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A MESSAGE DOING the rounds on WhatsApp at the moment is claiming that the messaging platform will soon no longer be free to use.
The message claims that from “Saturday morning” WhatsApp will begin charging users unless the recipient forwards the message onto 10 other people.
Here is the message in full:
“If you have at least 10 contacts send them this message,” it urges people.
It claims that if this is done, WhatsApp will see that the person is “an avid user” and that their logo will “become blue” and that their account will remain free.
It goes on to claim that WhatsApp will cost “0.01ps” per message.
“Send this message to 10 people. When you do the light will turn blueotherwise [sic] whatsapp will activate billing,” the message claims.
For a start, the language and grammar used in the message raises a red flag. Officially, the messaging platform is branded as WhatsApp. As can be seen above, the message refers to the service in all lower case letters – “whatsapp”.
Elsewhere in the message, words are grouped together, “When you do the light will turn blueotherwise whatsapp will activate billing”.
It is also claimed that the message will cost “0.01ps”, with no clarification as to what currency that refers to.
Furthermore, the message does not clarify what date the supposed billing will be implemented on, instead vaguely referring to “Saturday morning”.
So, is the claim in the message false?
WhatsApp outlines in its “about” section on its website that “WhatsApp is free and offers simple, secure, reliable messaging and calling, available on phones all over the world”.
In the FAQ section of its website, WhatsApp again states that it is free to send messages on its platform.
“WhatsApp uses your phone’s internet connection (4G/3G/2G/Edge or WiFi, as available) to send and receive messages to your friends and family. You don’t have to pay for every message,” it says.
“As long as you haven’t exceeded your data limit or you’re connected to a free WiFi network, your carrier shouldn’t charge you extra for messaging over WhatsApp.”
WhatsApp does clarify, however, that additional mobile data charges may apply if a phone is “roaming”.
In a statement to TheJournal.ie regarding the message, a spokesperson for WhatsApp said that “this rumour is entirely false”.
WhatsApp is a free service which does not currently or plan to charge users to send messages or make audio or video calls. We encourage all users to check facts before sharing messages that have been forwarded to them.
WhatsApp has in recent weeks launched a ‘coronavirus information centre’ on its website.
Here, the messaging platform urges people to “think about messages that you receive, because not everything you are sent about coronavirus may be accurate”.
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There is a lot of false news and scaremongering being spread in Ireland at the moment about coronavirus. Here are some practical ways for you to assess whether the messages that you’re seeing – especially on WhatsApp – are true or not.
STOP, THINK AND CHECK
Look at where it’s coming from. Is it someone you know? Do they have a source for the information (e.g. the HSE website) or are they just saying that the information comes from someone they know? A lot of the false news being spread right now is from people claiming that messages from ‘a friend’ of theirs. Have a look yourself – do a quick Google search and see if the information is being reported elsewhere.
Secondly, get the whole story, not just a headline. A lot of these messages have got vague information (“all the doctors at this hospital are panicking”) and don’t mention specific details. This is often – but not always a sign – that it may not be accurate.
Finally, see how you feel after reading it. A lot of these false messages are designed to make people feel panicked. They’re deliberately manipulating your feelings to make you more likely to share it. If you feel panicked after reading something, check it out and see if it really is true.
TheJournal.ie’s FactCheck is a signatory to the International Fact-Checking Network’s Code of Principles. You can read it here. For information on how FactCheck works, what the verdicts mean, and how you can take part, check out our Reader’s Guide here. You can read about the team of editors and reporters who work on the factchecks here
Have you gotten a message on WhatsApp or Facebook or Twitter about coronavirus that you’re not sure about and want us to check it out? Message or mail us and we’ll look into debunking it. WhatsApp: 085 221 4696 or Email: answers@thejournal.ie
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Why should they stay? Government imposing Austerity measures to get to work from Buying Diesel to USC to Housing and Health.
Meanwhile a crowd of unknown people excluding the Ukrainian community have came in,
They are provided Transport to their work/ shopping (if they work) , their housed and provided with free accommodation and healthcare.
@Luka Roche: Pretty much as many Irish came back as left
@Luka Roche: Whatever the government in charge they have done the same. Never look after your own people
@Mick Duvanny: Youve gotta go away to realise you dreams.
How many emigrated due to impossibility of getting a mortgage to buy a home?
@Garreth Byrne: 47 apparently
@Temp Stuff: As Christy Moore sang “we go there, they come here”.
@Garreth Byrne: How many of the returning 29800 would come back if they thought that way? Net migration outwards is 700
There goes our brightest & our best. Very sad for Ireland!
@Colette Kearns: Educated young people normally have no experience, neither in life nor at work. I would NOT call them our brightest nor our best!
