Snapshot of the source text at fetch time — not a live mirror of the policy page.
Plain-English summary
WhatsApp's Terms of Service state that the service may be interrupted or discontinued (risk_flags-1), and their liability for damages is limited to $100 or the amount you've paid in the last 12 months (risk_flags-2). For users in the United States or Canada, there is a binding arbitration provision and a waiver of class action rights (risk_flags-3). WhatsApp does not provide access to emergency services (risk_flags-4) and your account can be terminated for policy violations or inactivity (risk_flags-5). The services are provided "AS IS" without warranties (risk_flags-6). WhatsApp shares information with other Meta Companies for integrations, security, and to improve ads (data_use-1) and you can provide phone numbers from your address book, including non-users, if allowed by law (data_use-2). If you don't agree to amended terms or assignment of rights, you must delete your account (cancellation_renewal-1). There is a minimum age requirement of 13 years old to use the services independently (gotchas-1) and you are responsible for all associated fees and taxes, including data and internet costs (gotchas-2).
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Risk Flags
Risk flags are policy clauses that could be harmful to consumers. These could be clauses that limit consumer rights, allow the company to change terms without notice, or have other problematic but legal terms.
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Services may be interrupted or discontinued at any time.
The company states that its services may be interrupted for maintenance, repairs, upgrades, or network failures. They also reserve the right to discontinue some or all services, including features and support for certain devices and platforms, at any time.
Why it matters: Your use of the services may be disrupted due to unforeseen interruptions, and certain features or even the entire service might be stopped without warning, affecting your ability to use the service.
Our Services may be interrupted, including for maintenance, repairs, upgrades, or network or equipment failures. We may discontinue some or all of our Services, including certain features and the support for certain devices and platforms, at any time.
Availability And Termination Of Our Services, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
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Limitation of Liability for Damages
The company states that the WhatsApp Parties will not be held responsible for any lost profits or certain types of damages (consequential, special, punitive, indirect, or incidental) related to their terms, themselves, or their services, even if they were informed of the possibility of such damages. Their total liability will not be more than $100 or the amount you paid them in the last twelve months.
Why it matters: If you suffer significant financial losses or damages due to issues with the service, the company's liability to you is severely limited to a maximum of $100 or what you paid in the last year, potentially leaving you responsible for most of your losses.
THE WHATSAPP PARTIES WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, INDIRECT, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES RELATING TO, ARISING OUT OF, OR IN ANY WAY IN CONNECTION WITH OUR TERMS, US, OR OUR SERVICES (HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), EVEN IF THE WHATSAPP PARTIES HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. OUR AGGREGATE LIABILITY RELATING TO, ARISING OUT OF, OR IN ANY WAY IN CONNECTION WITH OUR TERMS, US, OR OUR SERVICES WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100) OR THE AMOUNT YOU HAVE PAID US IN THE PAST TWELVE MONTHS.
Limitation Of Liability, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
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Mandatory Arbitration and Waiver of Class Action Rights for US and Canada Users
If you are a user in the United States or Canada, you and the company agree to resolve almost all disputes through binding individual arbitration, meaning you give up your right to have them decided by a judge or jury. You also waive your right to participate in class actions, class arbitrations, or representative actions.
Why it matters: Your ability to sue the company in court, have a jury trial, or join class-action lawsuits is significantly restricted, limiting your legal options if a dispute arises.
IF YOU ARE A WHATSAPP USER LOCATED IN THE UNITED STATES OR CANADA, OUR TERMS CONTAIN A BINDING ARBITRATION PROVISION, WHICH STATES THAT, EXCEPT IF YOU OPT OUT AND EXCEPT FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF DISPUTES, WHATSAPP AND YOU AGREE TO RESOLVE ALL DISPUTES (DEFINED BELOW) THROUGH BINDING INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION, WHICH MEANS THAT YOU WAIVE ANY RIGHT TO HAVE THOSE DISPUTES DECIDED BY A JUDGE OR JURY, AND THAT YOU WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN CLASS ACTIONS, CLASS ARBITRATIONS, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTIONS.
[Back to top](https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/terms-of-service#top-of-page), paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
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WhatsApp is not an emergency service.
The services provided by WhatsApp do not offer access to emergency services like police, fire departments, or hospitals, nor do they connect to public safety answering points. Users must use a mobile phone, fixed-line telephone, or another service to contact emergency providers.
Why it matters: You cannot rely on WhatsApp for emergency communication, and you must have alternative methods available to contact emergency services.
NO ACCESS TO EMERGENCY SERVICES: There are important differences between our Services and your mobile phone and a fixed-line telephone and SMS services. Our Services do not provide access to emergency services or emergency services providers, including the police, fire departments, or hospitals, or otherwise connect to public safety answering points. You should ensure you can contact your relevant emergency services providers through a mobile phone, a fixed-line telephone, or other service.
[Back to top](https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/terms-of-service#top-of-page), paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
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Account Termination for Policy Violations or Inactivity
The company may disable or suspend your account if you violate their terms or policies. They can also disable or delete your account if it's inactive for too long or if it doesn't become active after registration.
