WhatsApp is working on several new features like screen sharing and companion mode for Android and iOS.
Similarly, platforms like Twitter and Google have also been fined for content related violations.
A Russian court fined messaging service WhatsApp 3 million rubles ($37,080) on Thursday. This is the first penalty in Russia for WhatsApp’s failure to remove banned content. Last year, Moscow labeled Meta Platforms Inc, the parent company of WhatsApp, as an “extremist” organisation. Despite its popularity in Russia, WhatsApp has not previously faced consequences for not removing restricted information.
WhatsApp’s parent company, Meta Platforms Inc., has faced fines in Russia for content issues related to its other services, namely Facebook and Instagram, which are now banned in the country. Similarly, platforms such as Alphabet-owned Twitter and Google have also been fined for content infringement. However, WhatsApp was previously fined in Russia for non-compliance with data laws, after it was accused of refusing to store Russian users’ data on servers within the country.
According to the RIA news agency, the recent fine imposed on WhatsApp was the result of failing to remove information related to the banned drug Lyrica, which is not allowed to be sold and produced in Russia. Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comment beyond US business hours.
The Wikimedia Foundation, owner of Wikipedia, was also fined three million rubles by the court for failing to remove Russia’s “false information” about Moscow’s military actions in Ukraine. Wikimedia has not yet responded to a request for comment. In the past, Wikimedia has said that the information reported by the Russian authorities was reliable and followed Wikipedia’s standards.
For years, Moscow has been at loggerheads with major technology companies, commonly known as Big Tech, over issues such as content, censorship, data management and local representation. These disputes intensified following the deployment of its armed forces by Russia in Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Besides. WhatsApp is currently in the process of developing an advanced messaging menu for its Android app. The Upcoming menu is anticipated to be similar to the context menu found in iOS, which appears when a message is selected. On long pressing the message, users will get five options to choose from. This development was exposed in WhatsApp beta version 2.23.11.4 for Android, suggesting that the redesigned message menu is still under development and is likely to be included in a future beta update .