Supreme Court's WhatsApp ruling: Prison time for sharing screenshots

Sharing screenshots of private WhatsApp correspondence with third parties has returned to the agenda as an action that can have legal consequences. According to a precedent-setting ruling by the Supreme Court, sharing messages sent to oneself with other people without permission can, under certain conditions, be considered a violation of privacy.

According to the ruling, if the owner of the messages learns of this sharing and files a lawsuit, the person who shared the screenshot could face a prison sentence ranging from 1 to 3 years. However, taking a screenshot or saving a conversation does not in itself constitute a crime in every situation; the determining factor is with whom and for what purpose the private messages are shared.

As reported by Show Haber, lawyer Kevser Yıldırım emphasized that WhatsApp correspondence is not a public space, noting that sharing private conversations with third parties can be considered a breach of privacy. Yıldırım stated, "It is necessary to be mindful that this is not a space accessible to or reachable by more than one person."

On the other hand, it is possible for screenshots taken to prove a crime allegedly committed against a person or to be submitted to official authorities to be evaluated differently. For this reason, experts state that private correspondence should not be shared indiscriminately and that content that could serve as evidence in legal proceedings should be used through official channels.

Public opinion on the matter varies. While some people say they save messages they consider important for evidentiary purposes, others express that they do not find it appropriate for private conversations to be sent to others.

News Source: 12punto