Why it matters: Your account may be terminated if you violate terms or are inactive, potentially leading to loss of access to the service and content.
We may modify, suspend, or terminate your access to or use of our Services anytime for any reason, such as if you violate the letter or spirit of our Terms or create harm, risk, or possible legal exposure for us, our users, or others. We may also disable or delete your account if it does not become active after account registration or if it remains inactive for an extended period of time.
Availability And Termination Of Our Services, paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
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Services Provided "AS IS" Without Warranties
You use the services at your own risk. The company provides its services "AS IS" without any express or implied warranties, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, non-infringement, and freedom from computer viruses.
Why it matters: You bear all risks associated with using the services, as the company does not guarantee their quality, safety, or suitability for any specific purpose, meaning you have limited recourse if problems arise.
YOU USE OUR SERVICES AT YOUR OWN RISK AND SUBJECT TO THE FOLLOWING DISCLAIMERS. WE ARE PROVIDING OUR SERVICES ON AN “AS IS” BASIS WITHOUT ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND FREEDOM FROM COMPUTER VIRUS OR OTHER HARMFUL CODE.
Disclaimers And Release, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
Data Use
This section details how the company uses your personal information.
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Data Sharing with Meta Companies
WhatsApp is part of the Meta Companies and receives and shares information with them. This is done to provide integrations that connect your WhatsApp experience with other Meta Company Products, ensure security, safety, and integrity across these products, and improve your ad and product experience.
Why it matters: Your information may be shared with other Meta-owned companies, which could lead to your data being used across different platforms for integration, security, and targeted advertising, potentially reducing your privacy.
As part of the [Meta Companies](https://faq.whatsapp.com/general/security-and-privacy/the-facebook-companies), WhatsApp receives information from, and shares information with, the [Meta Companies](https://faq.whatsapp.com/general/security-and-privacy/the-facebook-companies) as described in WhatsApp's [Privacy Policy](https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/privacy-policy), including to provide integrations which enable you to connect your WhatsApp experience with other [Meta Company Products](https://faq.whatsapp.com/general/security-and-privacy/the-facebook-company-products); to ensure security, safety, and integrity across the [Meta Company Products](https://faq.whatsapp.
About Our Services, paragraph 1 · Citation strength: strong
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Collection and Use of Address Book Information
You can use the contact upload feature to provide WhatsApp with phone numbers from your mobile address book regularly, including numbers of both WhatsApp users and your other contacts, if allowed by applicable laws.
Why it matters: You may be sharing your contacts' phone numbers with WhatsApp, which could include individuals who are not WhatsApp users. This means you are providing third-party data to WhatsApp.
You can use the contact upload feature and provide us, if permitted by applicable laws, with the phone numbers in your mobile address book on a regular basis, including those of both the users of our Services and your other contacts. Learn more about our contact upload feature [here](https://faq.whatsapp.com/general/contacts/about-contact-upload).
[Back to top](https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/terms-of-service#top-of-page), paragraph 4 · Citation strength: strong
Cancellation/Renewal
This section covers how you can cancel your subscription or account, and how renewals are handled.
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Account deletion required to opt out of amended terms or assignment
If the company amends or updates its terms and you do not agree to the amended terms, you must stop using the services by deleting your account. Similarly, if the company assigns its rights and obligations to an affiliate or new owner and you do not agree, you must delete your account after being notified.
Why it matters: If you don't agree with changes to the terms or a transfer of ownership, your only option is to delete your account, which means you lose access to the service.
We hope you will continue using our Services, but if you do not agree to our Terms, as amended, you must stop using our Services by deleting your account. * All of our rights and obligations under our Terms are freely assignable by us to any of our affiliates or in connection with a merger, acquisition, restructuring, or sale of assets, or by operation of law or otherwise, and we may transfer your information to any of our affiliates, successor entities, or new owner. In the event of such an assignment, these Terms will continue to govern your relationship with such third-party.
Other, paragraph 2 · Citation strength: strong
Gotchas
These are clauses that are not necessarily harmful, but are worth noting to the user.
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Minimum Age Requirement
You must be at least 13 years old, or the greater age required in your country or territory, to register for and use the services on your own. If you are younger, a parent or guardian can create a parent-managed account for you, if available.
Why it matters: If you are under 13 (or the specific age in your region), you cannot use the service independently; a parent or guardian must set up and manage your account.
You must be at least 13 years old to register for and use our Services on your own (or such greater age required in your country or territory). If you are under this age, your parent or guardian can create a parent-managed account for you if it is available in your country or territory.
[Back to top](https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/terms-of-service#top-of-page), paragraph 5 · Citation strength: strong
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User is Responsible for Fees and Taxes
You are responsible for all data plans from your carrier, internet fees, and any other fees and taxes related to your use of the services.
Why it matters: You are personally responsible for all costs associated with using the service, including data, internet, and taxes, which means these expenses are not covered by the service provider.
You are responsible for all carrier data plans, Internet fees, and other fees and taxes associated with your use of our Services.
[Back to top](https://www.whatsapp.com/legal/terms-of-service#top-of-page), paragraph 7 · Citation strength: strong
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