TheNewsGuru

Tag: WhatsApp

  • WhatsApp Group admins can be liable for crime by members

    WhatsApp Group admins can be liable for crime by members

    A former Publicity Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Douglas Ogbankwa, said that administrators of WhatsApp groups could be held responsible for violating the Cyber Act 2015 caused by members.

    Ogbankwa, who disclosed this in an interview on Tuesday in Lagos, said many adminstrators of WhatsApp groups appeared ignorant of the provisions of the Cyber Crime Act, which spelt out offences such as cyber stalking and bullying, among others.

    According to him, ignorance of the Act is not an excuse for violation. He said that in the wake of increased cyber crime, the Cyber Act had carefully made provisions to check cyber activities including social media.

    “The Cyber Crime Prohibition Act 2015, provides for the liability of whatsapp group admins; so I think group admins need to take a look at the Act because it provides that admins must protect the intrerest of others

    “So, if a post is made which threatens national security or interest, the Act is saying that such admins will be liable for any legal issue which may arise from such transactions.

    “It, therefore, means that ignorance of the provisions of such law will not serve as an escape route for anybody as Whatsapp group admins have been empowered to delete offensive items entirely from a group

    “Not taking advantage of these new features in Whatsapp to regulate activities of group members, may put the admins at risk of legal action as it will be deemed that such offensive items are endorsed by them.

    “The truth is that social media is a novel area of communication in the world, and many people are unaware that there are laws enacted by government to regulate its affairs.

    “A lot of criminal activities take palce on social media and regulations such as the Cyber Crime Prohibition Prevention Act provides for legal regulations and institutional framework for prevention of cyber crime in Nigeria,” he said

    According to him, under the Act, there is a provision for even the operation of cyber cafe which also criminalises unregistered cafeing.

    He added that social media users must keep themselves abreast of these developments.

    “Section 24 of the Act says that a person who knowingly sends offensive, indecent, or false message, or causes criminal intimidation to the annoyance of others, is liable on conviction to a fine of not more than N 7 million or imprisonment term of three years,” he said

    Ogbankwa urged Whatsapp group admins to ensure that they scrutinise the calibre of person added to their platforms in order not to “buy” law suits or be listed in the bad book of the law.

  • BREAKING: WhatsApp rolls out eye-catching new features

    BREAKING: WhatsApp rolls out eye-catching new features

    Popular messaging platform, WhatsApp, owned by Meta has started rolling out some eye-catching new features.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the new features include Communities and the ability of WhatsApp groups to now take up to 1024 users.

    Also, WhatsApp now has the feature for users to create in-chat polls and users now have the feature of 32 person video calling.

    “As we shared earlier this year, we’ve been hard at work building Communities, a major update to how people will be able to connect on WhatsApp in the groups that matter to them.

    “Today, we’re excited to announce we’ve started to roll out Communities on WhatsApp globally and this will be available to everyone over the next few months,” a WhatsApp blog post reads.

    TNG reports Communities like neighborhoods, parents at a school, and workplaces can now connect multiple groups together under one umbrella to organize group conversations on WhatsApp.

    To get started, tap on the new communities tab at the top of your chats on Android and at the bottom on iOS. From there you can start a new Community from scratch or add existing groups.

    Once you’re in a community, you can easily switch between available groups to get the information you need, when you need it, and admins can send important updates to everyone in the Community

    “With Communities, we’re aiming to raise the bar for how organizations communicate with a level of privacy and security not found anywhere else. The alternatives available today require trusting apps or software companies with a copy of their messages – and we think they deserve the higher level of security provided by end-to-end encryption.

    “Today we’re also releasing three more features we think users will be excited about: the ability to create in-chat polls, 32 person video calling, and groups with up to 1024 users. Just like emoji reactions, larger file sharing, and admin delete, these features can be used in any group but will be particularly helpful for Communities.

    “We’ve been working with over 50 organizations in 15 countries to build Communities to meet their needs. We’re excited that the feedback we’ve heard so far is these new tools are helping groups like these better organize and achieve their goals.

    “There’s a lot more we plan to build and we’ll keep adding features over the coming months. For now, we’re excited to get this into more people’s hands and hear your feedback too,” the blog post added.

