WhatsApp issues temporary bans to WhatsApp Plus users

WhatsApp has started to temporarily ban users of WhatsApp Plus and WhatsappMD, third-party apps with a different interface and extended functionality. Bans seem to last 24 hours for now and installing the official app does not cancel them.

Use of third-party apps violates WhatsApp’s terms and conditions, and the service has begun enforcing its policy by issuing bans. According to the service, there are security and privacy risks associated with using third-party apps. In any case, WhatsApp Plus and WhatsappMD users will be banned from the messaging network for 24 hours.

The administrator of WhatsApp Plus confirms that users cannot lift a ban by installing the official client. He recommends users who are not yet locked out to uninstall WhatsApp Plus and use the normal WhatsApp. He claims to be looking for a solution.

It is not known how popular third party apps for WhatsApp are. WhatsApp Plus is not available to download from the Google Play store. The announcement about the ban follows news that Facebook is investigating revenue models for the messaging service.