WhatsApp, a popular messaging app owned by Facebook Inc. is updating its privacy policy, and users who do not agree to share data with Facebook will lose access to their accounts. The new compulsory demand is due to WhatsApp integrating its services and privacy policy with Facebook.
WhatsApp currently has about two billion active users, which comprises both Facebook and non-Facebook users. However, all users seem to receive a pop up that asks them to agree to share their data on WhatsApp with facebook. If they do not agree to share their data, they will lose access to their accounts by February 8.
According to MacRumors, WhatsApp had a "prelude" to this update last July 2020, in an attempt to integrate Facebook and Whatsapp data. However, they seem to offer options for users to disagree in the integration. The latest update seem to be more compulsory, as their Whatsapp accounts are at stake.
Consequently, many users seem to "agree" to the Whatsapp update without reading the terms and conditions.
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WhatsApp Says they Make Changes Subsequent to 'Ample Notice'
According to a Whatsapp spokesperson via Mirror, "As we've previously talked about, we're updating our terms of service and privacy policy as we work to make WhatsApp a great way to get answers or help from a business...Privacy policy and terms updates are common in the industry and we're providing users with ample notice to review the changes."
The new WhatsApp update is fairly recent, with users having received it for the past 24 hours only. Although they seem to offer an "agree" or "not now" button, they explicitly state that users who do not agree will lose access by February 8.
This recent change begs the messaging App to become more transparent to their users. As a result, they have updated their official website and has published new sections that support their privacy policy update.
Sections such as "Transactions and Payments Data", "Local information" and "What information does Whatsapp share with Facebook Companies?", can be seen in their website.
Furthermore, it adds the following statements:
"The information we share with the other Facebook Companies. includes your account registration information (such as your phone number), transaction data, service-related information, information on how you interact with others (including businesses) when using our Services, mobile device information, your IP address, and may include other information identified in the Privacy Policy section entitled 'Information We Collect' or obtained upon notice to you or based on your consent."
A Fully Integrated System for Facebook Inc. and other Owned Platforms
It is believed that Facebook Inc.'s founder Mark Zuckerberg, who also happens to own other social media platforms such as Instagram, and as mentioned the messaging app WhatsApp, is taking further steps to integrate all services and streamline them for easier control. Eventually the goal is to further combine all data from all three services into their system.
Some hints also suggest that users from WhatsApp may now start receiving marketing material from Facebook. Although WhatsApp should be an 'encrypted' app, which means the 'end-to-end encryption' is supposed to make sure only you and the person you're communicating with can read or listen to what is sent, users are baffled with the new update. Nonetheless, Whatsapp seems to disclose all information from the changes that they make from time to time.
