WhatsApp reportedly blocks links to its chat rival Telegram

Not long ago, social networkers accused Facebook of blocking mentions of potential rival Tsu.co. Well, Facebook's supposedly at it again... and this time, you're more likely to notice. Telegram and its users claim that WhatsApp is blocking any links to the privacy-oriented messaging service. You can see the addresses, but you can't tap or copy them. While only some people are seeing this behavior, there's no mistaking it when it turns up.

We've reached out to Facebook to get its take on the story, and we'll let you know if it offers a response. Telegram isn't mincing words, though: it tells The Verge that Facebook will try to blame the block on a flaw with its "intelligent filtering" instead of confessing to a nefarious deed. We wouldn't jump to that kind of conclusion yet, but it's clear that something strange is going on with WhatsApp's handling of Telegram links -- even if it's just a convenient software hiccup.

[Image credit: AP Photo/Patrick Sison]