Supplemental Terms of Service for WhatsApp Channels

Last updated: February 16, 2024

WhatsApp Channels is one of the “Services” provided to you by WhatsApp. These Supplemental Terms of Service for WhatsApp Channels (the “Supplemental Terms”) supplement the WhatsApp Terms of Service, and together, apply to your use of Channels. The terms and conditions of the Supplemental Terms will take precedence and apply to your use of Channels. Nothing in these Supplemental Terms limits any of our rights under the WhatsApp Terms of Service or any additional terms or policies they reference.

The WhatsApp Channels Privacy Policy supplements the WhatsApp Privacy Policy and explains how we collect, use, and share information when you use Channels. Your use of Channels does not impact the privacy of your personal WhatsApp messages, which continue to be end-to-end encrypted as described in the WhatsApp Privacy Policy.

About WhatsApp Channels

Channels is a one-to-many broadcast service that allows you to view and interact with relevant and timely updates shared by other WhatsApp users. You can create a Channel to share updates, that anyone can discover, follow, and view. The content that you share on Channels will be visible to WhatsApp and our users. We may also list Channels that you may be interested in following based on your country or local language. Learn more about how we recommend Channels to you here.

Legal and Acceptable Use of Channels

You must access and use Channels only for legal, authorized, and acceptable purposes. Channel admins are responsible for the content on their Channels and are required to maintain an age-appropriate and safe experience for their followers.

Channel admins must not engage in activity that violates these Supplemental Terms or other terms and policies that apply to your use of our Services, including but not limited to the WhatsApp Terms of Service and the WhatsApp Channels Guidelines.

WhatsApp otherwise does not control what users do or say on Channels, and we are not responsible for their (or your) actions or conduct (whether online or offline) or content (including illegal or objectionable content). You can learn more about the restrictions we may impose on the use of Channels, including information on how we apply our policies, procedures, measures and tools here.

Reporting, Content Removal, and Remediation

You can report any Channel or specific update that potentially violates your rights, shares illegal content, or violates our terms and policies. You can learn more about how to report and block on WhatsApp here.

WhatsApp may remove, prevent sharing of, or limit access to any content or information shared on Channels that violates the WhatsApp Terms of Service, these Supplemental Terms, our policies (including the WhatsApp Channels Guidelines), or where we are permitted or required to do so by law or if we determine that doing so is reasonably necessary to avoid or mitigate adverse legal or regulatory impacts to WhatsApp. We may also remove or restrict access to certain features, disable or suspend an account, or contact law enforcement to protect our Services and our users. We may work with third-party service providers, including Meta Companies, to ensure security, safety, and integrity across WhatsApp, as described in the WhatsApp Terms of Service, and WhatsApp Privacy Policy. Learn more about how we address repeated violations of our Terms and policies, including the WhatsApp Channels Guidelines and how we may suspend access to Channels for repeatedly posting illegal content here.

WhatsApp further reserves the right to terminate your access to the entire Service, consistent with the WhatsApp Terms of Service. While we aim to apply our policies consistently across all jurisdictions, in some jurisdictions there may be specific requirements under applicable laws which require varying applications of enforcement.

Where WhatsApp takes such action, we let you know and explain any options you have to request a review, unless doing so may expose us or others to legal liability; harm our community of users; compromise or interfere with the integrity or operation of any of our Services; we are restricted due to technical limitations; and/or we are prohibited from doing so for legal reasons. Learn more about our Complaints Handling Process here.

Licenses

We need certain permissions from you to provide Channels. The license you grant us in the WhatsApp Terms of Service includes the content that you share on WhatsApp Channels and the intellectual property rights therein and among other things, allows us to display and perform (including to the public) that content for the limited purpose of operating and providing our Services, including WhatsApp Channels.

Functionality May Change or Be Limited

The functionality and/or performance of Channels may change over time. We may introduce new features, impose limits on, suspend, eliminate, change, restrict access, or update certain existing features or any part of Channels. We may offer limited versions of Channels, and these versions may have limited features or contain other limitations. We may discontinue Channels or any part of Channels at any time after a notice period of 30 days, with no such notice being required in urgent situations such as preventing abuse, responding to legal requirements, or addressing security and operability issues. If a feature or content is no longer available, the information, data, or content created or provided by you in connection with such feature or content may be deleted or become inaccessible.

Updating These Supplemental Terms

We are constantly working to improve our Services and develop new features to make our products even better for you and our community. Therefore, we may need to update these Supplemental Terms from time to time. Unless otherwise required by law, we will provide you at least 30 days' advance notice of changes to these Supplemental Terms (e.g., by e-mail or through the Services), which will give you the opportunity to review the revised Supplemental Terms before they become effective, and we will ensure that any such changes are reasonable for you, taking into consideration your interests. We will also update the "Effective Date" at the top of these Supplemental Terms. Changes to these Supplemental Terms shall become effective no sooner than 30 days after we provide notice of planned changes. Your continued use of Channels following the effective date confirms your acceptance of our Supplemental Terms, as amended. We hope you will continue using Channels, but if you do not agree to our Supplemental Terms, as amended, you must stop using Channels or stop using our Services by deleting your account.

Severability

If any provision of these Supplemental Terms is found to be unlawful, void, or for any reason unenforceable, then that provision shall be deemed amended to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, and if it cannot be made enforceable, then it shall be deemed severable from these Supplemental Terms and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of these Supplemental Terms, the WhatsApp Terms of Service, or any additional terms or policies they reference, which will remain in full force and effect.

Dispute Resolution

You and us agree to resolve all disputes arising out of or relating to these Supplemental Terms or the Channels service in accordance with the dispute resolution and governing law provisions in the WhatsApp Terms of Service in effect at the time that you or us commence the claim.