WhatsApp users in Singapore, belonging to a certain demographic, had their world rocked recently after they received messages informing them that they would have to pay for using "Good Morning" images.
What is going on?
If you are in WhatsApp group chats with family members that also include seniors, you would have probably received earnest and pure message greetings in pictures.
Here are some examples in case you have not seen any or don't have a closed group of family members sending you images:
via WhatsApp.
via WhatsApp.
It can get pretty spammy and smarmy if you do not feel inspired by such feel-good vibes.
Will have to pay for such messages soon?
And it seems like someone really has had enough of receiving these pictures, so much so that a message has been spreading on WhatsApp claiming that a two-way charge will be imposed on the senders and receivers of such pictures.
The message has recently been circulating among many WhatsApp users in Singapore, to the extent it is causing some alarm and greatly reducing the number of images sent.
Here's what the message looks like:
Image by Ting Yen.
Many seniors were probably hurt by this announcement, which is both fortunately and unfortunately not real -- depending on who you empathise with.
Message is not real
The above message that has been "forwarded many times" is not real.
WhatsApp messages are secured with end-to-end encryption.
This means that when you send a message to another person, only you and the other party can read or listen to what was sent.
Even WhatsApp as a platform cannot see what kind of pictures or texts were sent.
Therefore, a "Good Morning" image will not be detected.
WhatsApp remains a free messaging app and does not require any payment details to be given prior to use.
WhatsApp is owned by Facebook.
Top image by Ting Yen and via WhatsApp