@Lynda: how very shortsighted of you.
@lWOk0fWf: As a manager, dealing and training young enducated Irish and none Irish. It takes a lot of efforts to train a new recruit, regardless of their race. Yes, young people might look bright on the outside, but most of them require a LOT of work to be able to handle the jobs that are currently filled by foreign experienced workers!
@Lynda: as a manager.. you sound great fun, where do I apply ?
@Bara: irishjobs.ie
@Lynda: ‘managers’ that’s what we are here, visionless managers.
Be warned Irish staff are being replaced with cheaper people from outside the EU who will do anything.
@John Doyle: oh dear
@John Doyle: I think you are wrong, but we are hiring around 60 young indians grads because they are hard working and diligent, not like the locals, many of them have chip on their shoulders. But some irish younge guys also diligent.
@John Doyle: yet CSO data shows wages continue to increase. Suggest you look at facts and not Nazi lies.
After most of my formal education, I left the country as I wanted to experience other cultures etc. It’s a good thing. Not all emigration is forced. I came back when I wanted to come back.
I wonder, of the 33500 non Irish citizens that left, how many were returning home, and is that really emigration?
@Joe x: lots, I mean LOTS of Polish / Romanian are returning as economies there are booming and everything is at least 50-70% cheaper. At the moment.
@Chris: and wages are 50% lower.
@uUleRhCu: Fine for them to take money out of the economy but I cant buy a car in the UK. lol
Beside Polish / Romanians / Baltic people, also lots of Spanish and Italians are returning in their countries, due to bad weather, very expensive life and thuggery. I worked with some Spanish people who were shocked by the thuggery in Dublin and the first choice for violence that many Irish locals have.
@Chris: I’ve seen as much thuggery outside chippers in rural towns as I’ve ever seen in Dublin.
I have a cousin who is a consultant paediatrician in Australia and she did the same. Her standard of living is 50x that of any worker here. No Red tape or bureaucracy. She has enough money to send her kids to a lovely private school and live in a influent middle class area, she works hard for it and she decides what she does with her money not the EU or Irish gov. Financial constraints leave me here for the time being
@IPAS Conman: she is a paediatrician. She went to university of Aberdeen in Scotland. She graduated just before the great recession hit. She would never move back here. So stop being so narrow minded and for coming me a liar, you don’t know me from adam so keep your narrow mindset to yourself. Thousands of healthcare professionals have went to Australia because of the cut backs during the recession.
@Alan Scott: Australian house prices make Ireland house prices look like bargains. If you are not taking the weather, beaches and open spaces into account, then there is no way the standard of living in Australia is 50x Ireland. I wouldn’t say economically it’s any better at all
This is just the start. more hope elsewhere
So hang on…. 64k emigrate…. 141k immigrate… So yes, wow 64k emigrated but we’ve net immigration no?
@TheGood Feign: ya we do but they can’t put that in the headline, could be interpreted they are going against the socially required opinion…
@TheGood Feign: They are just stirring the usual journal commenters who’d have you believe that all our young are moving to Australia as they can’t afford a home
Don’t go Leo and his cronies will have it fixed by the next election
@John Kenny: well do you think SF will do any better under a socialist Republic? Up the RA will become our national anthem. Following the election Ireland will become the Democratic Peoples Republic of Ireland under the leadership of the general secretary of the communist party of Ireland, Mary Lou, Macdonald.
Loads of family’s living in my estate, all with social houses, nice tv, and cars prob a holiday to match, they are far from struggling.
@Shane O Mac: If they’re underpaid they’re entitled to rent a social welfare house. Maybe they should be paid more
All going according to plan, look back 20 years and think of the demographic changes that have taken place in that period. Now look forward 20 years and try to imagine the changes that are going to take place. Frightening stuff for Paddy and all because we let a WEF plant run our country. Wake up, turn off your stupid TV and radios and start thinking for yourself or it will be too late.
Have to go to come back, fair wind to them.
Property prices have come back to celtic tiger levels only this time its in every developed country on the planet .
unless you know the true reason why they left this statistic is meaningless
The grass is always greener elsewhere and for some it is.
It’s worth mentioning that for people coming here from hot
What’s new,
Don’t blame them nothing here for them the Irish are being driven out !!! No jobs for them
After my funeral I really enjoyed the ham sandwiches.. who cares who goes where , it’s a big world and we should all be free to go where we want to .
In consolation it’s a great place to come back to, very hard to reintegrate but after that, if you’ve made enough while away, there are millions less in people (despite this so-called emergency influx of immigrants), and everything moves a little slower, but yea too few people in the economy for those on the up.
have your say