A class-action lawsuit filed on September 6 in Israel’s Lod District Court accused WhatsApp of suspending Israeli user and business accounts without warning, explanation, or an effective appeals process.

The claim is estimated at more than NIS 2.5 million (US$830,000).

Lawyers Guy Ofir and Victoria Reznik said the suspensions had affected at least hundreds of users and possibly thousands.

Lead plaintiff Tick Travel, a travel company in Rishon LeZion, said its WhatsApp Business account was suspended three times within about eight months before a permanent suspension. The company said WhatsApp cited possible terms violations without giving specifics.

The suit alleged WhatsApp’s automated enforcement system may be repeatedly making mistakes.

It asked the court to restore suspended accounts and require prior notice, explanations, a chance to correct alleged violations, an effective appeals process, and access to human assistance.

The plaintiffs also wanted WhatsApp to disclose how many accounts it had suspended in Israel over the past seven years.

Publicly identified WhatsApp help and terms pages reviewed for this report did not provide clear details that could independently verify WhatsApp’s suspension and appeals process or clarify which service entity covers users in Israel.

🔗 Source: Calcalist

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