Fake WhatsApp messages triggering mob beatings in India

collected by :Molly Tony

Satish Bhaykre, 21, who was beaten by a mob due to a fake WhatsApp text, poses inside his house on the outskirts of Nagpur, India, June 23, 2018. So far this year, false messages about child abductors on Facebook Inc-owned WhatsApp have helped to trigger mass beatings of more than a dozen people in India - at least three of whom have died. In addition, fake messages about child snatchers on Facebook, as well as some texts on WhatsApp, also led to the lynching of two men in eastern India earlier this month. Story continues below advertisement"Sadly some people also use WhatsApp to spread harmful misinformation," WhatsApp said in a statement. WhatsApp messages on organ thieves or child abductions are just the tip of the iceberg though - fake reports can range from incorrect medical advice to news about top jobs.

WhatsApp: Future Generali India Insurance starts delivering policies via WhatsApp

NEW DELHI:India Insurance Co (FGII) today said its has started delivering policies to customers through social networking platformfor a instant and convenient service. The company said it is the first general insurer to launch this service via WhatsApp. Rao said use of instant messaging service like WhatsApp has the potential to reshape the insurance industry with the increased level of customer engagements. Earlier this year, it had launched an Intelligent Video Streaming and Settlement (i-ViSS), a video-based motor claim settlement facility for customers. FGII is the general insurance arm and a joint-venture between retail giant Future Group and global insurer Generali.

Police arrest 25 people in India after latest WhatsApp lynching

as mentioned in Indian police have arrested 25 people after a man was killed by a mob in the country's latest lynching over suspicion of child kidnapping sparked by rumours on WhatsApp. More than 20 people have been lynched in India after being accused of child abduction in the last two months, according to media reports. Five people were lynched by a mob in neighbouring Maharashtra state on 1 July. The spate of lynchings started last May in eastern Jharkhand state after rumours on WhatsApp about child kidnappers led to the lynching of seven men. India has accused WhatsApp of failing to curb false information on its platform.

WhatsApp Arms Itself for Payments in India

With over 200 million active users, WhatsApp is now set to launch WhatsApp payments in India. UPI enabledTo have a mass approach for its payments feature, WhatsApp had partnered with National Payments Council of India and adhered to the rules and regulations for the rollout of the feature. WhatsApp's payments feature will be UPI enabled and will also "reflect the addition of payment interoperability features". In a statement released to the press, WhatsApp said, "We'll be updating our WhatsApp payments Terms of Service and Privacy Policy to provide simpler language on how the payments feature operates. We look forward to expanding WhatsApp payments soon."24-hour customer serviceThe messaging platform is cautiously venturing into the payments space.