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Introduction
WhatsApp, the most widely used messaging app worldwide[1] - used by over 1 billion people in over 180 countries[2] - is also of late growing in popularity among jihadi groups and individuals and their supporters, including the Islamic State (ISIS), Al-Qaeda, Hizbullah, the Taliban, and others. WhatsApp was founded in 2009 by ex-Yahoo! employees Jan Koum and Brian Acton. Koum was ranked No. 140 in the Forbes 2017 list of the world's billionaires, with a net worth of $9 billion, and Acton was ranked No. 269 in the same list, with a net worth of $5.6 billion.[3] The app was bought by Facebook in February 2014 for $19 billion.
With its end-to-end encryption and ease of use on both smartphones and, now, desktop computers - with the desktop version being very similar in design and function to Telegram[4] - WhatsApp is regularly used by these extremists not only for exchanging messages, but also for disseminating jihadi news and other publications, media productions, and photos, as well as recruitment and fundraising. In their communications, they also regularly use images denoting jihad and martyrdom. Jihad fighters on the front communicate via WhatsApp with sympathizers in other countries who are eager for news on the ground, interested in joining up, or supporting the organization or individual financially or in other ways at home.
Desktop Version Of WhatsApp: Group Members On Left, Messages In Center, Group Info On Right 
As WhatsApp continues to gain in popularity among jihadi users, we expect that, since WhatsApp is owned by Facebook, the platform will become more adept at removing jihadi content, following the Facebook model.
This report will present MEMRI research on how jihadis and jihadi organizations are using WhatsApp; on WhatsApp's Terms of Service; on how the platform is being used in terror attacks in the West, and for disseminating content, fundraising, recruiting, and other communications; on how its jihadi users are disseminating imagery of ISIS, jihad, and martyrdom; and how links to jihadi content on it are being shared on other platforms. The MEMRI research included in this report also reveals the wide-ranging geographic locations of jihadi WhatsApp users as may be indicated by their phone numbers - which appear to be from 41 U.S. states and 73 countries but may be merely virtual or temporarily numbers - and jihadi WhatsApp group chats that MEMRI has discovered.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. HOW JIHADIS ARE USING WHATSAPP
II. WHATSAPP TERMS OF SERVICE BAN "PROMOTING VIOLENT CRIMES" ON THE PLATFORM; WHATSAPP SAYS IT WILL "REVIEW AND RESPOND TO LAW ENFORCEMENT REQUESTS BASED ON APPLICABLE LAW AND POLICY" AND WORKS WITH FACEBOOK TO REMOVE TERRORIST ACCOUNTS
III. WHATSAPP USED IN TERROR ATTACKS IN U.S., U.K., EUROPE
IV. WHATSAPP USED BY JIHADIS FOR DISSEMINATING CONTENT, FUNDRAISING, RECRUITING, AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS - WITH AVATARS DENOTING ISIS, JIHAD, MARTYRDOM
V. WHATSAPP GROUP CHATS
VI. JIHADIS DISSEMINATE WHATSAPP LINKS ON TELEGRAM
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