WhatsApp: Avoid sharing screenshots of your conversations as this could land you in trouble
WhatsApp does not have a way to detect whether users are taking screenshots, but it does incorporate end-to-end encryption into chats to protect the privacy and confidentiality of conversations within the app.
This practice is common on WhatsApp and other instant messaging apps, but it can cause conflicts between contacts. If users do not agree to share a screenshot of a private conversation, the person involved may face legal trouble.
Unauthorized publication of private conversations is a violation of fundamental rights. Depending on the content of the text, the right to honor, personal and family privacy, or personal image may be violated.
Constitutions in countries strive to achieve these three rights. “The confidentiality of communications is guaranteed, especially postal, telegraphic, and telephone communications, except by judicial decision.”
The country's basic law states that it condemns "the disclosure of facts relating to the private life of a person or family that affect their reputation, as well as the disclosure or publication of the content of letters, memoirs, or documents."
Users who share a screenshot of a private conversation will be committing a civil wrong. If the content of the conversations is of a personal nature and is considered an invasion of a person's honor or privacy, the affected person may seek compensation for damages.
Penalties for sharing a WhatsApp screenshot can be both civil and criminal. If the content being shared seriously violates a person’s privacy or the photos or recordings are posted without permission, the Penal Code provides for prison sentences of up to years and fines in the most serious cases.
The problem may be even greater in WhatsApp groups and similar apps like Telegram. Participating in a conversation does not give another user the right to publish the chat content without the express consent of all parties involved.