WhatsApp on September 13 launched a new feature called Channels that lets users receive updates from organisations, sports teams, artists, leaders, and other popular entities. As The Verge put it best: "It’s a Twitter feed, minus all the metrics and reply guys. WhatsApp has clearly noticed all the governments, transit agencies, brands, and others looking for a new (and non-Twitter) place to share their most important updates and sees Channels as a drop-in replacement." This feature is very similar to channels on Telegram, which are a hotbed for illegal and spam content. Channels on Telegram are used to distribute porn, share pirated content, disseminate trading advice, and more. In India, the securities market regulator has gone after Telegram channels multiple times for promoting illegal stock advice and there are at least five copyright infringement cases against Telegram pending in front of the Delhi High Court. WhatsApp could also suffer from a similar problem when it starts allowing anyone to create channels, which the company said it will allow in the coming months. WhatsApp guidelines for channels disallow illegal and harmful content, but so does Telegram's. Thus, it remains to be seen how effectively these guidelines are enforced. Article continues below ⬇, you might also want to read: SEBI Takes Action Against 6 People Accused Of Using Telegram To Manipulate Stock Market Everything You Need To Know About 5 Copyright Cases Against Telegram At The Delhi HC Fake Signal And Telegram Found On Google Play And Samsung Galaxy Store Quick Take:…
