A wave of unexplained WhatsApp account suspensions is raising alarm among users in Israel, with several prominent journalists reporting that their accounts were abruptly blocked — in many cases shortly after attempting to connect to WhatsApp Web.
The incidents have sparked concerns that a bug or automated enforcement system may be mistakenly flagging legitimate accounts, potentially cutting users off from a service that has become an essential communications tool for journalists, business owners and other professionals.
Among those affected was Avi Gadelovitz, deputy editor-in-chief of B’Chadrei Charedim, who said his account was blocked Friday morning immediately after he attempted to connect to WhatsApp on his computer.
“On Friday morning I tried to connect to WhatsApp on my computer, and suddenly discovered that my account had been blocked, without prior warning and without a clear explanation,” Gadelovitz said. “I submitted a request for another review and after several hours the account returned to operation.”
Gadelovitz said he subsequently learned of numerous other journalists and media professionals who experienced similar problems, with some accounts restored following an appeal and others remaining permanently blocked.
“It is difficult to exaggerate the damage that such a block can cause,” he said. “Beyond the distress, for journalists, business owners and quite a few professionals, WhatsApp has long since ceased to be just a messaging app. It is a central work tool.”
Channel 12 Chareidi affairs correspondent Eli Hirschman reported a nearly identical experience. Hirschman said he attempted to scan the QR code to connect his phone to WhatsApp Web — something he routinely does — before receiving notification that his account had been suspended.
After filing a review request, Hirschman’s account was restored roughly six hours later. He said he has since stopped connecting his phone to his computer until the apparent problem is addressed.
Channel 13 Chareidi affairs reporter Yoeli Brim was also blocked after attempting to connect to WhatsApp Web. Brim said the disruption left him unable to work normally for several hours.
“All my life is on WhatsApp. For several good hours I was shut down. I hoped that sources hadn’t contacted me and that I hadn’t missed them,” Brim said.
Brim said it was not the first time he had experienced such a suspension, claiming similar incidents occurred during each of the previous two months.
One business owner who builds automation systems told B’Chadrei Charedim that he had spoken with approximately 20 people who encountered similar bans after attempting to scan the WhatsApp Web QR code. In his own case, he said an appeal resulted within seconds in a notice that his account had been permanently blocked.
B’Chadrei Charedim editor-in-chief Moshe Weisberg experienced an additional variation of the apparent problem. Weisberg said his account was blocked despite doing nothing unusual and was restored following a review — only to be blocked again the following morning.
“After two blocks within a short period of time, my concern is that next time the account will no longer be reopened,” Weisberg said. “This is an account that I use as part of my work, and therefore a permanent block could make things significantly more difficult for me.”
The reports come as WhatsApp is reportedly testing a new feature designed to warn users who access their accounts through unofficial Web versions and direct them toward the official WhatsApp Web service. It remains unclear whether that development has any connection to the recent account suspensions.
B’Chadrei Charedim said it contacted Meta for comment and was awaiting a response.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