  • BREAKING: WhatsApp is down

    BREAKING: WhatsApp is down

    WhatsApp, the messaging platform owned by Facebook’s parent company, Meta on Tuesday morning suffered a global outage with users struggling to send messages.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that the WhatsApp outage was observed in Nigeria at about 7:48 am WAT after messages sent by our reporter failed to deliver.

    The mobile app for iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile and Blackberry, as well as WhatsApp web were affected by the outage. Updating the app didn’t help, even.

    Findings minutes later revealed that it is actually a worldwide outage as users across the globe experience similar outages. Users took to Twitter to report difficulties in sending messages and WhatsApp entered trend table as a result.

    Meanwhile, Downdetector, a website that monitors service outages for messaging and social media platforms has confirmed the development.

    However, there is no official response or acknowledgement from WhatsApp as of now. As per reports, users are not being able to send or receive messages on the messaging platform.

  • WhatsApp launches campaign to help business owners reach more customers

    WhatsApp launches campaign to help business owners reach more customers

    WhatsApp, a messaging and video calling app owned by META Platform, said it had launched WhatsAppreneurs campaign to assist business owners in Africa to reach more customers.

    The Public Policy Director for Whatsapp Africa, Balkissa Siddo, said this in a statement on Tuesday.

    Siddo said the campaign would highlight the stories of Small and Medium Business (SMB) owners in Africa and help them learn more about growth opportunities available with the WhatsApp Business app through a virtual educational webinar.

    The policy director said: “Across Africa, SMB owners are using the WhatsApp Business app to develop their businesses, showcase their products, close sales, and connect with their customers.

    “The WhatsApp business app provides a tool to help businesses thrive in their markets, reach more customers, and grow their businesses consistently.

    “We are delighted to be a part of the success stories of small businesses that are so important to communities across Africa.

    “As SMBs represent a sizable percentage of the economic population demonstrating great potential for growth, opportunity creation, and overcoming poverty post-pandemic, there is a need to provide support through digital tools to help them scale.”

    The policy director said the WhatsAppreneur campaign served the purpose of providing the resources businesses needed to unlock their growth potential and help build a more resilient, inclusive, and empowered society.

    Siddo said, in addition to helping businesses grow, the WhatsApp business app would also provide an opportunity for businesses to create a much deeper and stronger relationship with their customers.

    Siddo said the app was free and allowed users to create a business catalogue on WhatsApp that could be viewed by users from anywhere.

  • How Muslim students burnt Deborah – Coursemate reveals

    How Muslim students burnt Deborah – Coursemate reveals

    Remi Hassan, coursemate of late Deborah Samuel, a student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, Sokoto State, who was stoned to death and burnt on Thursday by her fellow students for allegedly making a blasphemous statement on a WhatsApp group, has given an account of how the incident happened.

     

    The coursemate, on Sunday, via social media, gave the details of what transpired on the WhatsApp group that led to Deborah being stoned to death and burnt by her fellow students.

     

    She said: “Deborah was my course mate. I just stepped into the class when the uproar on her voice note started
    It was her own coursemates that started it. One of them said Deborah dared them by refusing to apologize whenever she was asked to.

     

    “It all started with a debate on the upcoming examination on a general WhatsApp platform created for our coursemates. One of the students asked her how she passed the last semester’s examination and in response, she said it was ‘Jesus o’.

     

    “Immediately, about three other chats came in from two Muslims and one Christian, telling her to retract the statement. Two students from other departments who overheard some Muslim boys discussing the matter told Deborah’s close friends to prevail on her to retract the statement. But she replied via a voice note on the platform ‘Holy Ghost fire. Nothing will happen to me.

    Late Deborah Samuel

     

    “Is it by force that you guys will always be sending this religious stuff in this group? The group wasn’t created for that but rather as a notice on test, assignment, exam, etc, not this nonsense religious posts’.

     

    “We were made to understand that some young men were brought from outside before the outrage. I was in class when some of our coursemates rushed in, saying ‘there is fire on the mountain o’.

