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]