagged normal accounts. Additionally, while users criticized the lack of specific rule explanations, Meta engineers are currently conducting a comprehensive system update to identify and restore access to unfairly locked profiles.
