Possible operator action makes WhatsApp prepare for problems

The story goes that in 1903, the then president of bank of michigan, warned the lawyer of an investor named Henry Ford that he shouldn't put his money into an automaker saying (supposedly) the phrase "Cars may be in fashion, but horses are eternal.“. Ford, as we all know, preferred not to listen to conservatism and bet on the winds that pointed to the future.

Even today, there are still those who believe that it is possible to prolong the use of a technology, even when it shows clear signs of obsolescence. It is certainly not the case for thetelecommunications operators, which despite earning a lot from broadband and mobile internet services – fundamental for the operation of most applications – curiously chose the WhatsApp as a major culprit for the stagnation of the sector.

Keeping an eye on the controversy around your voice call service, the WhatsApp seems to be preparing for a future where the function would be blocked by some operators. According to the Italian website Aggiornamenti Lumia, the company would be asking its employees to translate some sentences that make this very clear. Users who are part of the application's translation program into Italian received an email asking them to transform the following five sentences:

1. The call could not be made because your carrier does not allow calls via WhatsApp. Try to connect to WiFi and make a new call.
2. The call could not be made because your smartphone is connected to a WiFi network that prevents making calls via WhatsApp. Connect to another network or turn off WiFi.
3. Your mobile operator does not allow you to make calls via WhatsApp. Try switching to another carrier or connecting to a WiFi network.
4. Your WiFi network prevents making calls via WhatsApp. Try switching networks or turning off your WiFi and using your mobile data plan.
5. Mobile operator or WiFi network does not allow making calls via WhatsApp.

In Brazil, thetelephone operators intend to deliver to local authorities a document with economic and legal bases against the functioning of WhatsApp. One of the companies in the sector is also considering filing a lawsuit against the service. The question to be submitted to the National Telecommunications Agency (Anatel) will be made against the voice service of the WhatsApp, and not about the application's messaging system.

The idea is to question the fact that the service is offered through the mobile phone number of the user, and not through a specific login as is the case with other voice chat software, such as Skype or WhatsappEg. The operators' argument is that the mobile number is granted by Anatel and the telephone companies pay taxes for each authorized line.

One of the solutions pointed out as a solution to resist pressure from operators and governments would be to make the WhatsApp stop using users' mobile numbers to identify them in the messenger. Alternatively, the application could use the Facebook, which is part of the same corporation.