WhatsApp deactivates user Accounts, as security policy

Valley Internet Curbs

JAMMU: Without internet for over four months now, the WhatsApp users in the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir are being booted out of their accounts, courtesy social media giant’s policy on inactive accounts.
The internet—mobile and broadband—was banned in Kashmir Valley since August 4, hours before the Centre government announced its decision to scrap the provisions of Article 370 and bifurcation of erstwhile State into two union territories.
As the internet restrictions crossed 120 days, the users in Kashmir Valley started exiting from various groups as seen by other users who could access the internet.
As it turned out, their accounts were disabled by the WhatsApp as part of its security policy.
“It is a security measure. Accounts generally expire after 120 days of inactivity,” said an official of the messaging giant.
“If an account of a user expires because of the inactivity, users automatically get removed from all their WhatsApp groups,” he said.
“People will need to be readded to groups upon regaining access to the internet and joining WhatsApp again,” said the spokesman of the Facebook-owned company.
According to WhatsApp, this is applicable to all territories and users, not just for India.
There are around 49 lakh smartphone users in Kashmir Valley.
Many WhatsApp users took to Twitter to voice their frustrations after their contacts based in J&K were automatically kicked out of active WhatsApp groups for inactive accounts.