This should especially be true for communication services. If you reach a large enough threshold of users, you should be required to offer interoperability with competitors, and have 24/7 support humans available to help out with things like this.
I made a new LLC recently and signed up for PayPal to pay an invoice.
I gave them my info, my tax ID, my bank account, etc.
And within five minutes, they told me that my account was permanently blocked and that I wouldn't be able to use PayPal with my business. No reason was given other than I must have violated their TOU.
I had to go onto Twitter and talk publicly about it, then talked to three different Twitter representatives over a three weeks period, and they finally unlocked my account.
I commend them for unlocking it, but it's certainly given me pause over using them for even sending funds. :(
I can see both sides of this process, and unfortunately, in case of an error, it's almost impossible to resolve the situation without an inside advocate who could influence the outcome and possibly correct the mistake.
This is why we need regulation that protects people/businesses.
God, just install that other app or pay for Texts or Beeper if you really need it.
The EU is working on it
Given the market value of the company, then it should be able to comply with basic standards of say decency, honesty and perhaps ... transparency.
The other argument is that the major messaging platforms have collectively become an essential basic utility, and accordingly carry some responsibility.
Taking on so many users means you get responsibilities to society that smaller companies don't get.
I've been asking friends to get off WhatsApp forever, and everyone wants to get off it. But family members and clients are on it, so now everyone downloads multiple messaging apps, ones they want to use and the ones they're forced go use.
At this point even if WhatsApp explicitly says they'll sell your information to Satan, people will still use it because it's free.
Crowing 'private company' doesn't absolve you of providing the functions of the town square when you've bulldozed and replaced it and repeatedly stated that you are the town square.