WhatsApp: Forward photos can even be punishable for recipients

Billion people use WhatsApp every day. Shorting forbidden content threatens penalty.

• Forwarding pictures at WhatsApp: Why the benefit of the app can be dangerous
• Illegal news on WhatsApp: Why recipients have to expect a punishment
• WhatsApp: How app users can protect against illegal content and penalties

Dortmund - WhatsApp is one of the most popular communication services. Alone in October 2020, according to TechCrunch, about 100 billion news were sent worldwide daily. However, consumers should be careful what they send and forward. Because with some contents they are punishable, as app * reports.

Forwarding pictures at WhatsApp: Why the benefit of the app can be dangerous

Alone 58 million Germans should use the app according to Messengepeople daily. It was developed for fast communication - and has success. The software is regularly expanded and has recently got a new update *.

Most people use the messenger service to stay in touch with friends and family. In addition to writing, the app can also be used to send photos and videos as well as for the phone calls.

What sees most of a great invention, however, has its shadow sides. In addition to the harmless texts and pictures WhatsApp is also used for the dissemination of illegal content (more service topics * on app).

Illegal news on WhatsApp: Why recipients have to expect a punishment

The illegal news counts according to _ image of the woman_ both obscene documents, as well as people-reluctant moving picture files. In anonymous groups, such contents should be sent particularly frequently. Since the messenger does not check the pictures and videos, the messages can be forwarded unhindered.

This means that children and adolescents also come into contact with criminal relevant content. Who gets such news, should, however, delete them as soon as possible.

Even those who do not send the forbidden pictures or videos, but only gets sent, must expect a punishment. Because the recipient is also trained if the files are not deleted from their own device.

WhatsApp: How app users can protect against illegal content and penalties

The manufacturers have already ensured for more security when using the app. But even the users themselves can protect themselves. That succeeds already with some simple tricks. For this, the groups do not have to be left. It is usually already enough to turn off the automatic storage of images and videos at WhatsApp.

For this, users under Settings must select the item "Data Usage", and under "Media Auto Download" the hooks remove the options. Questionable content that has already been downloaded can also be deleted to handle a penalty. * app is part of the editorial network byip.media.

Category list picture: © Kirill Kudryavtsev / AFP, Collage: app