     

    “The Muslim students led the strangers to the class to look for her. In fear, those in the class tried to help her escape and took her to the security post from where they hoped to create a way for her to run outside Already, a cab was waiting outside to drive her straight to the police station.

     

    “Unfortunately, the mob overpowered everyone who tried to save her. They even threatened to kill anyone who attempted to stand in their way.

     

    Deborah’s last word as she pleaded for mercy:

    “She was dragged out, flogged, and stoned. The last word in her mouth was ‘what do you hope to achieve with this?’ By then some of our coursemates were making calls to some of our lecturers to save the situation. At a point, all the Christian students fled the school premises.

     

    It was when I got home that I heard she was set ablaze. Since the incident, I have been having a flash of her pleading expression. She pleaded for mercy and called out for help but it was far from her. What a cruel way to die.” She said.”

     

    The remains of Deborah were laid to rest in her hometown, Tungan Magajiya in Rijau Local Government Area of Niger State on Saturday amidst controversy.

     

    This is even as the Sokoto State Government allegedly insisted that the body be kept in the mortuary until it concludes its arrangement on the matter.

    The deceased, it was gathered, had been living with family members in Sokoto since she was in primary school before her death.

  • Late Osinachi Nwachukwu’s producer, Sunny Pee releases last WhatsApp chat with her

    Late Osinachi Nwachukwu’s producer, Sunny Pee releases last WhatsApp chat with her

    Sunny Pee, the producer of the late Osinachi Nwachukwu, has shared a WhatsApp chat confirming the domestic violence reports faced by the singer before her death, stressing that the husband of the deceased, Peter, was extremely possessive of her returns made on every song and show attended.

     

    According to Sunny Pee, Osinachi’s husband was jealous of her career and efforts to save the singer from the marriage proved abortive as she deemed it on herself to make her marriage work.

     

    While sharing the screenshot of their last conversation, the producer wrote; “So much to say about this unfortunate situation but this space is not the right place!!! When you make money and your husband collects all the money and leaves you penniless!

     

    “When your husband brings you to the studio gets angry and leaves you in the studio without even transportation to return home. I’ve personally told this woman to leave this marriage but she kept making excuses for the monster!

     

    “The last song we recorded, was our chat below! We were recording a song that she doesn’t want her husband to know. The last time I told her to leave the marriage, she asked me to help her talk to her Pastor which was difficult for me because I don’t have a relationship with him!

     

    “Before you say why didn’t we say it early, you can’t help a person who’s not ready to be helped! The last time I spoke about the husband on Facebook here, He went on his wall and made a lot of senseless statements!!

     

    Mrs Osinachi Nwachukwu is an example of a typical Nigerian woman who always feels it’s their responsibility to make a marriage work even when their life is at risk! God Rest Her Soul.”

  • JAMB announces additional code for UTME registration, introduces WhatsApp platform

    JAMB announces additional code for UTME registration, introduces WhatsApp platform

    The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), has announced the adoption of an additional code, 66019 to its already existing 55019 code for registration.

    The board disclosed this in its Weekly Bulletin of the Office of the Registrar, obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

    JAMB said that it adopted the 66019 as an optional USSD code to its 55019 code, which had been operational since 2018, for Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) and its other services.

    “This is to facilitate a hitch-free 2022 UTME/ Direct Entry (DE) exercise, by ensuring that there was no difficulty whatsoever, in creation of profiles by candidates.

    “In essence, both codes are to be used to create profile for the registration by candidates sitting for the 2022/23 examination.

    “Candidates are expected to send their NIN, via either of the codes for their details to be pulled out from the NIMC database before they proceed to any accredited centre for biometric capturing, ” JAMB said.

    The board further explained that the effort was earlier planned to eliminate all bottlenecks associated with the creation of profiles.

    Similarly, JAMB said that it had also introduced the use of a WhatsApp platform, as an additional support and complaint platform for clients.

    The board also said that the platform was also part of measures to effectively attend to diverse needs of candidates and its other clients alike.

    “With the platform, candidates and other stakeholders would have the benefit of instant messaging and solutions to whatever query they might have regarding any of the operations of the board.

    “The platform is not meant to replace, but complement the existing ticketing system, thereby expanding access to critical services among others,” JAMB said.

    The WhatsApp number was yet to be released by the board.

  • New Year mode: How to make your WhatsApp golden to celebrate arrival of 2022

    New Year mode: How to make your WhatsApp golden to celebrate arrival of 2022

    To celebrate the arrival of the New Year 2022, there is a new function that allows users to change the traditional green WhatsApp logo for a gold one.

    Following a series of simple steps, the classic icon of the most used messaging application in the world can transform simply and free, and acquire a tone that the esoteric world is related to abundance, the attraction of fortune and success, something that would come in handy in this 2022.

    To activate the “New Year” mode in the application it is necessary to have a phone with Android operating system, as it is not available for iOS.

    1. The first thing to do is download Nova Launcher app from Google the Play Store.
    2. Once Nova Launcher is installed, you must choose the new style that you want your cell phone to have from the launcher.
    3. Then, download the golden WhatsApp icon in PNG format either from Google or from any image site.
    4. Once the image is downloaded, locate WhatsApp on your phone and press and hold the app for a couple of seconds. That way a pencil will appear in the floating window.
    5. Next, you should press the pencil and go to “Applications“, Then to “Photos” and then select the golden WhatsApp icon in PNG format that you have already downloaded.
    6. To finish, press the option “ready” and the mission will be accomplished: Golden WhatsApp to celebrate the New Year, as it matches.
  • WhatsApp to add new feature for users’ security

    WhatsApp to add new feature for users’ security

    Messaging app, WhatsApp is going to introduce a new feature that will increase security, as they add a third check – or blue check mark – that will be in addition to the two existing ones.

    At present, if you send a message over WhatsApp, the first tick indicates that the message is on its way and the second is there to show that the other person has received it.

    In addition, once the message or messages have been read by the person receiving it or them, the ticks will go from grey to blue.

    You are able to deactivate this feature, however, if you find that you do not want people knowing when you have read the message.

    Many of us have taken a screenshot in a group chat in the past, whether that is instructions to get somewhere or just a funny message, but Infobae report that a third blue check will appear on WhatsApp when a screenshot is taken in the not-too-distant future.

    The idea behind this is to prevent cyber threats and raise users’ awareness of the privacy of messages and information that a person chooses to share on the app.

    Should the third blue check be brought in, with this not having yet been confirmed by WhatsApp, it will warn people that a screenshot has been taken, as well as issuing a warning about sharing information such as bank details.

  • WhatsApp to launch 4 new big features in 2022

    WhatsApp to launch 4 new big features in 2022

    WhatsApp, a messaging platform owned by Meta, always updates with new features, and already, four new big updates have been lined up for early 2022.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports WhatsApp has been working on the new features for some time now.

    From Instagram Reels to no time limit on ‘delete for everyone’ button, here are four new big features to expect on the app from early 2022.

    Instagram Reels

    WhatsApp is looking to integrate Instagram Reels on the messaging app.

    According to WhatsApp watchers WABetaInfo, the chatting platform could in early 2022 feature Instagram Reels.

    It’s thought that Reels would have a dedicated space on the WhatsApp app.

    This could be part of Meta’s plan to merge all the big social networking apps that it owns.

    WhatsApp logout

    WABetaInfo, mentioned in the foregoing, has previously claimed that WhatsApp is working on a logout feature.

    This feature would be in keeping with the multi-device update recently released. The feature could allow users logout on one device but remain logged in on another.

    It was spotted being tested in the beta version of WhatsApp.

    Unlimited ‘delete for everyone’

    One common complaint about WhatsApp is that you only get a certain amount of time to delete a message in a chat for everyone.

    After 68 minutes and 16 seconds, your message will be there forever and you can only delete it for yourself.

    This could be set to change in the future though. According to 91 mobiles, WhatsApp has tested leaving off a time limit for this feature and making it unlimited.

    Last seen

    You can currently hide the time you were last seen on WhatsApp but you can’t hide it from specific contacts.

    The company is said to be changing this so when you go to change your “Last Seen” settings you’ll see an option for “My Contacts Except”.

    As with all rumours and features tested in beta, we can’t be sure any of these exciting features will be rolled out to the masses until we get official word from WhatsApp.